| Thermal, electrical, and mechanical characteristics of heated cantilevers were experimentally studied in various conditions. Experiments investigated thermal, mechanical, and coupled behaviors of the heated cantilevers under DC, AC, and transient electrical heating. Raman spectroscopy measured local temperature and qualitative intrinsic stress with high spatial resolution. Based on thorough understanding from device characterization, cantilever type micro hotplates and small array of heated cantilevers with integrated piezoresistive sensors were fabricated and characterized. Well characterized cantilever sensors were applied to heat transfer study and microfluidic research. Heated microcantilevers were suggested to study sub-continuum heat transfer from a micro heater to ambient gas environment in a wide range of pressure. Microcantilever sensors were employed to study the free microjets emanated from microfabricated nozzles. Piezoresistive cantilevers measured jet thrust, velocity, and break-up distance of the liquid microjets and heated cantilevers investigated heat transfer characteristics and phase change phenomena during the microjet impingement. |
