Bubble Nucleation on Micro Line Heaters

Abstract

Nucleation temperatures on micro line heaters were measured precisely by obtaining the I-R (current-resistance) characteristic curves of the heaters. The bubble nucleation temperature on the heater with 3 μm width is higher than the superheat limit, while the temperature on the heater with broader width of 5 μm is considerably less than the superheat limit. The nucleation temperatures were also estimated by using the molecular cluster model for bubble nucleation on the cavity free surface with effect of contact angle. The bubble nucleation process was observed by microscope/35 mm camera unit with a flash light of μs duration.