Abstract
The design and characteristics of a micro-system for thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) in which heater, temperature sensor and mass sensor are integrated into a single device are presented. The system consists of a suspended cantilever that incorporates a microfabricated resistor, used as both heater and thermometer. A three-dimensional finite element analysis was used to define the structure parameters. TGA sensors were fabricated by standard microlithographic techniques and tested using milli-Q water and polyurethane microcapsule. The results demonstrated that our approach provides a faster and more sensitive TGA with respect to commercial systems.
Highlights
The use of thermal analysis is nowadays widespread in pharmaceutical, university and research laboratories [1,2]
We have proposed a cantilever-based nanoTGA, which integrates both the heater and the temperature sensor within the cantilever
At increasing temperatures the Si3N4/nickel bilayer bends with increasing thermal stress, which induce plastic deformation of sensor structure and make resonator temperature dependence more important than expected
Summary
The use of thermal analysis is nowadays widespread in pharmaceutical, university and research laboratories [1,2]. Thermal analysis, in standard applications, requires sample masses in the milligram range [3,4,5] and is usually classified into two main groups: gravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential. TGA involves the detection of the mass change caused by a temperature scan: a material loses weight with temperature, because of evaporation and/or sublimation, or increases weight in reacting environments, e.g., in oxidative processes. The main drawback of commercially available TGA systems is generally due to a poor mass sensitivity, which results in destruction of gram quantities of the compound under investigation and poses serious problems for expensive and rare materials. The purpose of this work is to use MEMS technologies to develop a micromechanical sensor that allows one to reduce the quantity of sample required in typical
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
