The unique microwave heating characteristics of different materials can be utilized to selectively heat target layers in thin multilayer material systems. Examples include selectively processing surface coatings on sheets, fibers, or fabrics; selectively curing adhesives between layers; and elevating temperatures of catalytic surfaces. Microwave heating offers the possibility of elevating the temperature of the surface treatment or coating above the temperature limit of the substrate material. Heat transfer modeling is used to identify the fundamental parameters and provide guidance for evaluating the feasibility of selective heating for candidate material combinations. A transient, two-layer, lumped-capacitance model shows what temperature disparities result from known material properties and processing conditions.