Microheaters are small high-power heaters, with precise control, that can offer temperatures in excess of 1000C, even up to 1900C.[1] Microheaters provide for accurate high temperature control, for example in electron microscopes, pressure-anvil cells or for enhancing fiberheaters.[2] Generally speaking, the heating method for microheaters involves conversion of electrical work to high density heat. With the increase in the temperature demanded, microheater heating materials change from metallic (non-brittle GAXP) to metal-ceramic like materials (MoSi2) which tend to be brittle. With an increase in usable temperature, microheaters need to be supported or enclosed with very high thermal-resistant ceramic materials often made from small grain, high purity aluminum oxide.

Other potential uses include:

  • Fuel Cell Heat Sources,
  • Electronics and Substrate Heating,
  • RF Applications,
  • Micro tube-heaters for small volume gas heating,
  • High Power micro-furnace with optional tube extension,
  • Fiber optics,
  • Ideal for long aspect ratio/very small diameter pieces,
  • Fiber optic use to reduce diameter of fibers,
  • Igniter,
  • MicroPlate heaters,
  • Material Testing and Characterization,
  • Thermal Property Measurements,
  • Diamond Anvil Cells,
  • SEM/TEM/AFM,
  • Gas/Vapor Heaters/Converters,
  • Thin Film Preparation,

When microheaters need controls it is important to heat only electrically, so that power may be controlled by a feed-back mechanism. New superheated steam or gas spot heaters are coming into use for spot microheater applications.

References

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  1. ^ "Microheater main page".
  2. ^ A. I. Kalachev, D. N. Nikogosyan, and G. Brambilla, "Long-Period Fiber Grating Fabrication by High-Intensity Femtosecond Pulses at 211 nm," J. Lightwave Technol. 23, 2568- (2005)