Fabrication of a Low Cost Flexible Micro-Device for Measuring Fiber Thermal Conductivity

Introduced is a low cost "cantilever" like device that is capable of generating heat and simultaneously measuring temperature. The device is fabricated on flexible polyimide substrate using a photolithography process to form thin gold heater patterns. Heat generation is concentrated at the tip of the cantilever using Joule heating from a direct current. The heater functions as an RTD capable of accurate temperature measurements. The device is used to measure the thermal conductivity of small, high aspect ratio structures such as fibers by measuring the thermal resistance using a parallel resistance model. Using a thin platinum wire as a reference material, accurate values for thermal conductivity are obtained.