Development of a Novel 2-Dimensional Micro-Heater Array Device with Regional Selective Heating

Abstract

This paper reports the development of a micro-heater array device that can be selectively heated at an arbitrary location. To confirm the heating characteristics of this micro-heater array device, heating experiments using a thermo-responsive gel were conducted. Since a micro-heater can supply heat with a rapid-response on a micro-scale, various applications have been studied. Based on these characteristics, micro-heaters have often been used in recent research applications involving biological cells. To expand the versatility of the micro-heater, the development of micro-heater array systems that can supply heat selectively at an arbitrary location is required. In this work, to support micro-heater applications in the field of biochemistry, the design and materials of a micro-heater array device were optimized and a fabrication process was established. Furthermore, the usefulness of this device was verified using a thermo-responsive gel, and control of the temperature distribution on a glass substrate was successfully demonstrated. This micro-heater array device can be heated with regional selectivity, and each region can be controlled to an arbitrary temperature, so the device is also capable of generating temperature gradients.