Abstract
This paper reports an innovative on-chip temperature control system using MEMS technology. Micro temperature sensors and micro heaters are integrated on glass substrates for biomedical applications. The temperature control system consists of thin-film platinum resistors as sensing/heating elements and a layer of polyimide as an isolation layer inside a micromachined chamber. It is demonstrated as a micro PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) chip for DNA replication. A high rise and drop rate of temperature field is attained due to low thermal inertia of the micro system. The MEMS-based on-chip temperature control system can be integrated with microfluidic structures (such as micro channels and micro chambers), which are fabricated by easy polymer casting processes. Biomedical applications such as PCR, reactors, and incubators can be realized using the developed method.