Experimental results and a user-friendly model of heat transfer from a thin film resistance temperature detector

The research reported in this paper has focused on the different modes of heat transfer – conductive (to the substrate), conductive and convective (to the environment) and radiative (to the environment) – from an on-chip resistance temperature detector (RTD). The study has been carried out at various input voltages, various pressures ranging from atmospheric to vacuum, and for two classes of platforms for the device – thermal insulators (glass wool and ceramic), and a thermal conductor (aluminum block). The transient temperature–time response of the RTD under the various conditions stated above was recorded. A heat transfer model approximately accounting for all the modes of heat transfer was introduced. The calibration parameters of the model allowed us to quantify the different modes of heat transfer. The model uncovers the fact that the heat losses to the environment via conduction and convection are almost as much as the heat lost by radiation (radiative effects were unequivocally confirmed experimentally). Compared to these losses, conductive heat losses from the RTD to its underlying substructure are far more dominant (almost five times). We also give an analysis originating from the exact form of conservation of energy and demonstrate that the use of the simplified model has led to the most dominant heat transfer mode of conduction to the substrate being underestimated by no more than 7.89% (at the highest input power tested).