The National Science Foundation reports that engineers have created hotplates roughly the width of a human hair that can reach temperatures over 1100 deg C. These micro-hotplates can serve as substrates, heaters & conductors for thin-film experiments ranging from material analyses to the development of advanced sensors. Researchers at Boston MicroSystems Inc, crafted the hotplates out of silicon carbide, a strong robust material that can tolerate extreme heat & reach peak temperature in less than one thousandth of a second. Because SiC is not only stable at high temperatures, but also is impervious to chemical attack from most materials, the hotplates can be cleaned by burning the dirt & debris off the surface. These may prove to be flexible tools for optics, chemical vapor deposition chambers & other applications. www.bostonmicrosystems.com
