NIST researchers demonstrate high-speed thermal imaging system. (General Developments).NIST (National Institute of Standards & Technology, Washington, DC, www.nist.gov) The standards-defining agency of the U.S. government, formerly the National Bureau of Standards. It is one of three agencies that fall under the Technology Administration (www.technology. researchers used a high-speed thermal imaging system to study transient thermal characteristics of microhotplate structures. Their studies demonstrated the importance of the microhotplate heat-spreading layer in obtaining a uniform dynamic temperature distribution. Researchers used a high-speed thermal imaging system to investigate the dynamic thermal behavior of MEMS (MicroElectroMechanical Systems) Tiny mechanical devices that are built onto semiconductor chips and are measured in micrometers. In the research labs since the 1980s, MEMS devices began to materialize as commercial products in the mid-1990s. based microhotplate devices. Measurements revealed delayed surface heating of the microhotplate and temperature redistribution during both the heating and cooling phases. These measurements are useful in optimizing the design of microhotplate structures. Researchers demonstrated that the unique high-speed thermal imaging system is capable of determining various thermal time constants of the structure. These time constants include the propagation of heat from the heating element Noun 1. heating element - the component of a heater or range that transforms fuel or electricity into heat bar - a heating element in an electric fire; "an electric fire with three bars" through the multi-layered, suspended membrane structure, the equalization In communications, techniques used to reduce distortion and compensate for signal loss (attenuation) over long distances. of temperature over the upper surface, and the cooling of the entire membrane structure by convection, radiation, and conduction through the legs. It also was shown that reflected infrared radiation can be used with a normalization In relational database management, a process that breaks down data into record groups for efficient processing. There are six stages. By the third stage (third normal form), data are identified only by the key field in their record. technique to determine the temperature of the hidden underside of the suspended membrane. The thermal time constants measured with the transient thermal imaging system can be used to optimize the thermal performance of microhotplates. Preliminary measurements indicate that the microhotplate structure may be a useful infrared radiation calibration artifact for very small heat sources where the accuracy of the temperature measurement is affected by spatial resolution (Data West Research Agency definition: see GIS glossary.) A measure of the accuracy or detail of a graphic display, expressed as dots per inch, pixels per line, lines per millimeter, etc. It is a measure of how fine an image is, usually expressed in dots per inch (dpi). . CONTACT: Allen Hefner, (301) 975-2071; allen.hefner@nist.gov. |
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