Precise, reliable and cost-efficient: our micro-heaters are designed to fit your application's needs. Heating of small spaces is not only needed in car cigarette-lighters, but across a wide range of industries - from automotive, laser manufacturing, humidification units, life-science, 3D printing to medical devices, targeted heating of tiny spaces is required.
Micro Heaters
Answer from Customer Satisfaction Survey 2021We hope to make bigger volumes with iST AG
Micro-heaters
Micro-heaters
Precise, reliable and cost-efficient: our micro-heaters are designed to fit your application's needs. Heating of small spaces is not only needed in car cigarette-lighters, but across a wide range of industries - from automotive, laser manufacturing, humidification units, life-science, 3D printing to medical devices, targeted heating of tiny spaces is required.
Benefits and Characteristics
Patterning
iST micro heaters can be tailored to any application to enable an even heat distribution across a small surface. They allow for targeted heating of tiny spaces.
Special Form Factors
The possibilities for chip shapes as well as the geometry of heating patters are endless and can be designed to fit precisely into any application.
We design the micro heater to fit the application’s profile offering a wide selection of substrates, from alumina to zirconia.
Whether round, polygons, long and thin or square, the substrates can be cut with precision laser into any two-dimensional shape, providing the form factor needed to fit the application.
Substrates
Various substrate materials can be utilized to be compatible with objects to be heated. Thermal conductivity, which influences the heat transfer from heater to object, varies for different substrates. Depending on the requirements the choice of will be made from the following selection: ceramic alumina, zirconia, sapphire, steel, copper, polyimide, aluminum nitride or silicon wafer. Ceramic substrates, for example, have excellent corrosion resistance and the highest operating temperature range.
The heat transfer from heater to object, varies for different substrates. Stainless steel has the lowest value of about 15 W/mK, aluminum nitride has the highest value up to 220 W/mK.
Materials
Zirconia-based micro heaters
Designed for extreme environments requiring maximum durability and oxidation resistance, iST’s zirconia-based micro-heater reaches 850 °C and is ideal for applications that require precise, localized heating in harsh environments.
Zirconia is the material of choice for high-performance micro-heaters because it offers exceptional thermal stability and resistance to oxidation, even at extreme temperatures. Its inherent durability ensures reliable operation through repeated heating cycles, making it ideal for demanding industrial environments. Additionally, zirconia’s compact design allows for easy integration into sensor assemblies, enabling precise and efficient thermal control without compromising space or performance.
Alumina-based micro heaters
Excellent electrical insulation: Alumina is a strong ceramic insulator, making it ideal for heaters that need to avoid electrical interference. They boast High thermal conductivity, provideing efficient heat transfer for fast response times. Their temperature capability typically supports up to 600–700 °C, which is slightly lower than zirconia but still suitable for many industrial and medical applications. Alumina is robust and resistant to wear, making it reliable for repeated heating cycles.
The perfect fit for any application
Micro heaters are used in devices requiring a small but accurate heat source with precise temperature control, such as optical interactive assistance systems. Allowing for targeted heating of tiny spaces, iST micro heaters are found across various industries, including automotive, laser manufacturing, humidification units, life-science, 3D printing and medical devices. They are a precision heat source for gas and humidity sensors, biopsy or tissue samples for medical analysis, or used in malignant tumor treatment. Each micro heater is individually customized and designed to fit your application’s requirements.
Typical applications for micro heaters
Medical applications
In medical instruments, especially where thermal control and sterility are critical, micro heaters are used to maintain sensors at optimal temperatures for accurate measurement of gases like O₂, CO₂, or anesthetic agents in ventilators and anesthesia machines. They are also used in microfluidic systems for rapid heating of samples (e.g., blood or saliva) to accelerate chemical reactions or PCR processes.
Micro heaters are further integrated into instruments that require localized heating for sterilization or thermal disinfection without damaging surrounding components.
iST microheaters are used to maintain sensors at a stable, high temperature for accurate gas detection (e.g., oxygen, NOx, CO sensors). High temperatures improve sensor response and prevent contamination.
Targeted heating supports catalytic reactions by providing controlled heat for combustion processes and is common in industrial emissions monitoring and environmental applications.
In reactors or analytical instruments where precise thermal conditions are critical, iST microheaters ensure consistent performance, also in harsh environments.
Integrated into exhaust gas sensors for emission control, the heater withstands extreme thermal cycles in engine testing and is ideal for targeted heating of dashboard instruments or de-icing of side mirrors.
Find a Micro-Heater
Standard features of a typical micro-heater
Benefits & Characteristics
Our micro heaters combine high-precision and long-term stability with a wide temperature range from - 50°C up to 800°C and feature numerous benefits
- Fast response times
- High temperature stability
- Long term stability
- Overheating protection
- High precision
- Targeted heating of tiny spaces
- Tailor-made to fit your application
Their small footprint in all shapes and sizes and excellent thermal characteristics facilitate precise and highly localized heating of solids, liquids, and gases.
Thick-film micro-heater
Resistance: 12 Ohm ±10%
Dimensions: 13 mm x 16 mm x 0.63 mm
Heating Material: PTC resistor
Substrate: Al2 O3
T range: -50 °C to +800 °C
Heat up time: >100 °C in 10 sec
High Watt density: at 800 °C / Steady state
Heat up times for different supply voltages (graphic)
Red: 12.0 V
Yellow: 5.0 V
Blue: 3.3 V
Development & Technology Partner
Our expertise with PTC materials manufactured using thin-and thickfilm technology enables us to provide various coating techniques for application-specific property tuning for fast, homogenous, and efficient heating.
Throughout the development process as well as after delivery, we support you with simulations and technical advice.
Benefit from our extensive expertise in thin and thick film technologies and use our team to help you create your innovation.
