Comparative Study of MEMS Microheaters Using Distinct Designs and Materials for PCR Applications

The Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) based chips allow the amplification of specific DNA sequences and are increasingly being used in clinical diagnosis, gene detection etc. A uniform temperature field is essential inside the PCR chip reaction chamber. Keeping in view this requirement, microheaters using three distinct materials—Nichrome (NiCr), Gold (Au), and Silver (Ag)—were designed and analyzed through FEA simulations. The microheaters were modeled with three different geometries: double Spiral, meander, and serpentine. Finite-element based simulations were carried out using COMSOL Multiphysics software to predict the thermal performance of each microheater design. The simulations reveal variations in surface temperature distributions and heat efficiency as function of geometry and used material. Temperature plots for each design and material were generated, providing valuable insights for the selection of materials to enhance performance for use in PCR chips.