Dataset of the Optimization of a Low Power Chemoresistive Gas Sensor: Predictive Thermal Modelling and Mechanical Failure Analysis

This dataset has been used for the development of a thermal-mechanical predictive model for the optimization of silicon microheater for gas sensing applications. The thermal and mechanical performance of the microfabricated silicon microheaters have been experimentally evaluated by using a manual probe and a shear/pull tester, respectively. Thermal (TableS1_AB_Thermal Database-Tidy) and mechanical (TableS3_AB_Mechanical Databse-Tidy) data are organized in separate excel files, which can be used for further data analysis. The first sheet of each file is reported in the tidy format, i.e. every single row represents an observation, allowing for a rapid importation in R as well as an easy data analysis. The second sheet of both files contains the experimental curves collected, which allowed to extrapolate by analysis the data shown in the first sheet. The progressive number is also present in the first sheet (reported as sample number) to easily relate the tidy results with the correspondent curves. Power (mW), reported in the first sheet of the thermal database, needed to reach the temperature of 400 °C for each combination of membrane and heater. The second sheet includes the Voltage (V), applied as an independent variable, and the measured resistance (Ohm), the measured temperature (°C), and the measured Power (mW), which were the dependent variables . Each sample has then five columns. 

The values of the corrective thermal constant KEAD are shown in a separate file (Table S2_KEAD Database). The first sheet of the file is in tidy format. The progressive number is also present in the first sheet (reported as sample number) to easily relate the tidy results with the correspondent curves. The experimental data of KEAD constant of sample L1 are reported in sheets 2 and 3, as a function of the percentage area occupied by the heater (A%) and temperature (°C), respectively. The calculation and the physical meaning of KEAD is discussed elsewhere [Gaiardo et al., DOI:10.3390/s21030783]. The calculated values of the corrective thermal constant KEAD are reported as a function of temperature (°C) and of the percentage area occupied by the heater (A%) for samples L2 and L3 in sheets 4 and 5. 

Force (N), reported in the in the first sheet of the mechanical database, represents the force needed to break the microheater membrane during the pull test. All the Force-Deflection curves are shown in the second sheet, within their respective sample number. These sheets contain two columns per sample, the first being the deflection (µm) and the second being the measured force (N). The first data points are registered after the indenter, approaching the MH membranes, meets the membrane and ending in the brittle failure after the maximum force is registered.