Thermal-wave balancing flow sensor with low-drift power feedback

A control system using a low-drift power-feedback signal was implemented applying thermal waves, giving a sensor output independent of resistance drift and thermo-electric offset voltages on interface wires. Kelvin-contact sensing and power control is used on heater resistors, thereby inhibiting the influence of heater resistance drift. The thermal waves are detected with a sensing resistor using a lock-in amplifier and are mutually cancelled by a thermal-wave balancing controller. Offset due to thermal gradient across the chip and resistor drift are eliminated by the lock-in amplifier and power controller, and therefore do not influence the sensor output signal. A microchannel thermal-wave balancing flow sensor with integrated Al resistors has successfully been fabricated. The thermal flow sensor is capable of measuring water flow rates with nl ⋅ min⁻¹ precision, up to about 500 nl ⋅ min⁻¹ full scale. Measurement results are in good agreement with a dynamic model of the flow sensor. Drift measurements show the sensor output signal to be compensated for resistance drift and thermal gradient across the chip. (paper)