Sensors for detecting various gases, such as nitrogen oxides, play a major role in times of climate change in protecting the environment from the possible toxic influences of such gases. Due to their usually complex design, gas sensors may react to changes in the operating temperature, which can occur due to different ambient influences. This article shows two methods for accurately measuring the temperature on the surface of a sensor under realistic conditions.

A high-temperature gauge to simultaneously determine electrical conductivity, the Hall constant, and the Seebeck coefficient was developed. Screen-printed heating structures on a ceramic sample holder generate temperatures up to 800 °C. Heating structures were designed using FEM simulations. The temperature distribution was validated by thermal imaging. Measurements on constantan (reference material) and boron-doped silicon wafer confirm the functionality of the gauge up to 800 °C.

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is a widely used tool to analyze thermal material properties. This study focuses on the advancement of a miniaturized DSC chip as an alternative to conventional devices. The first development steps for the integration of a weighing system are shown, starting with model considerations and simulation-based optimization to initial measurements. Three different measurement methods are investigated and show promising results.