A highly sensitive hydrogen gas sensor of the multi-layer, micro heater type was designed and fabricated using a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) process. A sensing layer (Pd thin film) was fabricated by radio frequency (R.F.) magnetron sputtering. The electrothermal properties of the designed H-2 sensor were analyzed by the finite elements method (FEM). When the heater voltage was 3.0, 3.5 and 4.0, the simulation data were 98.56, 124.46 and 15434 degrees C and the measured data were 101.28, 124.20 and 149.42 degrees C, respectively. In both data, the operating temperature of the micro heater was positively correlated with the heater voltage. The results of sensitivity and response time after application of the heater voltage demonstrated an optimal heater voltage for this sensor of 4.0V. The H-2 sensor provided sensitivity (R-s) of 0.267% for 500 ppm - hydrogen gas at a heater voltage of 4.0 V. The gas sensitivity was positively correlated with the hydrogen concentration. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.