A system and method for providing an active array of temperature sensing and cooling elements, including an active heatsink which further includes an active temperature sensing layer, a thermoelectric cooling layer, and a heatsink, which further includes a plurality of cooling channels. The temperature sensing element within the active temperature sensing layer includes a plurality of switching transistors, a linear transistor, a current sense resistor, a thermistor, a voltage sensing bus, a voltage setting bus, a current measurement bus, a measurement switching bus, a sense control bus, a storage capacitor, and a supply voltage, all under the control of a process control computer. The method of using an active array of temperature sensing and cooling elements includes the steps of aligning the shadow mask, depositing the material, detecting a thermal gradient, and controlling the thermoelectric cooling.