Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-30T22:35:13.210Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Materials and Design Study for Micromachined Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Membranes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 February 2011

Samuel Rey-Mermet  and
Paul Muralt
Samuel Rey-Mermet
Affiliation:
samuel.rey-mermet@epfl.ch, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Materials Departement, STI-IMX-LC, Station 12, Lausanne, 1013, Switzerland
Paul Muralt
Affiliation:
paul.muralt@epfl.ch, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne EPFL, Ceramics Laboratory, STI-IMX-LC, Station 12, Lausanne, 1013, Switzerland
Get access

Abstract

Miniature solid oxide fuel cells (μSOFC) are very promising energy sources for portable devices. In this work we report on fabrication and on first experimental results of μSOFCs processed by means of silicon and thin film technology. All the layers involved in the PEN (Positive electrode-Electrolyte-Negative electrode) structure were sputter deposited on silicon wafer. The PEN membrane was liberated using deep silicon dry etching. The cathode is a combination of a very fine platinum grid covered by a thin LSC layer. The electrolyte is a bilayer of YSZ and CGO ionic conductors. Scanning electrons microscope and X-ray analysis show that the deposited films are polycrystalline with a columnar microstructure. The conductivities of these films are sufficiently high for cell operation at 550°C. The anode is composed of a NiO-Ni-CGO composite. A supporting structure consisting of an electroplated nickel grid is deposited on top of the anode and is part of it. The final PEN is a free standing 1 micron thick membrane, with a diameter of 5 mm. First measurements showed that this structure is mechanically stable up to 550°C and that the cell works with an OCV of 200 mV.

Keywords

thin filmphysical vapor deposition (PVD)Si
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 972: Symposium AA – Solid-State Ionics—2006 , 2006 , 0972-AA07-10-BB08-10
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Chen, X., et al., Thin-film heterostructure solide oxide fuel cells. Applied Physics Letters, 2004. 84(14): p. 2700–2702.Google Scholar
2. Kang, S., et al., Thin-film solid oxide fuel cells on porous nickel substrates with multistage nanohole array. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2006. 153(3): p. A554–A559.Google Scholar
3. Chung, B.W., et al., Development and Charcterization of a High Performance Thin-FilmPlanar SOFC Stack. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 2005. 152(2): p. A265–A269.Google Scholar
4. Xu, X., et al., YSZ thin films deposited by spin-coating for IT-SOFCs. Ceramics International, 2005. 31: p. 1061–1064.Google Scholar
5. Park, Y.-i., et al., Thin-Film SOFCs Using Gastight YSZ Thin Films on Nanoporous Substrates. Journal of The Electrochemical Society, 2006. 153(2): p. A431–A436.Google Scholar
6. Shao, Z., Kwak, C., and Haile, S.M., Anode-supported thin-film fuel cells operated in a single chamber configuration 2T-I-12. Solid State Ionics, 2004. 175: p. 39–46.Google Scholar
7. Jung, H.-W., et al., Characterization of thin-film YSZ deposited via EB-PVD technique in anode-supported SOFCs. Journal of Electrochemical Society, 2006. 153(6): p. A961–A966.Google Scholar
8. Xia, C., Chen, F., andLiu, M., Reduced-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Fabricated by Screen Printing. Electrochemical and Solid-State Letters, 2001. 4: p. A52–A54.Google Scholar
9. Mineshige, A., et al., Vapor-phase deposition for dense CeO2 film growth on porous substrates. Journal of Electrochemical Society, 2006. 153(6): p. A975–A981.Google Scholar
10. Kim, G., et al., Oxygen exchange kinetics of epitaxial PrBaCo2O5+d thin films. Applied Physics Letters, 2006. 88: p. 263106.Google Scholar
11. Fleig, J., Tuller, H.L., andMaier, J., Electrodes and electrolytes in micro-SOFCs: a discussion of geometrical constraints. Solid State Ionics, 2004. 174: p. 261–270.Google Scholar
12. Srikar, V.T., et al., Structural design considerations for micromachined solide-oxide fuel cells. Journal of Power Sources, 2004. 125: p. 62–69.Google Scholar
13. Tang, Y., et al., Design consideration of micro thin film solid-oxide fuel cells. Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, 2005. 15(9): p. S185–S192.Google Scholar
14. Baertsch, C.D., et al., Fabrication and structural characterization of self-supporting electrolyte membranes for a micro solid-oxide fuel cell. Journal of Materials Research, 2004. 19(9): p. 2604–2615.Google Scholar
15. Jankowski, A.F., et al. Micro-Fabricated Thin-Film Fuel Cells for Portable Power Requirements. in Proceedings of the Materials Research Symposium. 2002.Google Scholar
16. Rey-Mermet, S., Muralt, P., andBaborowski, J., Metallic supporting grid or thin electrolyte membrane in solid oxide fuel cells. 2006: Switzerland.Google Scholar
17. Doshi, R., et al., Development of Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells That Operate at 500°C. Journal of Electrochemical Society, 1999. 146(4): p. 1273–1278.Google Scholar