Processing of composite thin film solid oxide fuel cell structures

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) structure is proposed in which a composite thin film cathode substrate supports a dense thin film electrolyte with a thickness of less than 1 mu m. The cathode substrate has a graded porosity achieved through the partial sintering of a spin-coated CeO2 colloidal suspension. The resulting surface has a pore size and surface roughness which allowed a fully dense ZrO2:16%Y (YSZ) electrolyte to be spin-coated directly from a polymeric precursor without capillary forces removing the precursor from the surface of the porous substrate. Using this process, fuel cell structures were constructed with temperatures not exceeding 800 degrees C. The porous CeO2 interlayer should allow for decreased ohmic losses, as well as decreased reactions between the YSZ and the cathode substrate. In addition, the nanocrystalline grain sizes should allow for increased catalytic activity on the cathode. Calculated ohmic losses indicated the resistance of the CeO2 interlayer limited the power of the structure, which was minimized by impregnating the porous layer with a mixed-conducting perovskite. The final structure shows significantly reduced ohmic losses as calculated at 400 degrees C.