ECS Transactions · 2012 · 10 citations · 0 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceElectrochemical EngineeringElectrochemistryThin FilmsElectrochemical CellsElectrode MaterialsFuel Cell MaterialsFuel Cell MembranesFuel CellsThin Film Electrical PropertiesElectrochemical Impedance AnalysisMicrostructureNanoporous MembranesNanostructured Fuel Cell MaterialsPulsed Laser DepositionSolid Oxide Fuel Cell MaterialsSolid Oxide Fuel CellsThermal Treatment
Lanthanum-strontium-cobalt oxide (LSC) thin films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) can be used as electrodes for micro-solid oxide fuel cells (micro-SOFCs) in the intermediate temperature range of 450-550 °C. The LSC thin films deposited under a high oxygen chamber pressure are nanocrystalline after thermal treatment at 550 °C and have a nanoporous microstructure. The buckling pattern of the free-standing yttria-stabilised-zirconia (YSZ) membrane influences the survival rate of the free-standing LSC|YSZ|LSC cells. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy is used to investigate the properties of the LSC/YSZ interface in free-standing quasi-symmetrical LSC|YSZ|LSC membranes. LSC electrodes with a thickness of ~150 nm had an area specific resistance (ASR) of 3.7 Ωcm2 at 550 °C.