Residual Stresses in CexGd1 – xO2 – y Films Produced by Magnetron Sputtering

The paper focuses on the synthesis of gadolinium-doped ceria (CexGd1 – xO2 – y) thin films on the anodes of solid oxide fuel cells by reactive dual magnetron sputtering. CexGd1 – xO2 – y thin films 4 μm thick are deposited in the transition and oxide modes, differing by the oxygen concentration in the vacuum chamber. Residual stresses after the film deposition and thermal annealing in air are determined by the curvature of the anode plates. Dependences are obtained between the deposition modes, residual stresses and parameters of fuel cells with the CexGd1 – xO2 – y electrolyte. The surface morphology and cross-section of the films are studied on a scanning electron microscope. The X-ray diffraction analysis is additionally conducted to study the structure of gadolinium-doped ceria thin films using the synchrotron radiation during 1300°С annealing. It is shown that under certain conditions of the film deposition and annealing, compressive stresses can transfer to tensile stresses, which reduces the anode plate deformation after the CexGd1 – xO2 – y electrolyte deposition.