Formation of Dense Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Film by Aerosol Deposition Method for Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications

The formation conditions of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films using the aerosol deposition (AD) method were investigated for developing a metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) equipped with the YSZ electrolyte. Using the AD method under mild conditions with a carrier gas flow rate of 4 L/min, a dense YSZ thin film can be formed at room temperature on both a stainless steel plate as the support and an anode layer heat treated at 1050 degrees C of the SOFC. Further, a metal-supported SOFC equipped with the aerosol-deposited YSZ electrolyte can be fabricated at a heat-treatment temperature of 1050 degrees C or less throughout the production process. An open-circuit voltage of 1.05 V and a power density of ca. 0.17 W/cm2 at 0.8 V were confirmed in the obtained metal-supported SOFC operated at 750 degrees C.