Highly Conducting Sc and Y co-doped Zirconia Solid Electrolyte Thin Films Prepared via Pulsed Laser Deposition for Solid Oxide Electrochemical Cells Applications

Abstract

Scandia and yttria-stabilized zirconia (ScYSZ) have been widely used as electrolyte materials for solid oxide electrochemical cells (SOEC) applications due to its high ionic conductivity and stable mechanical and thermal properties. In this study, ScYSZ thin films were fabricated via pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method at substrate deposition temperature (Ts ) of 800 °C with varying oxygen oxygen partial pressures (). The as-deposited ScYSZ thin films were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). XRD analysis revealed that all fabricated films, even with varying , have a polycrystalline cubic-fluorite structure. Morphological FESEM images revealed a good-quality dense ScYSZ electrolyte thin film with no visible cracks. Notably, a high total conductivity thin film of about 2.8x10-1 S/cm at 700 °C and low activation energy (Ea ) of 0.78 eV, from 500°Cto 700 °C, were achieved. Interestingly, the PLD-prepared ScYSZ dense solid electrolyte showed a higher total conductivity than the reported conductivities of zirconia-based solid oxide electrolytes.