Magnetron deposition of yttria-stabilised zirconia electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells

Abstract

The aim of the article is to review the latest achievements in the field of magnetron deposition of thinfilm yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). The main attention is paid to the use of magnetron sputtering for formation of YSZ electrolyte up to 10 µm thick on the anode substrates of intermediate-temperature SOFCs operating at a temperature of (600 − 800) • C . The influence of the types of power sources and such deposition parameters as substrate temperature, substrate bias voltage, post-annealing treatment, etc., as well as the morphology of the anode substrate surface on the microstructure and properties of the deposited electrolyte is analyzed. It is shown that the magnetron sputtering method, despite its relatively high cost and complexity, is applicable to large area SOFC cells and is competitive compared to traditional methods of electrolyte formation, such as tape casting, tape calendering, electrophoretic deposition and screen printing.

Influence of Deposition Modes and Thermal Annealing on Residual Stresses in Magnetron-Sputtered YSZ Membranes

“…The magnetron sputtered YSZ electrolyte films were studied in [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ] and in the state-of-the-art paper [ 19 ]. It was shown that the microstructure, phase composition, and other parameters of the YSZ electrolyte films depended on the magnetron sputtering modes, electric supply parameters (RF, DC, pulsed DC), working pressure, substrate temperature, substrate bias voltage, and post-annealing treatment.…”

Synthesis of Yttria Stabilized Bismuth Oxide by DC Reactive Magnetron Sputtering (RMS) for SOFC Electrolyte

“…It has been clearly known that reducing the thickness of the electrolyte from hundreds of micrometers to several micrometers allows the operating temperature to be reduced from 900-1000 °C to 650-800 °C [23]. Although traditional well-studied preparation methods of electrolytes, such as slip casting, screen printing, electrophoretic deposition, plasma spraying, etc., have relative simplicity and low cost, they are not suitable for preparing electrolyte thin films [24]. As a thin-film deposition technique, physical vapour deposition (PVD) is known for its high reliability and reproducibility.…”