Big Step toward Realization of Micro SOFCs for Small Electronics Devices

NIMS has succeeded recently in fabricating a new electrolyte thin film which enables the realization of micro SOFCs that may be used as the power sources of small electronics devices such as laptop PCs and mobile phones.
* NIMS = National Institute for Materials Science
The electrolyte thin film is a yttrium-doped barium zirconate （BaZr0.8Y0.2O3-.、BZY）thin film (BZY thin film). The BZY thin film fabricated is epitaxially oriented and relatively thick and contains no grain boundaries.

The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film is 0.01 S/cm at 350℃. This value is a minimum of proton conductivity values required for practical fuel cells. Incidentally, in this type of micro SOFC, its operation temperature must be below 450 degrees Celsius. The proton conductivity of the BZY thin film measured at 350 degrees Celsius is the highest of the oxide materials ever reported. It is also much higher than the conductivity of the oxygen ion conductor that is stable in the same temperature region.

It is said that the BZY has never been taken up as the SOFC electrolyte material because its proton conductivity is extremely low. The BZY contains much grain boundaries. The blocking effect of the grain boundaries renders the proton conductivity low. To avoid this, the study used the pulse laser deposition to fabricate the BZY thin film.
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