Toward wafer-scale fabrication and 3D integration of micro-solid oxide fuel cells for portable energy

Bo-Kuai Lai; Alex C. Johnson; Masaru Tsuchiya; Shriram Ramanathan

doi:10.1117/12.846916

5 May 2010 Toward wafer-scale fabrication and 3D integration of micro-solid oxide fuel cells for portable energy

Bo-Kuai Lai, Alex C. Johnson, Masaru Tsuchiya, Shriram Ramanathan

Proceedings Volume 7679, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications II; 767916 (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.846916
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2010, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Pathways to scaling up the power and voltage output of on-chip micro-solid oxide fuel cells (μSOFC) have been investigated. μSOFC arrays consisting of one thousand three hundred and thirty-two (1332) membranes have been lithographically fabricated on 4" wafers. The membranes, with widths of ~150 μm, are comprised of 15-nm-thick La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.8F_0.2O₃ (LSCF) or 100-nm-thick porous Pt cathodes, 75-nm-thick Y_0.15Z_0.85O_1.93 (YSZ) electrolytes, and 100-nm-thick porous Pt anodes. Yield of fabrication is greater than 99% and only a few membranes failed after annealing at 500 °C. However, to reduce resistive loss, a current collector or a much thicker LSCF needs to be implemented if using LSCF as the cathode material on 4" wafers. Prototype components of μSOFC stacks for scaling up output voltage are also presented. The stacks require only two components - namely, a μSOFC plate and a bipolar separator - to form a repeating unit for the stacks. Flow channels and through silicon vias are integrated in the components. Challenges in fabrication and direction for further improvement for these approaches are discussed. The preliminary results suggest potential for further exploration into wafer-scale processing of fuel cell device structures for portable energy.

Citation Download Citation

Bo-Kuai Lai, Alex C. Johnson, Masaru Tsuchiya, and Shriram Ramanathan "Toward wafer-scale fabrication and 3D integration of micro-solid oxide fuel cells for portable energy", Proc. SPIE 7679, Micro- and Nanotechnology Sensors, Systems, and Applications II, 767916 (5 May 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.846916

ACCESS THE FULL ARTICLE

INSTITUTIONAL
Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.

SELECT YOUR INSTITUTION

PERSONAL
Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.

PERSONAL SIGN IN

No SPIE Account? Create one

PURCHASE THIS CONTENT

SUBSCRIBE TO DIGITAL LIBRARY

50 downloads per 1-year subscription

Members: $195

Non-members: $335 ADD TO CART

25 downloads per 1 - year subscription

Members: $145

Non-members: $250 ADD TO CART

PURCHASE SINGLE ARTICLE

Includes PDF, HTML & Video, when available