Nanoimpact on electrode and electrolyte layers with micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) technique

MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) fabrication of solid oxide fuel cells to realize portable power sources, does not only mean a reduction of the spatial geometry of all components of a fuel cell but also means that with decreasing electrolyte and electrode layer thicknesses as well as grain size of these components, the nanoeffects become important. It therefore offers new challenges for understanding the influence of electrode and electrolyte layer properties for material integration as well as modeling. The nanoscale impact on electrolyte and electrode layers as well as micro-SOFC cell characteristics are described in this article. Keywords: micro-SOFC; MEMS; nanoimpact; grain size; layer thickness