• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.82-85
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• 2010

Recently, thin film processes for oxides and metal deposition, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), have been widely adapted to fabricate solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). In this paper, we presented two research area of the use of such techniques. Gadolinium doped ceria (GDC) showed high ionic conductivity and could guarantee operation at low temperature. But the electron conductivity at low oxygen partial pressure and the weak mechanical property have been significant problems. To solve these issues, we coated GDC electrolyte with a nano scale yittria-doped stabilized zirconium (YSZ) layer via atomic layer deposition (ALD). We expected that the thin YSZ layer could have functions of electron blocking and preventing ceria from the reduction atmosphere. Yittria-doped barium zirconium (BYZ) has several orders higher proton conductivity than oxide ion conductor as YSZ and also has relatively high chemical stability. The fabrication processes of BYZ is very sophisticated, especially the synthesis of thin-film BYZ. We discussed the detailed fabrication processes of BYZ as well as the deposition of electrode. This paper discusses possible cell structure and process flow to accommodate such films.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.71-74
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• 2010

We have investigated protonic conduction in highly dense (>98%) polycrystalline Y-doepd $BaZrO_3$ (BYZ) ceramic with an average grain size of ~85 nm. It is observed that the protonic conductivity across the grain boundaries in this nano-crystallilne BYZ (n-BYZ) is significantly higher than the microcrystalline counterpart. Such a remarkable enhancement in grain boundary conductivity results in high overall conductivity that may allow this chemically stable protonic conductor to serve as a solid electrolyte for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell applications.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.695-699
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• 2009

We studied the transfer of oxygen vacancy and proton in Y-doped BaZr$O_3$ (BYZ) using density functional theory (DFT). An oxygen vacancy was generated in the $2{\times}2{\times}2$ BYZ superstructure by replacing two Zr atoms with two Y atoms to satisfy the charge neutrality condition. The O vacancy transfer between the first and second nearest O atom sites from a Y atom showed the lowest activation energy barrier of 0.42 eV, compared to the other transfers between first and first, and second and second in the superstructure. Two protons were inserted in the structure by adding a proton and hydroxyl that were supplied by the dissociation of a water molecule. The two protons bonded to the first and second nearest O atoms were energetically the most favorable. The activation energy barrier for a proton transfer in the structure was 0.51 eV, when either proton transferred to its neighbor O atom. This value was well matched with the experimentally determined one.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.931-935
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• 2012

In this study, we fabricate and investigate low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells with a ceramic substrate/porous metal/ceramic/porous metal structure. To realize low-temperature operation in solid oxide fuel cells, the membrane should be fabricated to have a thickness of the order of a few hundreds nanometers to minimize IR loss. Yttrium-doped barium zirconate (BYZ), a proton conductor, was used as the electrolyte. We deposited a 350-nm-thick Pt (anode) layer on a porous substrate by sputter deposition. We also deposited a 1-${\mu}m$-thick BYZ layer on the Pt anode using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Finally, we deposited a 200-nm-thick Pt (cathode) layer on the BYZ electrolyte by sputter deposition. The open circuit voltage (OCV) is 0.806 V, and the maximum power density is 11.9 mW/$cm^2$ at $350^{\circ}C$. Even though a fully dense electrolyte is deposited via PLD, a cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) image reveals many voids and defects.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.885-886
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• 2010

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2011.06a
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• pp.1003-1004
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• 2011