Micro fuel cell

• US 7,871,734 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2006
• Issued: 01/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Hertz, Joshua L., Tuller, Harry L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yuan; Dah-Wei
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martin; Angela J.
• Application Number:
  US11/508,752
• Publication Number:
  US 20070141445A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 429/40, 429/30, 429/12
• US Class Current: 429/479
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2008/1293 Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8621 containing only metallic or ceramic material, e.g. made by sintering or sputtering
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/8885 Sintering or firing
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 4/9033 Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type M1MeO3, M1 being an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth, Me being a metal, e.g. perovskites
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1213 characterised by the electrode/electrolyte combination or the supporting material
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1226 characterised by the supporting layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1246 the electrolyte consisting of oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/126 the electrolyte containing cerium oxide
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 8/1286 Fuel cells applied on a support, e.g. miniature fuel cells deposited on silica supports
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

The present invention discloses a solid oxide fuel cell and method for fabricating solid oxide fuel cells using thin film processing techniques. The fuel cell comprises a cathode layer, an electrolyte layer, and an anode layer arranged in various configurations to optimize fuel cell performance.

Claims

1. A single chamber fuel cell comprising:

a substantially planar electrolyte layer having an average thickness of less than about 10 μ

m;

a substantially planar selectively active cathode contacting the electrolyte layer, the cathode having an average thickness of less than about 10 μ

m; and

a substantially planar selectively active anode contacting the electrolyte layer, the anode having an average thickness of less than about 10 μ

m; and

a substrate contacting at least one of the cathode, anode, or electrolyte,

wherein at least a portion of the cathode or anode is placed in a subsurface trench, provided that, when a portion of the cathode and a portion of the anode are placed in subsurface trenches, the portion of the cathode is not placed in the same subsurface trench as the portion of the anode.

2. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the electrolyte comprises a solid oxide.

3. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of a solid oxide.

4. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the electrolyte comprises a single crystal or polycrystalline solid electrolyte.

5. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the electrolyte consists essentially of a single crystal or polycrystalline solid electrolyte.

6. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the electrolyte layer is sandwiched between the cathode and the anode.

7. The fuel cell of claim 2 wherein the anode and cathode contact a common surface of the electrolyte.

8. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein both the cathode and anode are porous.

9. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein the anode is porous.

10. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein at least one of the cathode and anode is modified with a porous material.

11. The fuel cell of claim 10 wherein the anode is modified with a porous material.

12. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the cathode and anode arc is deposited in a subsurface trench.

13. The fuel cell of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the anode is deposited in a subsurface trench.

14. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the anode is placed in a first subsurface trench and at least a portion of the cathode is placed in a second subsurface trench different from the first subsurface trench.

15. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the subsurface trench is formed in the substrate.

16. The fuel cell of claim 1, wherein the subsurface trench is formed in the electrolyte.