High performance fuel cell electrode and method for manufacturing same
View Patent ↗A method of fabricating a support electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell includes (a) providing a solid support electrode having an upper surface, the solid electrode comprising an electronically non-conductive material and an electronically conductive material; (b) applying a mask over the upper surface to create a desired unmasked pattern on the top surface; (c) removing the desired amount of material(s) from the unmasked pattern to a predetermined depth of the support electrode; and (d) removing the mask.
1. A method of fabricating a support electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
(a) providing a solid support electrode having an outer surface, said solid electrode comprising an electrically non-conductive material and an electrically conductive material;
(b) applying a mask over said outer surface to create a desired unmasked pattern on said top surface;
(c) removing a desired amount of material(s) from said unmasked pattern to a predetermined depth of said support electrode; and
(d) removing the mask.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said electrically conductive and non-conductive materials comprise nickel oxide and zirconia oxide, respectively.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein said support electrode comprises an upper layer incorporating said electrically conductive material and a lower layer incorporating said electrically non-conductive material in overlying relationship, the upper layer having the same or different porosity than said lower layer.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said upper layer is thicker than said lower layer.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein steps (b) and (c) are applied only to said upper layer.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein, in step (b), said unmasked pattern comprises a regular pattern of polyhedrons.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein step (c) is carried out by chemical etching or physical etching.
8. The method of claim 2 wherein said support electrode comprises an upper layer incorporating said electrically conductive material and a lower layer incorporating said electrically non-conductive material in overlying relationship, the upper layer having the same or different porosity than said lower layer.
9. A method of fabricating a support electrode for a solid oxide fuel cell comprising:
(a) providing a solid support electrode having a first electrically conductive layer with an outer surface and a second electrically non-conductive layer underlying said first electrically conductive layer, said first layer being thicker than said second layer;
(b) applying a mask over said upper surface to create a desired unmasked pattern on said top surface;
(c) removing a desired amount of material(s) from said unmasked pattern to a predetermined depth of said first electrically conductive layer of said support electrode; and
(d) removing the mask.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said conductive and non-conductive materials comprise nickel oxide and zirconia oxide, respectively.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein, in step (b), said unmasked pattern comprises a regular pattern of polyhedrons.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein, in step (b), the mask is configured to create a regular pattern of unmasked features having shapes chosen from the group consisting of round, oval, square, diamond and polyhedron.
13. The method of claim 9 wherein step (c) is carried out by chemical etching and/or physical etching.