APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:

• Solid oxide fuel cells
• Electrochemical devices
• Protective barrier coatings
• Gas separation membranes
• Membrane reactors
• Sensors

ADVANTAGES:

• Achieves thicknesses between 1 mm and 100 mm without cracking
• Less expensive than vapor or plasma techniques
• Films are fully dense and thicker than those produced by alternative methods
• Substrate may be fired separately from the film to avoid chemical interactions and allow a wider choice of substrate materials

ABSTRACT:

Steven Visco, Lutgard DeJonghe, and Craig Jacobson have developed a simple, inexpensive method for producing high density, crack-free, thin ceramic films on rigid or porous substrates. Polycrystalline films with thicknesses between 1m and 100 mm are achieved by compressing a ceramic material onto a pre-fired substrate. The compression increases the green (pre-sintered) density of the ceramic layer(s) and can be achieved using a variety of compaction techniques. The thin film/substrate is then fired to enhance density and reduce porosity. The desired ceramic material can also be applied to a flexible substrate, compacted, then transferred to the final substrate and fired. This allows homogeneous compaction of the thin film which can then be applied to substrates with non-uniform pore structures.

In contrast to the Berkeley process, sol-gel techniques have thickness limitations and are unsuitable for porous substrates, vacuum technologies are slow and expensive, and conventional methods produce films that are porous or crack. The Berkeley Lab process has a wide range of applications, from creating microelectronic-circuit packaging to producing high-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.

STATUS:

• Published Patent Application. Available for licensing

REFERENCE NUMBER: IB-1302

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE SEE:

• V. E. J. van Dieten and Schoonman J., "Thin film techniques for solid oxide fuel cells", Soid State Ionics, 1-2, 57, 141-145, 1997.
• S. de Souza, Visco S. J., L. C. De Jonghe, "Reduced-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Based on YSZ Thin-Film Electrolyte", journal of the electrochemicl society, 144, 3, 1997.

SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:

• Fail-Safe, Inexpensive Electrochemical Device Stack Design, IB-1658A
• High Quality, Dense Thin Films Using Metal/Metal Alloy Additives, IB-1654
• Improved Electrode-Electrode Structures for Solid State Electrochemical Device, IB-1405
• Low Cost Fabrication of Thin-Film Ceramic Membranes for Non-shrinking Substrates, IB-1304
• Metal Current Collector Protected by Oxide Film, IB-1656
• Method for Making Flat, High Performance Thin Membrane Structures on Porous Substances, IB-1305
• Novel Support Structure for Ceramic Electrochemical Devices, IB-1418
• Support for Planar Solid State Electrochemical Devices, IB-1790
• Surface Additives for Enhanced Electrode Performance, IB-1406