Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Systems Engineering

First Advisor

Desai, Salil

Abstract

A Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) is a green energy technology that offers a cleaner and efficient alternative to fossil fuels. The efficiency and utility of SOFCs can be enhanced by fabricating miniaturized component structures within the fuel cell footprint. This research focuses on the microfabrication of parallel-connected inter-digitized design of micro single chamber SOFC (μ-SC-SOFCs). In this dissertation, candidate micro/nano fabrication techniques to precisely fabricate micro patterns on planar substrates have been studied. These include EBL, soft lithography, photolithography, and direct-writing. After analyzing preliminary results, two combinational approaches were further investigated. The first method involves the combination of the photolithography and pulse laser deposition (PLD) process. The second method combines direct-writing technique with photolithography. The combination of direct-writing and photolithography is a novel method for fabricating micro SC-SOFC with multilayer electrolyte/electrode structures that will increase SOFC efficiency. To understand and optimize the direct-write process, the cathode electrode slurry was investigated. In the initial research the effects of dispersant on LSCF slurry rheology was studied. Further, the effects of solid loading and binder concentrations on the cathode electrode dimensions, microstructure and resistance were evaluated. Finally, process parameters for direct-writing technology (extrusion pressure, nozzle speed, stand-off distance) were studied.

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