ABSTRACT
Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) is a forward-looking technology for a highly efficient, environmental friendly, and clean power generation from chemical energy of fuels such as hydrogen and methane via electrochemical conversion. SOFC is a multilayer structure consisting of anode, cathode, electrolyte, and interconnect with different electrical properties and microstructures, and conventionally operates at high temperatures of 900–1000°C. In order to significantly lower the fabrication and material cost and performance degradation of SOFCs, it becomes increasingly necessary to reduce the operating temperatures to an intermediate range of 500–800°C. However, the reduction in operating temperatures also brings significant challenges in the cell fabrications, in particular, the fabrication and synthesis of thin and dense electrolyte films with high ionic conductivity and compatibility with other SOFC components. In this chapter, various thin film coating technologies that can deliver thin electrolyte films, electrode layers, and protective coatings for SOFC components such as metallic interconnect are reviewed and updated. These include physical and chemical vapor phase deposition, liquid/colloidal phase deposition, and particle deposition and consolidation methods. The economic viability and selection of various thin film coating technologies for scale-up production of SOFCs are discussed.
