Electrical and Physical Properties of Pulsed Laser Deposited Thin Films of YSZ

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, SOFC’s, are devices that convert chemical energy from fuel into electricity from a series of electrochemical reactions. These fuels can be H₂, CO, O₂, etc. with a high efficiency of conversion. Comparing SOFC’s to coal power plants, the SOFC’S produce a higher electrical conversion efficiency. However, SOFC’s high temperatures create a lower ionic conductivity of the electrolytes. When decreasing the temperature, the ohmic resistance is increased hurting the performance. The method we are trying to take is decrease the ohmic resistance as a thin-film. An Yttria Stabilized Zirconia, YSZ, layer is produced from the fine dimple grain structure allowing high flow of oxygen ion mobility. The goal of our research is to optimize Pulsed Laser Deposition and determine the synthesis conditions which lead to minimum ohmic resistance in these films. We will also use different substrates and monitor the effect of the choice of the substrate on the YSZ thin-film properties. These thin-films will be characterized through electrical measurements such as 4 pt. probe resistivity measurements, Hall Effect, and structural and compositional characterization such as AFM, SEM, and EDX.