Effect of pulsed laser deposition parameters on nanocrystalline grain orientation in barium zirconate for fuel cell applications.

POSTER

Abstract

Solid oxide fuel cells rely on thermally activated conduction of ions through an electrolyte material. Barium zirconate doped with various group III transition metals is predicted to offer improved ionic conductivity at intermediate temperatures (500-700$^{\circ}$C) than conventional yttria-stabilized zirconia-based electrolyte materials. We have synthesized thin films of barium zirconate doped with gadolinium by means of pulsed laser deposition. Films were deposited using a KrF excimer laser on Pt substrates at 850$^{\circ}$C in a background pressure of 50 mtorr of oxygen from targets prepared in-house by mixing barium zirconate and gadolinium oxide powders. X-ray diffraction studies suggest that preferential crystallographic orientation increases by decreasing target to substrate distance and laser fluence. Preferential crystallographic orientation may lead to improvement in conductivity as measured by impedance spectroscopy.

Authors

  • Eric Remington

    University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • Alex Skinner

    University of Alabama at Birmingham

  • Richard Longland

    University of Tennessee, Knoxville, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Florida Intl Univ, Christopher Newport University, Jefferson Laboratory, University of North Georgia, Dahlonega GA 30597, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, Austin Peay State University department of physics and astronomy, Laboratoire des Verres et et Ceramiques, Institute des Sciences chimiques de Rennes, Austin Peay State University Department of Physics and Astronomy, Université de Rennes, Lehigh University, Austin Peay State University, University of Alabama, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom, Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Boston, MA, Francis Marion University, Auburn University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, University of California, Davis, University of Alabama Huntsville, Oak Ridge National Lab, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, Oak Ridge National Lab, Univ of Tennessee, Knoxville, ITEP, Moscow, Baylor University, Saint Louis University, Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge, University of Chicago, Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge TN 37831, American Superconductor Corp., Westborough, MA 01581, USA, Tsinghua University, LBNL, Vanderbilt University, Laboratoire Aime Cotton, CNRS/Universite Paris-Sud/ENS-Cachan, Orsay France, Drake University, Des Moines, IA, University of Central Florida, University of South Alabama, North Carolina Central University

  • Renato Camata

    University of Alabama at Birmingham, Univ of Alabama - Birmingham