Magnetron-sputtered La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃ nanocomposite interlayer for solid oxide fuel cells

A thin layer of a La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃ (LSCF) is deposited between the electrolyte and the La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.2Fe_0.8O₃/Ce_0.9Gd_0.1O₂ (LSCF/CGO) cathode layer of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) by pulsed magnetron sputtering using an oxide target of LSCF. The films were completely dense and well adherent to the substrate. The effects of annealing in temperature range from 200 to 1000 °C on the crystalline structure of the LSCF films have been studied. The films of nominal thickness, 250–500 nm, are crystalline when annealed at temperatures above 600 °C. The crystalline structure, surface topology, and morphology of the films were determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), respectively. To study the electrochemical characteristics of the deposited-film, solid oxide fuel cells using 325-nm LSCF films as interlayer between the electrolyte and the cathode have been fabricated. The LSCF interlayer improves the overall performance of the SOFC by increasing the interfacial area between the electrolyte and cathode. The electrolyte-supported cells with the interlayer have 30% greater, overall power output compared to that achieved with the cells without interlayer. The LSCF interlayer could also act as a transition layer that improves adhesion and relieves both thermal stress and lattice strain between the cathode and the electrolyte. Our results demonstrate that pulsed magnetron sputtering provides a low-temperature synthesis route for realizing ultrathin nanocrystalline LSCF film layers for intermediate- or low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells.