Multi-layered layer arrangement for a solid electrolyte

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016118680-A1
Application number	US-201414892891-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 20, 2014
Priority date	May 21, 2013
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A cathode-electrolyte-anode unit for an electrochemical functional device, in particular a high-temperature fuel cell. The unit has a multi-layer solid-state electrolyte arranged between a porous anode and a porous cathode. The solid-state electrolyte is produced by a vapor deposition process and has a sandwich-type structure consisting of at least one first layer with a lower oxygen content, and at least one second layer with a higher oxygen content. The individual layers have substantially the same composition, with the exception of oxygen.

First claim

1 - 15 . (canceled)

16 . A cathode-electrolyte-anode unit for an electrochemical functional device, the unit comprising:
a porous anode and a porous; a multi-layered solid electrolyte arranged between said porous anode and said porous cathode); said solid electrolyte having the characteristics of having been produced by a physical vapor deposition process and being formed of a layered structure of at least one first layer and at least one second layer; said second layer having a higher oxygen content than said first layer, and said first and second layers having substantially the same composition except for oxygen.

17 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , configured for a high-temperature fuel cell.

18 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein said solid electrolyte comprises an alternating layer sequence wherein first layers with lower oxygen content and second layers with higher oxygen content are arranged alternately one above another.

19 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 18 , wherein said solid electrolyte is composed of an alternating layer sequence of a total of at least two first layers with lower oxygen content and at least two second layers with higher oxygen content.

20 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein said one or more first layer with lower oxygen content and said one or more second layers with higher oxygen content form a different crystal structure.

21 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein said one or more first layers with lower oxygen content has or have in each case a layer thickness of between 200 and 800 nm.

22 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 21 , wherein the layer thickness lies between 300 and 500 nm.

23 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein each of said one or more second layers with higher oxygen content has or have in each case a layer thickness of between 200 and 800 nm.

24 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein a layer thickness of said solid electrolyte is between 1 and 10 μm.

25 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , wherein said one or more first layers consist of Zr doped with alkaline earth elements or rare earths, or of Gd-doped Ce and substoichiometrically intercalated oxygen, and said one or more second layers are formed of a corresponding stoichiometric oxide.

26 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 25 , wherein said one or more first layers are formed of Y-doped Zr or of Sc-doped Zr.

27 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 , which further comprises a diffusion barrier layer arranged between said multi-layered solid electrolyte and electrodes of the unit.

28 . The cathode-electrolyte-anode unit according to claim 16 in combination with a metal-substrate-supported fuel cell, an anode-supported fuel cell, or a cathode-supported fuel cell.

29 . A method for producing a multi-layered solid electrolyte based on a vapor deposition process, the method comprising:
a) providing a (porous) substrate; b) selectively generating a metallically applied layer or an oxide-ceramically applied layer, thereby
producing the metallically applied layer by depositing a mixture of metals converted beforehand, by way of a sputtering process, into gas phase; and
producing the oxide-ceramically applied layer by depositing the mixture of metals converted beforehand into the gas phase, or a gaseous mixture, with supply of oxygen or of an oxygen-containing gas as reactive gas; and
c) repeating step b) one or more times in order to create a layer sequence in which metallically and oxide-ceramically applied layers are arranged in alternation one above another, to thereby produce a multi-layered solid electrolyte with the metallically and oxide-ceramically applied layers for an electrochemical functional device.

30 . The method according to claim 29 , which comprises producing the multi-layered solid electrolyte for a high-temperature fuel cell.

31 . The method according to claim 29 , which comprises coating the substrate by way of a gas flow sputtering process.

32 . The method according to claim 31 , which comprises coating the substrate in a hollow-cathode gas flow sputtering process.

33 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the layer thickness of the metallically applied layer or layers is between 200 and 800 nm.

34 . The method according to claim 29 , wherein the layer thickness of the oxide-ceramically applied layer or layers is between 200 and 800 nm.

35 . The method according to claim 29 , which comprises applying to the substrate as a first layer an oxide-ceramically applied layer with a layer thickness of between 500 nm and 3 μm, and wherein possible subsequent oxide-ceramically applied layers have a layer thickness of between 200 and 800 nm.

Assignees

• Plansee Composite Mat Gmbh
• Forschungszentrum Juelich Gmbh
• Fraunhofer Ges Forschung

Inventors

• Haydn Markus
• Ruettinger Matthias
• Franco Thomas
• Uhlenbruck Sven
• Jung Thomas
• Ortner Kai

Classifications

• H01M2300/0074

  Ion conductive at high temperature · CPC title

• H01M8/1004 Primary

  characterised by membrane-electrode assemblies [MEA] (H01M8/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H01M2008/1293

  Fuel cells with solid oxide electrolytes · CPC title

• H01M2300/0094

  in the form of layered products, e.g. coatings · CPC title

• H01M8/1253

  the electrolyte containing zirconium oxide · CPC title