Fuel cell

Mai Nguyn Phng Tho

Nguyn Qunh Hng

What is fuel cell?

Electrochemical

device
Generate

electricity
by chemical reactions

Require

oxygen

hydrogen and

Classification (based on electrolyte)

Proton exchange membrane

(PEMFC)

Alkaline fuel cell

(AFC)

Molten carbonic
(MCFC)

Classification

Phosphoric acid
(PAFC)

Solide oxide
(SOFC)

Fuel cell capacity and cost trend

Source: 2011 Fuel Cell Technologies Market Report, US Department of Energy, Washington D.C.,
USA,2012.

Fuel Cell Systems Shipped by Application

Source: Navigant research

Source: The fuel cell industry review 2013.

Operating principle

Micro fuel cell

Microfluidic
Use

device

MEMS techniques

diced aluminium micro fuel cell chips

assembled silicon micro fuel cell

PEM fuel cell components

Micro PEMFC

Membrane electrode assembly (MEA)

Catalyst layer (typical thickness: 10m)

Proton exchange membrane: thin solid made of Nafion

Gas diffusion layers (GDL)

Gaskets: made of silicon gel (1 mm thick)

Flow field plates (anode and cathode flow field plates)

End plates

These components are fabricated individually and then pressed to together at

high temperatures and pressures.

Nafion: fluoropolymer-copolymer discovered in the late 1960s by Walther Grot

Flow field plates

Wafer
Si3N4

cleaning

deposition (LPCVD)

Photolithography
Si3N4
Si

(positive resist)

etch (RIE)

etch (wet etch with KOH)

Strip

resist

Wafer cleaning
Take

about 1 hour

Solvent

clean (20 mins) use acetone

RCA-1

clean (25 mins) prepare RCA-1 cleanser

(H2O, NH4OH, H2O2)

Hydrofluoric

acid dip (10 mins)

Flow field plates

Flow field plates

Si wafer after etching

SEM images of anode and cathode flow field plates

a) Anode
b) Cathode

GDL

from porous carbon paper/cloth (thickness: 100-300 m)

coated with PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) to be hydrophobic

carbon cloth

carbon paper

MEA covered by carbon cloth GDL

Two approaches to apply catalyst layers

for MEA fabrication

Catalyst coated silicon electrode supported by GDL

Coated catalyst on surface of proton exchange membrane

or GDL

Catalyst coated silicon electrode

Si wafer cleaning

Photolithography

Si etching (DRIE)

Pt deposition (electron evaporation)

Liquion (liquid Nafion) deposition

(spin coating)

Bond membrane with 2 electrodes

(previously coated with Liquion) by
hot pressing Nafion membrane with
silicon wafers

Catalyst layer on surface

of membrane or GDL

Catalyst layer close to membrane

Sputter to deposit catalyst

materials (Pt, Pt alloy) includes 2
processes:

Vacuum evaporation

Deposit thin film

Apply carbon-Nafion ink on newly

formed film (brushing, spraying)

Schematic of sputtering in argon plasma

End plates

Design of end plates and fuel cell

Assembled micro PEMFC

Question

To deposit thin film of Pt for catalyst layer, in:

Approach 1 (catalyst coated Si electrode): electron evaporation

Approach 2 (Catalyst layer on membrane or GDL): sputter

Why? Can sputter be used for approach 1?