Fabrication and characterization GDC electrolyte thin films by e-beam technique for IT-SOFC

Thin films of Ce_1-xGd_xO_{2 -x/2} (GDC) for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) electrolyte were prepared using electron beam deposition technique. The evaporating GDC powder was synthesized by ammonium carbonate co-precipitation method. The influence of e-beam operation conditions and annealing temperature on the structure, morphology, and ionic conductivity of the thin GDC films were examined. The XRD pattern of the GDC thin films annealed at 600 °C showed a typical cubic fluorite structure, repeating the crystal structure of the evaporating bulk GDC powder. The intensity of the XRD peaks increased with substrate temperature and annealing temperature. A good adhesion to the substrate and a columnar structure were observed by the fractured cross-sectional view of the GDC films on NiO-GDC anode substrate. The ionic conductivity of the GDC film with 3 μm thickness was observed to be 2.58 × 10^-3 Scm^-1 at 700 °C with the conduction activation energy of 0.34 eV.