Atomic layer deposition of GDC cathodic functional thin films for oxide ion incorporation enhancement

In this paper, we report successful fabrication of a gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) thin film using atomic layer deposition (ALD) for improving the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). By varying the deposition conditions and adjusting the configuration of the ALD supercycle, the doping ratio of ALD GDC was controlled. The morphology, crystallinity, and chemical composition of ALD GDC thin films were analyzed. ALD GDC showed different surface chemistry, including oxidation states, at different doping ratios. The application of ALD GDC in a SOFC led to an output power density enhancement greater than 2.5 times. With an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) porous support structure, an ALD GDC thin film SOFC (TF-SOFC) showed a high power density of 288.24 mW/cm² at an operating temperature of 450°C.