Dense zig-zag microstructures in YSZ thin films by pulsed laser deposition
Dieter Stender,
Nina Schäuble,
Anke Weidenkaff,
Alex Montagne,
Rudy Ghisleni,
Johann Michler,
Christof W. Schneider,
Alexander Wokaun,
Thomas Lippert
Affiliations
Dieter Stender
Research Department General Energy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Nina Schäuble
Laboratory for Solid State Chemistry and Catalysis, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
Anke Weidenkaff
Laboratory for Solid State Chemistry and Catalysis, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
Alex Montagne
Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH 3602 Thun, Switzerland
Rudy Ghisleni
Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH 3602 Thun, Switzerland
Johann Michler
Laboratory for Mechanics of Materials and Nanostructures, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, CH 3602 Thun, Switzerland
Christof W. Schneider
Research Department General Energy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Alexander Wokaun
Research Department General Energy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
Thomas Lippert
Research Department General Energy, Paul Scherrer Institute, CH 5232 Villigen, Switzerland
The very brittle oxygen ion conductor yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is a typical solid electrolyte for miniaturized thin film fuel cells. In order to decrease the fuel cell operating temperature, the thickness of yttria stabilized zirconia thin films is reduced. Often, these thin membranes suffer from mechanical failure and gas permeability. To improve these mechanical issues, a glancing angle deposition approach is used to grow yttria stabilized zirconia thin films with tilted columnar structures. Changes of the material flux direction during the deposition result in a dense, zigzag-like structure with columnar crystallites. This structure reduces the elastic modulus of these membranes as compared to columnar yttria stabilized zirconia thin films as monitored by nano-indentation which makes them more adaptable to applied stress.
