FUEL CELL HAVING PATTERNED SOLID PROTON CONDUCTING ELECTROLYTES

摘要

In a method for patterning a solid proton conducting electrolyte (22, 60) for a micro fuel cell a first side (30, 63) of electrolyte (22, 60) is patterned to increase the surface area, which is coated with an electrocatalyst (33, 66), providing an electrical conductor (20) to the first side (22, 60), and an electrical conductor (15, 16) to a second side (19) of the electrolyte (22, 60). One exemplary embodiment comprises depositing a solid proton conducting electrolyte (60) over a substrate (12), patterning the electrolyte (60) to form a plurality of pedestals (28), each having an anode side adjacent a anode region (42) and a cathode side adjacent a cathode region (43), coating the anode (42) and cathode (43) sides with an electrocatalyst (33), providing a first electrical conductor (15, 16) to the anode side (42); and a second electrical conductor (20) to the cathode side (43).