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Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for makingRelated Patent Categories: Chemistry: Electrical Current Producing Apparatus, Product, And Process, Fuel Cell, Subcombination Thereof Or Methods Of Operating, Solid ElectrolyteThin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060172167, Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention is in the thin film fuel cell field. The invention particularly concerns thin film electrolytes, thin film structures, thin film fuel cells, electronic devices incorporating thin film fuel cells, and methods for making thin film electrolytes and fuel cells. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that directly combines a fuel and an oxidant, such as hydrogen and oxygen, to produce electricity and exhaust, such as water. It has an anode or fuel electrode and a cathode or air electrode separated by an electrolyte. Hydrogen is oxidized to protons on the anode with an accompanying release of electrons. At the cathode, molecular oxygen reacts to form oxygen ions, consuming electrons in the process. Electrons flow from the anode to the cathode through an external load, and the circuit is completed by ionic current transport through the electrolyte. Hydrogen fuel cells do not emit toxic gasses. They operate quietly and have a potential efficiency of up to about 80 percent. [0003] A particular class of fuel cells is thin film cells that include a solid electrolyte layer. This type of fuel cell is particularly well suited for applications such as small and microelectronics devices. Generally, the potential power output of a fuel cell varies nearly directly with the useful interface area between the electrolyte and anode and between the electrolyte and cathode. To provide increased output from thin film cells, longer and wider anode, cathode, and electrolyte layers have been provided. Enlarging these layers has required an enlarged footprint for the cells. This is undesirable in microelectronics devices. [0004] Additional problems are known with solid oxide thin film fuel cells. For example, the cells typically require a relatively high operating temperature in the 700-1000.degree. C. range. These high temperatures can lead to delamination problems in thin film cells. In particular, thermal cycling to and from these operating temperatures can cause substantial thermal expansion and contraction of the various fuel cell layers. Because the layers are made of different materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion, they may expand and contract by different amounts. This can cause the layers to come apart from one another. [0005] Solutions to some of these problems have been proposed. For example, it has been proposed to construct cells using anode, cathode, and electrolyte layers having similar coefficients of thermal expansion. This can be difficult, however, since closely matching coefficients of thermal expansion do not necessarily correlate to increased cell performance. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0006] According to the invention, an electrolyte for use with a thin film fuel cell comprises an electrolyte core that is supported on a substrate. At least one electrolyte projection extends from the core and is suspended over the substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0007] FIG. 1 is side view of an embodiment of an electrolyte of the invention; [0008] FIG. 2 is a top view of the electrolyte of FIG. 1; [0009] FIG. 3 is a top view of an embodiment of an electrolyte arrangement of the invention; [0010] FIG. 4 is side view of an embodiment of a fuel cell of the invention that includes the electrolyte of FIG. 1; [0011] FIG. 5 is side view of an additional embodiment of a fuel cell of the invention that includes the electrolyte of FIG. 1; [0012] FIG. 6 is a side view of an additional embodiment of an electrolyte of the invention; [0013] FIG. 7 is side view of an embodiment of a fuel cell of the invention that includes the electrolyte of FIG. 6; [0014] FIG. 8 is a side view of an embodiment of a fuel cell assembly of the invention; [0015] FIG. 9 is a side view of an additional embodiment of a fuel cell assembly of the invention; [0016] FIG. 10 is a side view of an additional embodiment of a fuel cell assembly of the invention; [0017] FIG. 11 is a side view of an additional embodiment of a fuel cell assembly of the invention; [0018] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of the invention; [0019] FIGS. 13(a)-13(g) illustrate various stages of formation of an embodiment of a fuel cell of the invention; [0020] FIGS. 14(a)-14(k) illustrate various stages of formation of an additional embodiment of a fuel cell of the invention; and Continue reading about Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making... Full patent description for Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Solid-oxide fuel cell and method for producing the same Next Patent Application: Deposited structures Industry Class: Chemistry: electrical current producing apparatus, product, and process ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Thin film fuel cell electrolyte and method for making patent info. 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