Sm0.5Sr0.5CoO3 Electrodes Fabricated at Intermediate Temperatures

Thick film SSC cathodes were fabricated by combustion CVD and evaluated via impedance spectroscopy. Films were deposited onto 250 micron YSZ substrates at fabrication temperatures of 1000 degrees C, 600 degrees C and 450 degrees C. Deposition temperature affected both the microstructure and phase of the resulting films but not their chemical composition. SSC electrodes fabricated at 450 degrees C were agglomerations of largely amorphous particles while those fabricated at higher temperatures were interconnected polycrystalline films. Impedance spectroscopy reflected these changes as polycrystalline electrodes performed as expected while those fabricated at 450 degrees C performed significantly worse.