# US 10,320,019 B2 · Process for producing a solid oxide fuel cell by depositing an electrically conductive and gas permeable layer on a porous support substrate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,320,019 B2 - Document ID: US10320019B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/618,127 - Filed: 2015-02-10 - Published: 2015-06-04 - Granted: 2019-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2006-07-07 - Assignees: Plansee SE - Applicants: Plansee SE - Inventors: Karl Kailer; Georg Kunschert; Stefan Schlichtherle; Georg Strauss - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10320019B2 ## CPC - H01M 8/10: Fuel cells with solid electrolytes - C23C 14/0688: {Cermets, e.g. mixtures of metal and one or more of carbides, nitrides, oxides or borides} - C23C 14/08: Oxides (C23C14/10 takes precedence) - C23C 14/088: {of the type ABO3 with A representing alkali, alkaline earth metal or Pb and B representing a refractory or rare earth metal} - C23C 14/34: Sputtering - C23C 14/3485: {using pulsed power to the target} - H01M 4/9033: {Complex oxides, optionally doped, of the type M1MeO3, M1 being an alkaline earth metal or a rare earth, Me being a metal, e.g. perovskites} - Y02E 60/50: Fuel cells - Y10T 428/24997: Of metal-containing material - Y10T 428/265: 1 mil or less - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract A process for depositing an electrically conductive, preferably perovskitic layer uses a pulsed sputtering process. The layer has a low diffusivity for the elements in the iron group and is especially suitable for use in solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). An assembly of the electrically conductive ceramic layer on a porous support substrate is also provided. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process for producing a metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell, the process comprising the following steps: providing a porous metallic support substrate formed of sintered grains of a Fe-based alloy, the support substrate having an open-pore structure, being gas permeable and having a density of 40% to 70% of a theoretical density; depositing an electrically conductive ceramic diffusion barrier layer directly on the metallic porous support substrate by a pulsed sputtering process retaining the open-pore structure of the substrate and a gas permeability thereof, forming a coated porous metallic support substrate that is gas permeable; and applying an anode in direct material contact with the coated porous support substrate to produce a support structure with an anode of the metal-supported solid oxide fuel cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the ceramic layer has a perovskitic structure. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises using an oxide-ceramic sputtering target in the pulsed sputtering process. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises using a sputtering target in the pulsed sputtering process, wherein a concentration of elements in the sputtering target differs at most by 5% from a concentration of respective elements in the layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer at a frequency of a pulsed voltage of 1 to 1000 kHz. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process according to claim 5, which further comprises depositing the layer at a frequency of the pulsed voltage of 100 to 350 kHz. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer with a voltage root-mean-square value of +100 to −1000 V. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process according to claim 7, which further comprises depositing the layer with a voltage root-mean-square value of +100 to −500 V. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer with a mean power density of 1 to 30 W/cm2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises using an inert gas as a process gas with a pressure of 1×10−4 to 9×10−2 mbar. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The process according to claim 10, which further comprises using argon as the process gas. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the layer has a structural formula ABO3, where A includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of La, Ba, Sr and Ca; and B includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Cr, Mg, Al, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer with a thickness of 0.1 to 5 μm. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer with a density>99% of a theoretical density. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, which further comprises depositing the layer with an impurity content<0.5% by weight. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The process according to claim 15, wherein the impurity content is <0.1% by weight. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The process according to claim 1, wherein the porous substrate is gas permeable and the porous substrate with the conductive ceramic layer is gas permeable.