Solid oxide fuel cell having laminated anode and electrolyte layers and method of making thereof

A method of making a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), comprising:

• separately forming a ceramic electrolyte precursor layer and at least one anode precursor layer without contacting each other;
• stacking the formed at least one anode precursor layer in contact with a first side of the ceramic electrolyte precursor layer;
• laminating the least one anode precursor layer and the ceramic electrolyte precursor layer;
• forming at least one cathode layer;
• and
• sintering the ceramic electrolyte precursor layer and at least one anode precursor layer to form a ceramic electrolyte and an anode,
• wherein the ceramic electrolyte has a thickness of 100 microns or less,
• wherein the anode is laminated to a first side of the ceramic electrolyte, the anode comprising a cermet comprising a metallic phase that comprises a dopant comprising MgO, and
• wherein the cathode is located on a second side of the electrolyte opposite to the first side.

A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), comprising:

• a ceramic electrolyte having a thickness of 100 microns or less;
• an anode laminated to a first side of the electrolyte;
• and
• a cathode located on a second side of the electrolyte opposite to the first side,
• wherein the anode comprises:
• a first layer laminated to the electrolyte and comprising a cermet comprising a ceramic phase and a metallic phase comprising a metal catalyst;
• and
• a second layer laminated to the first layer and comprising the ceramic phase and the metallic phase comprising the metal catalyst,
• wherein the first layer is disposed between the second layer and the electrolyte, and the second layer contains a higher ratio of the metallic phase to the ceramic phase than the first layer,
• wherein the metallic phase of the second layer comprises:
• from about 2 to about 4 at % of a dopant;
• and
• from about 98 to about 96 at % of the metal catalyst;
• the dopant of the second layer comprises MgO;
• the metal catalyst of the second layer comprises NiO;
• and
• the metallic phase of the second layer comprises MgxNi1-xO or MgxNi1-x, wherein x ranges from about 0.01 to about 0.04.