Fuel cells utilizing non-porous nanofilm microchannel architecture

A fuel cell, comprising:

• a cathode film having a side surface;
• an anode film having a side surface;
• an electrolyte film disposed between the cathode film and the anode film and having a side surface, wherein:
• the anode, cathode, and electrolyte side surfaces are coplanar,
• protons generated at the anode diffuse along a member of the anode side surface, the electrolyte side surface, and both towards the cathode side surface
• oxygen ions generated at the cathode diffuse along a member of the cathode side surface, the electrolyte side surface, and both towards the anode side surface, and
• an ionic flux due to surface diffusion of ions is at least 10 times greater than an ionic flux due to bulk diffusion of ions.

A method of generating electricity, comprising:

• generating oxygen ions on one side of an electrolyte;
• generating protons and electrons on an opposing side of the electrolyte;
• and
• allowing the oxygen ions and the protons to diffuse towards one another along a surface of the electrolyte, wherein diffusion between the one side and the opposing side of the electrolyte is dominated by surface diffusion.

A method of producing a fuel cell, comprising:

• a) providing a substrate;
• b) depositing a first electrode material layer;
• c) depositing an electron collector;
• d) depositing an electrolyte layer;
• e) depositing a second electrode material layer;
• f) depositing an electron collector;
• and
• g) patterning parallel trenches in the deposited layers to form grooves that extend to the substrate.