Method for manufacturing electrode, method for manufacturing membrane electrode assembly, and method for inspecting electrode

A method for manufacturing a membrane electrode assembly that includes:

• an electrode including a gas diffusion layer, and an electrode catalyst layer that is a reaction field of a gas diffused from the gas diffusion layer;
• and an electrolyte membrane including one end surface provided with the electrode, the method comprising:
• forming the electrode catalyst layer containing an electrode catalyst and an ionomer resin on one end surface of the gas diffusion layer;
• forming a protective layer containing the ionomer resin on the electrode catalyst layer;
• irradiating the electrode catalyst layer with radiation through the protective layer and analyzing an element in the electrode catalyst layer of the electrode obtained through the forming of the electrode catalyst layer and the forming of the protective layer, the analyzing being performed in a state where an amount of the radiation incident on the electrode catalyst layer is made smaller by the protective layer than an amount of the radiation incident on the protective layer;
• and
• joining the electrode that has undergone the analyzing, to the one end surface of the electrolyte membrane.