Growth and characterization of La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 thin films for fuel cell applications

Thin films of La0.85Sr0.15MnO3 (LSM) are deposited on (1 0 0) silicon wafer and YSZ (yttria-stabilized zircornia) electrolyte substrates by magnetron sputtering using a single-phase LSM target. The conditions for sputtering are systematically studied, including substrate temperature (from room temperature to 600 °C), the argon background pressure (from 1.2 × 10−2 to 3.0 × 10−2 mbar), and deposition time. Results show that the optimal conditions for producing a dense, uniform, and crack-free LSM film include a substrate temperature of 600 °C and an argon pressure of 1.9 × 10−2 mbar. Further, a testing cell with a dense LSM film, an YSZ electrolyte membrane, and a porous LSM counter electrode is prepared and the electrochemical properties of the dense LSM film on YSZ substrate are studied. It was found that the thickness, morphology, and microstructure of LSM films critically influence the electrochemical properties.