Preferred position for the reference electrode in solid state electrochemistry

The positioning of the reference electrode (RE) for testing electrode properties on solid electrolytes (SEs), in particular on solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), is in dispute. We suggest here a design that yields the electrode overpotential with only a negligible ohmic contribution from the solid electrolyte bulk, is quite insensitive to small inaccuracy in the electrode positioning, and can serve as a standard configuration for electrode evaluation. The design takes advantage of modern methods for thin film pattern control on the micrometer scale.