CVD of CeO2‐Doped Y2O3‐Stabilized Zirconia onto Dense and Porous Substrates

Abstract

AbstractFabrication of dense films of mixed‐conducting oxides on porous surfaces is of interest for membrane, sensor, fuel cell, and battery applications. In this work, atmospheric‐pressure metal‐organic CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION was used to fabricate CeO2‐doped Y2O3‐stabilized ZrO2 films on dense silicon and porous alumina substrates. Aerosol‐assisted delivery of a toluene solution of the precursors Zr(tfac)4, Y(hfac)3, and Ce(tmhd)4 was used to deposit films with thicknesses around 1 μm. The effects of carrier gas O2 content (0–5 mol‐%), H2O vapor (0–3.4 mol‐%), deposition temperature (300–600°C), and the type of substrate on film morphology, composition, and purity were investigated. The porous substrate had a marked effect on the film morphology, producing a columnar film structure with column diameters that roughly approximated the particle diameter of the substrate (∼0.5 μm). Lower temperatures (300°C) provided a more uniform film with better connectivity between columnar structures than deposition at 400 and 600°C, and higher precursor concentrations produced very non‐uniform films with exaggerated growth features.