MEMS-based design and fabrication of a new concept micro direct methanol fuel cell (μ-DMFC)

Abstract

A design for a novel micro direct methanol fuel cell (μ-DMFC) of 0.018 cm 2 active area is described. The μ-DMFC was prepared using a series of fabrication steps from micro-machined silicon wafer including photolithography, deep reactive ion etching, and electron beam deposition. The novelty of this structure is that we have fabricated the anodic and cathodic micro-channels arranged in plane, dissimilar to the conventional bipolar structure. The first objective of the experimental trials was to verify the feasibility of this novel structure on basis of MEMS technology. Preliminary testing results show that this new concept μ-DMFC generates electricity.