Yttria-stabilized Zirconia Thin Films Research Articles

Highly crystalline yttria‐stabilized zirconia and titania thin films on plastic substrates via sol‐gel transfer process

AbstractWe prepared yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and titania crystalline thin films on polycarbonate (PC) substrates by the sol‐gel transfer technique that we have developed recently. Precursor gel films were deposited by spin‐coating on a polyimide/polyvinylpyrrolidone mixture layer on Si(100) substrates, and then were calcined at 600°C. The spin‐coating and the calcination were cycled, followed by final firing at 600–1000°C, to obtain 140–190 nm thick, YSZ and titania crystalline thin films. The film densification progressed as the final firing temperature increased, where the porosity calculated from the refractive index decreased down to a few percent. The film thus obtained was heated at 190°C on a hot plate, and a PC substrate was pressed on the film to transfer it to the PC substrate. The transferability quantified by image analysis of the film area was found to be significantly different between the YSZ and titania films. In the case of YSZ films, the area of silicon that was fractured and adhered to the transferred film increased significantly with increasing firing temperature, leading to a decrease down to 0% in the fraction of the successful transfer area without such a damage. On the other hand, the fraction of the successful transfer area remained around 90% irrespective of the firing temperature for the titania films. The surface of the titania films that were fired at 800–1000°C and transferred to PC substrates had voids of several tens nm scale, which may have been formed during anatase‐to‐rutile phase transformation. We thought that the reduced titania/Si(100) contact area due to such void formation facilitated the delamination of the titania films from Si(100) substrates. High temperature firing, which promotes crystallization and densification of films, thus affects differently the film transferability to plastic substrates, depending on the type of films. The work also suggested possible use of titania films as release‐assisting layers.

One-step preparation of large-size 1.5-μm-thick robust YSZ electrolyte for high CH4 conversion SOFCs at 600 °C

Ultrathin electrolytes can lower the operating temperature of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ)-based solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) to below 600 °C, accelerating their commercialization. However, current technologies for fabricating robust electrolytes with large areas and a thickness of a few microns for SOFCs suffer from substantial practical limitations, including high manufacturing costs, intricate technical demands, and multistep fabrication processes. This study introduces a low-cost, high-yield, and facile one-step phase inversion technology to fabricate large-area and shape-variable ultrathin YSZ electrolyte-based SOFCs (disc diameter >12 cm and area of 10 cm × 10 cm). An integrated form of SOFCs with dendritic YSZ microchannels supporting a 1.5-μm-thick dense YSZ thin film was fabricated. The ultrathin electrolyte layer lowered ohmic and polarization losses, enhancing SOFC electrochemical performance. The integrated anode/electrolyte structure overcame the interfacial thermal mismatch, resulting in more than 210 h of long-term stability even with cells operating in rapidly changing environments. The single cell also exhibited a high CH4 conversion efficiency (55%), which was attributed to the fast gas diffusion and excellent catalytic activity within the integrated anode. In addition, our 4 cm × 4 cm flat SOFCs exhibited a high power output (5.1 W) at 600 °C, paving the way for the mass production of ultrathin and robust YSZ electrolytes.

The effect of deposition temperature on structural, morphological and dielectric properties of Yttria-doped zirconia thin films

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of deposition temperature on the structural, optical, morphological and dielectric properties of yttria-stabilised zirconia (YSZ) films prepared by sol-gel spin-coating method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of YSZ films showed that the peaks of the cubic phase were prominent and the peak intensities increased with deposition temperature. The crystallite size, dislocation density and microstrain of the thin films were identified by XRD. It was observed that the crystal size of the YSZ thin films increased from 16 nm to 22 nm with the deposition temperature. The surface roughness of the thin films was found to have changed as revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) measurements. The roughness increased from 7.72 nm to 11.92 nm with increasing temperature. The optical transmittance of the YSZ thin films was investigated in the wavelength range 200-900 nm and was found to increase slightly with increasing deposition temperature. Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) devices were fabricated from these YSZ materials for dielectric characterization. The dielectric properties of the Ag/YSZ/n-Si MOS structure were investigated. It was found that the capacitance, conductivity and other dielectric parameters of these structures are strongly frequency dependent.

Fabrication of YSZ ceramic thin films with sol-gel method for mixed potential-type zirconia-based NO2 sensor

In this work, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were prepared by sol-gel and spin-coating methods, which are simple and inexpensive, with good film quality and excellent electrical conductivity. Using this film, a YSZ film mixed-potential type NO2 gas sensor with NiO as the sensitive electrode material was fabricated. The films had the best dielectric properties when spin-coated four times, and the sensors had the highest response (48 mV–100 ppm NO2) as well as the best sensitivity (14.8 mV/decade for 5–20 ppm NO2 and 42 mV/decade for 20–500 ppm NO2). The YSZ thin-film gas sensor operates at a lower temperature, with an optimum operating temperature of 550 °C, and the power consumption of the sensor has been reduced by approximately 46 % or more compared to conventional bulk YSZ NO2 gas sensors. This provides a very effective direction for the low-power design of high-temperature devices such as the YSZ gas sensor. In addition, thin-film devices are more conducive to integrating sensors into microelectronic circuits, greatly improving the application scenarios for such devices. This sensor has excellent repeatability, very good selectivity, and outstanding long-term stability over 30 days of continuous measurement. In conclusion, based on the excellent sensing performance and low power consumption of the YSZ thin-film gas sensor, the sensor has a promising future for in-situ monitoring of NOx.

Formation of Dense Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Film by Aerosol Deposition Method for Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications

Formation of Dense Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Film by Aerosol Deposition Method for Metal-Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Applications

Nanocrystal Engineering of Thin-Film Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia Electrolytes for Low-Temperature Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells.

To overcome significantly sluggish oxygen-ion conduction in the electrolytes of low-temperature solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), numerous researchers have devoted considerable effort to fabricating the electrolytes as thin as possible. However, thickness is not the only factor that affects the electrolyte performance; roughness, grain size, and internal film stress also play a role. In this study, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) was deposited via a reactive sputtering process to fabricate high-performance thin-film electrolytes. Various sputtering chamber pressures (5, 10, and 15 mTorr) were investigated to improve the electrolytes. As a result, high surface area, large grain size, and residual tensile stress were successfully obtained by increasing the sputtering pressure. To clarify the correlation between the microstructure and electrolyte performance, a YSZ thin-film electrolyte was applied to anodized aluminum oxide-supported SOFCs composed of conventional electrode materials which are Ni and Pt as the anode and the cathode, respectively. The thin-film SOFC with YSZ deposited at 15 mTorr exhibited the lowest ohmic resistance and, consequently, the highest maximum power density (493 mW/cm2) at 500 °C whose performance is more than five times higher than that of the cell with YSZ deposited at 5 mTorr (94.1 mW/cm2). Despite the basic electrode materials, exceptionally high performance at low operating temperature was achieved via controlling the single fabrication condition for the electrolyte.

Model Based Comparative Analysis of GDC and YSZ Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Designing solid oxide fuel cell (SOFCs) stacks for transportation applications places new challenges on SOFC architecture and operation with respect to power density, dynamic response, and thermal management. Recent developments in SOFCs with either thin-film yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes (thickness ≤ 5 μm) or highly conductive, gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) electrolytes (thicknesses ≥10 μm) enable thigh-power-density stack operation at inlet temperatures well below 700ºC with the potential for using compliant seals and lower cost ferrous interconnect materials. Applications, such as hybridized aircraft engines, can use such SOFC stacks if they meet strict requirements with respect to specific power and thermal management. Highly conductive GDC-based electrolytes offer pathways to high power-density SOFCs at operating temperatures below 650ºC, but the rise in mixed ionic electronic conductivity (MIEC) above 650ºC reduces open circuit voltages and thus fuel cell efficiency [1,2]. This necessitates thermal management to maintain operating temperatures and mitigate thermo-mechanical stresses within an SOFC. Thin-film YSZ electrolytes offer lower power densities below 650ºC, but avoid the penalties associated with MIEC behavior at higher temperatures and therefore reduce the challenges associated with thermal management at high power densities. In this work, a model-based approach is used to compare SOFC stack operation with thin-film YSZ electrolytes and with GDC-based electrolytes for operation on hydrogen and reformate fuels at high-power densities relevant for transportation applications.To calibrate models to experimental cell performance, polarization curves of a commercially available YSZ-based cell operating between 600-750ºC and of a high-power-density GDC cell operating between 500-650ºC are used to fit electrochemical model parameters for both electrolytes. Modeling of the YSZ based cell can neglect electronic charge transfer through the membrane electrolyte, but GDC-cell modeling must account for the multiple charge carriers (ceria polarons and oxygen vacancies) in the electrolyte [3]. Electrochemical parameters for ionic conductivities and electrochemical reaction rate parameters for oxide cathodes and nickel-electrolyte-composite anodes are fit to the experimental polarization data over the broad range of operating temperatures. Global rate expressions to account for internal reforming on the active nickel surfaces of anode are adopted from literature [4,5]. The calibrated cell model for each cell type is adopted to a down-the-channel discretized cell simulation to predict heat loss and temperature gradients at high current densities.This presentation compares GDC- and YSZ-based SOFCs in high power-density applications from fundamental and practical perspectives. The open-circuit voltages for GDC-based cells drops with increasing temperature to about 0.85 V/cell at 650°C which is lower than the Nernst open-circuit voltage of YSZ-based cells (≥ 1.05 V/cell) at similar conditions. Both types of cells can sustain power densities around 1.0 W/cm2 with high excess cathode air ratios ≥ 5 to keep temperature gradients near 10°C/cm. These results show that GDC-based cells support higher power densities at lower cell flow inlet temperatures < 600°C, whereas thin-film YSZ cells provide superior performance at flow inlets that drive cell temperatures > 600°C. Higher stack power densities > 1.0 W/cm2 must be supported by stack designs that alleviate high thermal stresses and allow steeper gradients of temperature. A summary of stack design and operational strategies that meet the stringent requirements of high power-density operation will be presented in the light of the modeling resuls..

Ultrafast-switching of an all-solid-state electric double layer transistor with a porous yttria-stabilized zirconia proton conductor and the application to neuromorphic computing

All-solid-state electric double layer transistors (ASS-EDLTs) have recently been attracting attention because of their huge potential for use in neuromorphic device applications. However, their low switching response speed is a significant drawback to their practical application. Here, we demonstrate ultrafast-switching of ASS-EDLTs, which was achieved by an excellent combination of hydrogenated diamond single crystal and a porous yttria stabilized zirconia thin film with extremely high proton conductivity. The switching response speed was investigated in response to gate voltage pulses. We achieved the ASS-EDLT that can operate at a very short response time of less than a hundred μs (i.e., 27 μs), even at room temperature. This is a far shorter time than that found in typical conventional ASS-EDLTs, which characteristically have response times measured in milliseconds or longer. Furthermore, the subject ASS-EDLT possessed characteristics that are similar to those of volatile memory devices. To demonstrate neuromorphic computing capability of the device, waveform transformation task has been performed. The results indicated that the ASS-EDLT, with its high operating speed, can contribute to the development of high-speed neuromorphic systems.

XPS investigation of monoatomic and cluster argon sputtering of zirconium dioxide

The surfaces of zirconium dioxide and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) have been analyzed using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy after ion sputtering with monoatomic Ar+ or an argon gas cluster ion beam (GCIB). The O/Z ratio and new components in the Zr 3d lines show reduction to lower oxidation states when sputtered with monoatomic Ar+, but significantly less damage is observed when GCIB sputtering is used. The damaged surface layer caused by Ar+ sputtering can be removed by subsequent GCIB sputtering. However, the depth resolution observed in depth profiles of thin YSZ films was significantly better when Ar+ sputtering is used. Differences in the Sn content in the oxidized Zr-4 specimen were also observed when comparing Ar+ and GCIB sputtering, suggesting preferential sputtering.

Model Based Comparative Analysis of GDC and YSZ Based Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Although solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) offer high fuel-to-electric energy conversion efficiencies, their relatively low power-to-weight ratios make it difficult to integrate them with aircraft propulsion systems. This paper explores the feasibility of designing high throughput SOFCs for hybridization with gas turbines in aircraft powerplants. This paper explores and compares two SOFC technologies for achieving high specific power (kW/kg) with different membrane electrode assembly architectures, one with thin-film yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolytes and the second with high-power density gadolinia doped-ceria (GDC) electrolytes. The studies explore the operation of the respective SOFC stacks with synthetic CH4 as a carbon-neutral aviation fuel. Down-the-channel SOFC models are calibrated to experimental measurements of YSZ- and GDC-electrolyte cells at Elcogen and at the University of Maryland respectively. The model results provide a basis for determining the flow inlet conditions that enable each cell type to achieve high specific powers. The results also indicate the requirement of high airflows and upstream fuel preprocessing to sustain the high specific powers with sustainable cell operating conditions.

Thermal conductivity of yttria‐stabilized zirconia thin films grown by plasma‐enhanced atomic layer deposition

AbstractZirconia doped with yttrium, widely known as yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ), has found recent applications in advanced electronic and energy devices, particularly when deposited in thin film form by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Although ample studies reported the thermal conductivity of YSZ films and coatings, these data were typically limited to Y2O3 concentrations around 8 mol% and thicknesses greater than 1 μm, which were primarily targeted for thermal barrier coating applications. Here, we present the first experimental report of the thermal conductivity of YSZ thin films (∼50 nm), deposited by plasma‐enhanced ALD (PEALD), with variable Y2O3 content (0–36.9 mol%). Time‐domain thermoreflectance measures the effective thermal conductivity of the film and its interfaces, independently confirmed with frequency‐domain thermoreflectance. The effective thermal conductivity decreases from 1.85 to 1.22 W m−1 K−1 with increasing Y2O3 doping concentration from 0 to 7.7 mol%, predominantly due to increased phonon scattering by oxygen vacancies, and exhibits relatively weak concentration dependence above 7.7 mol%. The effective thermal conductivities of our PEALD YSZ films are higher by ∼15%–128% than those reported previously for thermal ALD YSZ films with similar composition. We attribute this to the relatively larger grain sizes (∼23–27 nm) of our films.

A comparative study of TiO2 doped and undoped yttria stabilized zirconia thin films for solid oxide fuel cell application

A comparative study of TiO2 doped and undoped yttria stabilized zirconia thin films for solid oxide fuel cell application

Polarization resistance of Pt/YSZ and ITO/YSZ interfaces in multilayered Pt|YSZ|Pt and ITO|YSZ|ITO thin films

Polarization resistances across Pt/YSZ and ITO/YSZ interfaces were probed on thin film structures with large surface area to volume ratio. High polarization resistance of Pt/YSZ interface responsible for the operating temperature of 873 K is suppressed in ITO/YSZ by atleast three orders of magnitude due to the partial solubility of an electronic conductor ITO in YSZ with the scope for reduction in temperatures to about 673 K. The conductivity of YSZ thin films measured in sandwiched configuration with Pt and ITO electrodes for the temperature interval of 673 – 973 K for multilayers configured as Pt|YSZ|Pt and ITO|YSZ|ITO were compared. Textured thin films of Pt, ITO and 8 mol% of Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) exhibiting columnar growth were deposited on (100) SrTiO3.

Impact of ethyl cellulose variation on microstructural and electrochemical properties of spin coated YSZ electrolyte thin films for SOFCs: Slurry composition evolution

The present work meticulously highlights the physical and electrochemical properties of slurry spin coated Yttria Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte thin films for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications wherein the concentration of ethyl cellulose (EC) is varied from 3.5 wt% to 6.5 wt% in the EC/YSZ/terpineol slurry. The TGA of the prepared mixtures reveals the complete mass removal of EC in temperature range of 380–400 °C. The dense and crack-free YSZ thin films on NiO/YSZ anode composites are developed by performing four separate coating cycles where each cycle is preceded by baking the films at 380 °C. The prepared YSZ electrolyte thin films showed polycrystalline nature with cubic phased prominent reflection corresponding to plane (111). The crystallite size of YSZ thin films is determined from W–H and Scherrer's relations which is obtained in the range of 18–26 nm and 21–26 nm, respectively. The 3D AFM projection shows hill-like topography where the average roughness is found to be increased from 3.01 nm to 8.49 nm with an increase in the EC content. FESEM analysis unveils smooth morphology along with the presence of some abscission zones in YSZ thin films after the removal of EC. The electrochemical properties are explored by fitting equivalent electrical circuit to the Nyquist data which confirms electrolytic response of the prepared coatings. The thermal activation of ionic conduction has been verified by observing the Arrhenius plots where conductivity is found to be varied in range 10 −4 -10 −5 S/cm with the respective increase in EC content. The activation energies of YSZ electrolyte thin films are found to be in the range of 1.09–1.18 eV which are slightly higher as compared to that of bulk YSZ.

Elucidating the performance benefits enabled by YSZ/Ni-YSZ bilayer thin films in a porous anode-supported cell architecture.

Increasing the performance and improving the stability of solid oxide cells are critical requirements for advancing this technology toward commercial applications. In this study, a systematic comparison of anode-supported cells utilizing thin films with those utilizing conventional screen-printed yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is performed. High-resolution secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) imaging is used to visualize, for the first time, the extent of Ni diffusion into screen-printed microcrystalline YSZ electrolytes of approximately 2-3 μm thickness, due to the high temperature (typically >1300 °C) used in the conventional sintering process. As an alternative approach, dense YSZ thin films and Ni(O)-YSZ nanocomposite layers are prepared using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at a relatively low temperature of 750 °C. YSZ thin films exhibit densely packed nanocrystalline grains and a remarkable suppression of Ni diffusion, which are further associated with some reduction in the ohmic resistance of the cell, especially in the low temperature regime. Moreover, the use of a Ni-YSZ nanocomposite layer resulted in improved contact at the YSZ/anode interface as well as a higher density of triple phase boundaries due to the nanoscale Ni and YSZ grains being homogeneously distributed throughout the structure. The cells utilizing the YSZ/Ni-YSZ bilayer thin films show excellent performance in fuel cell operation and good durability in short-term operation up to 65 hours. These results provide insights into ways to improve the electrochemical performance of SOCs by utilizing innovative thin film structures in conjunction with commercially viable porous anode-supported cells.

Power spectral density-based fractal analyses of sputtered yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films

This study provides information about the surface morphology of sputtered yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films from the atomic force microscope (AFM) spectral analyses using the power spectral density (PSD) function at varying annealing temperatures. Applying fractal and k-correlation fitting models to the PSD data, fractal dimension, Hurst exponent, correlation length, and equivalent root mean square roughness are quantified. The PSDs of the films exhibit an inverse power-law variation at high spatial frequency, which points to the existence of the fractal components in the film’s surface. The annealing temperatures up to 900 ∘C decreased fractal dimension from 2.60 to 2. The surface roughness increased from 0.10 to 13.92 nm and from 0.04 to 3.95 nm, obtained from the statistical analyses of AFM images and the k-correlation model. The films annealed from 500 ∘C to 800 ∘C showed fine grain size morphology with Hurst exponent values from 0.40 to 0.53, indicating a homogeneous spatial roughness distribution. While the film annealed at 900 ∘C exhibited large aggregate grains morphology. The growth of a sample annealed at the temperature of 900 ∘C is more likely to be ruled by the step-edge barrier-induced mound growth and inhomogeneous spatial distribution of roughness. In contrast, normal self-affine behaviour is observed at lower annealing temperatures.

Negative Differential Resistance in Oxygen-ion Conductor Yttria-stabilized Zirconia for Extreme Environment Electronics.

Oxygen-ion conductors have traditionally been studied in the context of high temperature (≈ 873 to 1773 K) energy conversion and sensor technologies. However, there is growing interest in exploring ion-based electronics for harsh environments (400 to 573 K) that represents an emerging field. Here, we utilize a blocking electrode to modify the interface properties of oxygen-ion conducting yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin film electrochemical cells. The modified YSZ cell exhibits negative differential resistance (NDR) in the current-voltage curves at 543 K in the air. A double-sweep method and analysis of the scan-rate dependence of the j-V characteristics clearly suggest that the NDR behavior is formed by the reduction reaction of adsorbed oxygen or platinum oxide at the YSZ/Pt interface. A stable and switchable YSZ NDR device is realized with a high peak-to-valley current ratio of 5.8 at 543 K. Utilizing the NDR effect, we demonstrate a proof-of-concept switchable ternary inverter by interfacing with a silicon transistor. Oxygen-ion conductors and their interfaces offer new directions to design electronics for extreme environments.

Preparation of an yttria-stabilized zirconia electrolyte on a porous Ni-based cermet substrate by laser chemical vapor deposition

This work investigated the use of laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) to apply an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin film electrolyte to a porous Ni metal/YSZ substrate. Using this process, a dense YSZ film having a columnar structure and small grain sizes was successfully fabricated on a porous cermet substrate at a relatively low temperature of approximately 700 °C. A 15 µm thick film was obtained following a deposition time of only 20 min. Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power generation tests were performed using the sample on which YSZ was deposited and stable power generation was observed. However, the open circuit voltages were lower than the theoretical values and the ohmic loss of the specimen was significantly higher than that estimated from the conductivity of YSZ. These inferior performance parameters can possibly be attributed to the formation of cracks in the electrolyte film during the SOFC test, and thus enhanced performance could be obtained by suppressing crack formation. In addition, the reason for the crack formation was also discussed in this work.

Preparation and characterization of epitaxially grown yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films on porous silicon substrates for solid oxide fuel cell applications

Epitaxial growth of yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin film on through-hole-type porous silicon [tht-PSi(001)] with vertical pores penetrating from the surface to the back side of the Si(001) substrate was achieved. The in-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters of YSZ thin film deposited on the tht-PSi(001) were, respectively 0.5167 and 0.5124 nm. Therefore, 0.54 % tensile strain was applied to the YSZ thin film. Also for this work, an all epitaxially grown thin film of YSZ/La0.7Sr0.3MnO3(LSMO)/CeO2/YSZ/Si(001) was prepared. The out-of-plane lattice parameter of YSZ was 0.5145 nm. Therefore, the YSZ thin film of YSZ/LSMO/CeO2/YSZ/Si(001) is almost relaxed, with a small amount of tensile strain (0.12 %). In-plane and out-of-plane electrical properties were measured respectively for YSZ/tht-PSi(001) and YSZ/LSMO/CeO2/YSZ/Si(001) thin films. Results show that ionic conduction was confirmed at 400 °C through constant electric conductivity against the change of oxygen partial pressure (pO2). Enhanced ionic conduction was observed for epitaxial YSZ/tht-PSi(001) thin films measured along the in-plane direction. Such enhanced ionic conduction was not observed for epitaxial YSZ/LSMO/CeO2/YSZ/Si(001) thin films measured along the out-of-plane direction. These findings suggest that enhanced ionic conduction is correlated with tensile strain in YSZ thin films.

A review on the preparation of thin-film YSZ electrolyte of SOFCs by magnetron sputtering technology

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have become one of the most attractive energy conversion devices due to their fuel flexibility, environmental friendliness and promising energy conversion efficiency. However, the high operating temperature (typically above 800 °C) of SOFCs poses some challenges concerning stability, sealing integrity and safety. Reducing the operating temperature of SOFCs to 600 °C or lower is currently an important research topic in the field. One effective strategy is to reduce the thickness of the electrolyte with high stability and high performance at lower temperatures. Among the thin-film preparation technologies, magnetron sputtering is gaining attention due to the advantages in scaling up and commercialization. Here we compare and analyze various electrolyte preparation methods and present a comprehensive review of the preparation of oxygen-ion-conducting electrolyte thin films by magnetron sputtering technology. The yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte and YSZ-based bilayer or multilayer electrolyte are employed as examples due to their high stability and high ionic conductivity. The effects of processing parameters on the microstructures and properties of the electrolyte thin films, the relevant interfaces and full SOFCs are reviewed and discussed. Finally, we present some perspectives and directions for developing high-performance SOFCs with thin-film electrolytes prepared by magnetron sputtering technology.