Mutual Diffusion Occurring at the Interface between La_0.6Sr_0.4Co_0.8Fe_0.2O₃ Cathode and Gd-doped Ceria Electrolyte during IT-SOFC Cell Preparation

The microstructure and local chemistry of the interface between the screen-printed La(0.6)Sr(0.4)Co(0.8)Fe(0.2)O(3) (LSCF) thin film cathode and Gd-doped ceria (GDC) electrolyte substrate have been investigated. Elemental distribution analyses, by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy operated in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode, illustrate that all constituent elements in GDC and LSCF mutually diffuse across the LSCF/GDC interface, with equal diffusion length. This leads to the formation of mutual diffusion zones at the LSCF/GDC interfaces, with the resultant mixture of diffusing ions being associated with specific valence state changes, as verified by STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy analyses. Moreover, this mutual diffusion can result in microstructural changes, where superstructure formation is accompanied by enhancement of oxygen vacancy ordering at this region. Such mutual diffusion and associated microstructure evolution is considered to be detrimental to fuel cell efficiency and should be suppressed by lowering cell fabrication temperatures.