Formation of ceramic thin film on ceramic body

Claim 2

A process for forming a solid oxide fuel cell, comprising the steps of: forming an elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body having a substantially cylindrical outer shape; forming a substantially annular green ceramic solid electrolyte thin film from a ceramic solid electrolyte green sheet having a thickness ranging from tens of microns to hundreds of microns; fitting said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film around the outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body to form an assembly; firing the assembly to shrink and join the entirety of said inner surface of said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film to a corresponding portion of said outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body; and forming a porous electrode on at least a portion of said solid electrolyte thin film.

Claim 3

The porous of claim 1, wherein the fitting step provides an assembly wherein opposite axial ends of said elongate porous electrode supporting body extend outwardly from an inner surface of said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film.

Claim 4

The process of claim 1, wherein a firing shrinkage factor of said substantially annular ceramic solid electrolyte thin film is greater than that of said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein a difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body and that of said substantially annular ceramic solid electrolyte thin film is in the range of -2.0×10 -6 to +1.0×10 -6 .

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, further comprising, before the firing step, the step of interposing an adhesive between said solid electrolyte thin film and said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body.

Claim 7

The process of claim 5, wherein said adhesive is selected from the group consisting of Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , MN 3 O 4 , LaMnO 3 , LaCoO 3 , ZrO 2 stabilized with Y 2 O 3 , and mixtures thereof.

Claim 8

A process for forming a solid oxide fuel cell, comprising the steps of: forming an elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body having a substantially cylindrical outer shape; forming a substantially annular green ceramic solid electrolyte thin film from a ceramic solid electrolyte green sheet having an axial length shorter than an axial length of said elongate porous electrode supporting body and a thickness ranging from tens of microns to hundreds of microns, said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film having an opening defined between edges of said green sheet and extending along the entire axial length thereof; forming an elongate interconnector attached to a portion of said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film substantially to cover said opening; fitting said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film with attached interconnector around the outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body to form an assembly; firing the assembly to shrink said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film and close said opening, and join the entirety of said inner surface to a corresponding portion of said outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body; and forming a porous electrode on at least a portion of said solid electrolyte thin film.

Claim 9

A process for forming a solid oxide fuel cell, comprising the steps of: forming an elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body having a substantially cylindrical outer shape; forming a substantially annular green ceramic solid electrolyte thin film from a ceramic solid electrolyte green sheet having an axial length shorter than an axial length of said elongate porous electrode supporting body and a thickness ranging from tens of microns to hundreds of microns, said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film having an opening defined between edges of said green sheet and extending along the entire axial length thereof; forming an elongate interconnector attached to a portion of said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film substantially to cover said opening; fitting said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film with attached interconnector around the outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body to form an assembly; firing the assembly to shrink said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film and close said opening, and join the entirety of said inner surface to a corresponding portion of said outer peripheral surface of said elongate porous electrode supporting body; and forming a porous electrode on at least a portion of said solid electrolyte thin film.

Claim 10

The process of claim 7, wherein the fitting step provides an assembly wherein opposite axial ends of said elongate porous electrode supporting body extend outwardly from an inner surface of said substantially annular solid electrolyte thin film.

Claim 11

The process of claim 7, wherein a firing shrinkage factor of said substantially annular ceramic solid electrolyte thin film is greater than that of said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body.

Claim 12

The process of claim 7, wherein a difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body and that of said substantially annular ceramic solid electrolyte thin film is in the range of -2.0×10 -6 to +1.0×10 -6 .

Claim 13

The process of claim 7, further comprising, before the firing step, the step of interposing an adhesive between said solid electrolyte thin film and said elongate tubular ceramic porous electrode supporting body.

Claim 14

The process of claim 11, wherein said adhesive is selected from the group consisting of Cr 2 O 3 , MnO 2 , Mn 3 O 4 , LaMnO 3 , LaCoO 3 , ZrO 2 stabilized with Y 2 O 3 , and mixtures thereof.