Preparation of a New Proton Conducting Silicon Membrane for Miniature Fuel Cells

Preparation of a New Proton Conducting Silicon Membrane for Miniature Fuel Cells

Yi-Tang Chen
Sean S.-Y. Lin
Sung-O Kim
Su Ha*

Department of Photonics, Institute of Electro-optical Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

The Gene and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-2710, USA

3Holcombe Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Center for Optical Materials Science and Engineering Technologies(COMSET), Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0915, USA

Corresponding Author Email: 
suha@wsu.edu
Page: 
171-175
|
DOI: 
https://doi.org/10.14447/jnmes.v12i4.199
Received: 
June 11, 2008
| |
Accepted: 
December 17, 2008
| | Citation
Abstract: 

The membranes based on silicon substrate filled with Nafion® have been fabricated as a proton exchange membrane for miniature fuel cells. This fabrication utilizes the micromachining procedures including photo-lithography, plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and dry and wet etching processes. The device size of the silicon membrane filled with Nafion® was 1 cm × 1 cm. The pores were smaller than 500 nm. The cross-sectional shape of the silicon membrane was an inverse pyramid structure to improve its mechanical strength and to enhance its surface treatment process. This technique combines the advantages of Nafion® with a good proton conductivity and silicon membrane, such as easy serial and parallel integration, respectively.

Keywords: 

Proton Conducting Silicon Membrane, PEM, Nafion, Miniature Fuel Cells.

1. Introduction
2. Experimiental
3. Results and Discussion
4. Conclusions
5. Acknowledgments

This work was accomplished with much needed support and we would like to thank the following for their financial support: the Technology Development Program for Academia, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) in Taiwan (96-EC-17-A-07-S1-046), National Science Council (NSC 96-2221-E-009 -079 -MY3), and ChungHwa Picture Tubes, Ltd (N96-06). We also would like to thank Prof. Yang-Fang Chen, Jung-Liang Cheng, and Wei-Hung Liou of the Department of Physics, National Taiwan University for their support on all SEM works.

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