Patent ID: 7485385

Claim:
A method for manufacturing a solid oxide fuel cell, the method comprising the following steps in the following order: forming a first electrode layer, which before firing has a thickness in a range of about 0.5 to 2.0 mm, the first electrode layer having a surface, and drying the first electrode layer; forming an electrolyte layer by screen printing a powder slurry on the surface of the first electrode layer, and drying the electrolyte layer; forming a second electrode layer on a surface of the electrolyte layer, and drying the second electrode layer, wherein the layers comprise a multilayer electrochemical structure; thermally processing the multilayer structure in a single thermal cycle that includes: heating the multilayer structure in a first portion of the single thermal cycle to a temperature and time sufficient to substantially remove moisture; heating the multilayer structure in a second portion of the single thermal cycle to a temperature and time sufficient to substantially remove binder; heating the multilayer structure in a third portion of the single thermal cycle to a temperature and time sufficient to substantially remove carbon residue; and firing the multilayer structure in a fourth portion of the single thermal cycle at a temperature and time sufficient to substantially sinter each layer and to form a solid electrolyte layer.