Patent ID: 8309274

Claim:
A method for fabricating a separator plate for a fuel cell, the method comprising the steps of: providing a substrate; applying a first radiation-sensitive material to the substrate; placing a first mask between a first radiation source and the first radiation-sensitive material, the first mask having a plurality of substantially radiation-transparent apertures; exposing the first radiation-sensitive material to a plurality of first radiation beams defined by the substantially radiation-transparent apertures of the first mask to form a polymeric first flow field layer adjacent the substrate, the first flow field layer having a plurality of channel walls extending along a length of the first flow field layer that define a plurality of first reactant flow channels, the first flow field layer not having coolant flow channels; applying a second radiation-sensitive material to the substrate opposite the first radiation-sensitive material; placing a second mask between a second radiation source and the second radiation-sensitive material, the second mask having a plurality of substantially radiation-transparent apertures, the second mask different from the first mask; and exposing the second radiation-sensitive material to a plurality of second radiation beams defined by the substantially radiation-transparent apertures of the second mask to form a polymeric second flow field layer adjacent the substrate, the second flow field layer having a plurality of first channel walls and a plurality of second channel walls that form second reactant flow channels, at least a portion of the first channel walls and the second channel walls of the second flow field layer further cooperating with the substrate to form coolant flow channels that are not in communication with the second reactant flow channels of the second flow field layer.