Patent ID: 7220507

Claim:
A flat-panel direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), comprising: an integrated cathode electrode sheet comprising a first copper clad laminate (CCL) substrate, a plurality of cathode electrode areas, a plurality of first conductive via through holes, wherein each of the cathode electrode areas is electroplated on a front side and backside of the first CCL substrate and has a plurality of first apertures therein, wherein the first conductive via through holes are disposed outside the cathode electrode areas and are electrically connected to respective cathode electrode areas with a conductive wire; wherein surface area of the first apertures within each of the cathode electrode areas is more than 50% of surface area of each of the cathode electrode areas; a membrane electrode assembly (MEA) unit comprising a plurality of proton exchange membranes corresponding to the plurality of cathode electrode areas; an intermediate bonding layer comprising at least one bonding sheet, wherein the intermediate bonding layer comprises a plurality of openings for respectively accommodating the plurality of proton exchange membranes, and a plurality of second conductive via through holes that are aligned with the first conductive via through holes; an integrated anode electrode sheet comprising a second CCL substrate, a plurality of anode electrode areas corresponding to the plurality of the cathode electrode areas, wherein each of the anode electrode areas is electroplated on a front side and backside of the second CCL substrate and has a plurality of second apertures therein, and a plurality of conductive pads are disposed outside the anode electrode areas and corresponding to the second conductive via through holes; wherein surface area of the second apertures within each of the anode electrode areas is more than 50% of surface area of each of the anode electrode areas; and a fuel container mounted on the integrated anode electrode sheet.