Patent ID: 7361425

Claim:
A fuel cell having an anode electrode, a cathode electrode and a membrane electrolyte sandwiched by the anode and cathode electrodes, and producing an electromotive force between the two electrodes by electrochemical reactions between a gaseous oxidant supplied to the cathode and a fuel gas supplied to an anode, the fuel cell comprising: two separators each comprising a flat plate-shaped porous body, the two separators being disposed to sandwich the two electrodes, the two separators being water permeable; a first current collector disposed between the anode electrode and one separator, the first current collector and said one separator forming a first gas channel allowing flow of the fuel gas; a second current collector disposed between the cathode electrode and the other separator, the second current collector and the other separator forming a second gas channel allowing flow of the gaseous oxidant; and a manifold connected to one gas channel, the manifold distributing one of the fuel gas and the gaseous oxidant to said one gas channel, wherein the manifold is provided on the outside of the current collectors and the separators, and wherein at least one of an inlet and an outlet for said one gas channel is formed by a method comprising: forming a slit corresponding to said one gas channel on an inner section of a flat plate which comprises the current collector for forming said one gas channel and which has a larger surface area than the separator for forming said one gas channel; fixing the flat plate to the separator for forming said one gas channel; and cutting off a section of the flat plate which is positioned on an end of the slit and which is not covered by the separator for forming said one gas channel.