Patent ID: 7531263

Claim:
A flat-panel direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), comprising: an integrated cathode electrode plate comprising a first substrate, a plurality of cathode electrode areas, a plurality of first conductive through holes, wherein each cathode electrode area is electroplated on a front side and back side of the first substrate and has a plurality of apertures therein, wherein each first conductive through hole is disposed outside a cathode electrode area and is electrically connected to the cathode electrode area with a conductive wire; a set of membrane electrode assembly (MEA) units 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 each for accommodating a proton exchange membrane, and a plurality of second conductive through holes that are aligned with the first conductive through holes; an integrated anode electrode plate comprising a second substrate, a plurality of anode electrode areas corresponding to the plurality of cathode electrode areas, a plurality of third conductive through holes corresponding to the first conductive through holes, and a plurality of conductive pads corresponding to the plurality of first conductive through holes; and a fuel container; wherein the plurality of the cathode electrode areas of the integrated cathode electrode plate and the plurality of the anode electrode areas of the integrated anode electrode plate are covered by a conductive protection layer, wherein the conductive protection layer is carbon ink.