Intermediate temperature surface proton conduction on dense YSZ thin films

In this work, the electrical conductivities of sputtered 6 nm and 50 nm thick, dense yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films are measured using impedance spectroscopy in both dry and humidified air at the intermediate temperatures of 300-650 degrees C. While the 50 nm thick films exhibited the same conductivity in both dry and humid air, the conductivity of 6 nm thick films in humidified air was around twice as much as that in dry air at temperatures below 500 degrees C. The conductivity increase for the 6 nm thick film was attributed to surface proton conduction, with a net conductance similar in magnitude to the bulk oxygen ion conductance. Contrary to some literature suggestions, proton conduction is believed to occur along the free surface and not through grain boundaries, since the lateral grain sizes of the 6 nm and 50 nm thick films are comparable. Interestingly, the proton conduction had an activation energy of 1.03 eV, similar to oxygen ion conduction in YSZ.