March 12, 2010
Journal Article

Integrated Experimental and Modeling Study of Ionic Conductivity of Scandia-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Films

Abstract

Scandia-stabilized zirconia films were epitaxially grown on sapphire (0001) substrates by oxygen-plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The cubic phase was found to exist over a wider dopant concentration range than previously observed (4.6-17.6 mol% Sc2O3). The monoclinic phase was observed for dopant concentrations of 1.5 mol% and 22.5 mol %. An increase in the fraction of the monoclinic phase relative to the cubic phase decreased the ionic conductivity. The highest conductivity in the temperature range of 460-900 °C was observed for 9.9 mol % Sc2O3. Atomistic computer simulations show that the observed composition dependence can be related to changes in migration barriers for O2- ion transport with Sc3+ substitution of Zr4+ ions.

Revised: July 25, 2020 | Published: March 12, 2010

Citation

Yu Z., R. Devanathan, W. Jiang, P. Nachimuthu, V. Shutthanandan, L.V. Saraf, and C.M. Wang, et al. 2010. Integrated Experimental and Modeling Study of Ionic Conductivity of Scandia-Stabilized Zirconia Thin Films. Solid State Ionics 181, no. 8-10:367-371. PNNL-SA-68380. doi:10.1016/j.ssi.2010.01.024