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Thin films

Advances in Carbon-Based Thin Films for Hydrogen Energy Systems

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Researchers at Taiyuan University of Science & Technology in Taiyuan, People's Republic of China, have made significant progress in improving the corrosion resistance of bipolar plates in proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) by developing amorphous carbon (a-C) films using magnetron sputtering. The study, funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), employed a Taguchi design to systematically examine and optimize the effects of working pressure, sputtering power, substrate bias, and deposition time on film properties. The team's findings have important implications for the development of hydrogen energy applications.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study employed magnetron sputtering to fabricate amorphous carbon films on SS316L substrates, aiming to improve the corrosion resistance of bipolar plates in PEMFCs.
  • The researchers used a Taguchi design to examine the effects of working pressure, sputtering power, substrate bias, and deposition time on film properties, and identified optimal conditions for fabricating dense and uniform films.
  • The optimal conditions were found to be 1.5 Pa pressure, 150 W radio frequency (RF) power, -250 V bias voltage, and 60 min deposition time, resulting in films with a corrosion current density of 1.61 x 10-6 A cm-2 and a contact angle of 106.36 degrees.
  • The study enriched the theoretical understanding of a-C film process optimization and provided a practical approach for modifying fuel cell bipolar plates to support hydrogen energy applications.
  • The work was conducted by a team of researchers led by Cunlong Zhou and including Xiaoxing Yang, Zhengyi Jiang, Jingwei Zhao, Tianxiang Wang, and Haojie Duan.

Statistics:

  • Corrosion current density: 1.61 x 10-6 A cm-2
  • Contact angle: 106.36 degrees
  • Radio frequency (RF) power: 150 W
  • Bias voltage: -250 V
  • Deposition time: 60 min
  • Pressure: 1.5 Pa

Sources:

  • "Taguchi Optimization of Corrosion Resistance and Wettability of A-c Films On Ss316l Deposited Via Magnetron Sputtering Technique." Coatings, 2025;15(9).
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)
  • NewsRx. Findings from Taiyuan University of Science & Technology Broaden Understanding of Electronics (Taguchi Optimization of Corrosion Resistance and Wettability of A-c Films On Ss316l Deposited Via Magnetron Sputtering Technique). Electronics Newsweekly. October 21, 2025; p 881.

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