Thin Film Coating

Using
Ultrasonic Spray Nozzles
Manoj D. Bhataria
(mBhataria@ParticleScience.biz)
Inventys Research Company Pvt. Ltd.
Particle Science
503-504, Keshava, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai 400051

AOFC 2015
CGCRI, Kolkata

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Outline of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Outline of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Outline of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Applications
PEM Fuel Cell
Coating Methods
FC Coating Comparison

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Outline of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Applications
PEM Fuel Cell
Coating Methods
FC Coating Comparison

Conclusion
Advantages of Ultrasonic Spray
References
Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is a Thin Film?

PC Magazine Encyclopedia
A thin film is a microscopically thin layer of material that is deposited onto
a metal, ceramic, semiconductor or plastic base.

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What is a Thin Film?

PC Magazine Encyclopedia
A thin film is a microscopically thin layer of material that is deposited onto
a metal, ceramic, semiconductor or plastic base.

Wikipedia
A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer
(mono-layer) to several micrometers in thickness.

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is a Thin Film?

PC Magazine Encyclopedia
A thin film is a microscopically thin layer of material that is deposited onto
a metal, ceramic, semiconductor or plastic base.

Wikipedia
A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer
(mono-layer) to several micrometers in thickness.

Smith
Thin film technology involves deposition of individual molecules or atoms,
whereas thick film technology involves deposition of particles.

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What is Thin?

Foll
A film is thin if its thickness is in some order of magnitude smaller than
some intrinsic length scale of the system we are considering.

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What is Thin?

Foll
A film is thin if its thickness is in some order of magnitude smaller than
some intrinsic length scale of the system we are considering.

Example
For a flat surface of the dimension dx dy and a layer of dz on it.
The layer would be classified as thin, if

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is Thin?

Foll
A film is thin if its thickness is in some order of magnitude smaller than
some intrinsic length scale of the system we are considering.

Example
For a flat surface of the dimension dx dy and a layer of dz on it.
The layer would be classified as thin, if
dz  dx , dy .

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What is a Film?

Foll
A film should be solid

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What is a Film?

Foll
A film should be solid
Adherance to the substrate

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What is a Film?

Foll
A film should be solid
Adherance to the substrate
Uniformity over the substrate (thickness)

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What is a Film?

Foll
A film should be solid
Adherance to the substrate
Uniformity over the substrate (thickness)
Homogenity of the coating (composition)

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Deposition Techniques
Chemical
Plating
I

Dip Coating, Electroplating, etc

Chemical Solution Deposition

I

Sol-Gels, etc

Chemical Vapour Deposition

I

MOCVD, PECVD, ALD, etc

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Deposition Techniques
Chemical
Plating
I

Dip Coating, Electroplating, etc

Chemical Solution Deposition

I

Sol-Gels, etc

Chemical Vapour Deposition

I

MOCVD, PECVD, ALD, etc

Physical
Spray Deposition
I

Ultrasonic nozzle, Electrospray, etc

Physical Vapour Deposition

I

Evaporative
MBE, etc
Sputtering
PLD, Arc-PVD, etc

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Progress of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Applications
PEM Fuel Cell
Coating Methods
FC Coating Comparison

Conclusion
Advantages of Ultrasonic Spray
References
Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Figure: A Typical Ultrasonic Bath1

Sono-tek Corp., USA

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Making the Wave

1

When liquid is added to a resonating nozzle,

waves are formed on the atomizing surface

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Making the Wave

1

When liquid is added to a resonating nozzle,

waves are formed on the atomizing surface

Increasing the power causes the wave peaks to

get so high that droplets fall off the tips of the
wave.

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Making the Wave

1

When liquid is added to a resonating nozzle,

waves are formed on the atomizing surface

Increasing the power causes the wave peaks to

get so high that droplets fall off the tips of the
wave.

These droplets have a mathematically definable

size.

Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Making the Wave

1

When liquid is added to a resonating nozzle,

waves are formed on the atomizing surface

Increasing the power causes the wave peaks to

get so high that droplets fall off the tips of the
wave.

These droplets have a mathematically definable

size.

Notice also that less of the atomizing surface is

used (for a given flow rate).

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What is Ultrasonic Atomisation?

Figure: Close-ups of a Crest2

Sono-tek Corp., USA

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Some Maths
Wavelength of Capillary Waves
C =

8s
f 2

1/3

where, C = wavelength of the capillary wave,

s = surface tension of the liquid,
= density of the liquid and
f = frequency of the vibration.

Number Mean Drop Diameter

dN,0.5 = 0.34

8s
f 2

1/3

where, dN,0.5 = that diameter, in a sample of N

drops, for which half of the drops are smaller than,
and the other half larger than dN,0.5
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An Ultrasonic Nozzle

Figure: Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Sono-tek Corp., USA

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Progress of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Applications
PEM Fuel Cell
Coating Methods
FC Coating Comparison

Conclusion
Advantages of Ultrasonic Spray
References
Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Components of a PEM Fuel Cell

Figure: Components of a PEM fuel cell

Coated Components of a PEM Fuel Cell

Membrane
Gas Diffusion Layer
Bipolar Plate
4

E. G. & G. Technical Services, Inc., Fuel Cell Handbook, Department of Energy, USA, 2004.

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Coating Methods

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Coating Methods

Figure: Area Fill

Figure: Inward Spiral

Ultrasonic Coating Methods

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Comparison of Coatings

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Comparison of Coatings

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Comparison of Coatings

Pt. Loading
0.40 mg /cm2
0.15 mg /cm2
0.05 mg /cm2

Peak
Hand Painted
1.7 W /mg
3.5 W /mg
9.8 W /mg

Power
Ultrasonic Spray
1.7 W /mg
4.5 W /mg
10.9 W /mg

Peak Power Comparison5

(Hand Painted and Ultrasonic Spray Coated GDEs)

5
Millington, B., et al, A novel method for preparing proton exchange membrane fuel cell electrodes by the
ultrasonic-spray technique, Journal of Power Sources, 196, 8500-8508, 2011.
Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Progress of this Presentation

1

What is a Thin Film?

Some definitions of Thin Films
Deposition Techniques

Ultrasonic Atomisation
Ultrasonic and Liquids
Operation of an Ultrasonic Nozzle
Construction of an Ultrasonic Nozzle

Applications
PEM Fuel Cell
Coating Methods
FC Coating Comparison

Conclusion
Advantages of Ultrasonic Spray
References
Manoj D. Bhataria (Inventys)

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Advantages of Ultrasonic Spray Nozzles

Ultrasonic nozzles are proven with all common coating materials

Waste reduction from 20% 75%
Controllable droplet size
Excellent repeatability
Ultrasonic nozzle are non-clogging
Scalability from R&D to high volume production lines
Deagglomeration of catalysts increases active surface area, resulting
in reduction of expensive platinum use
Excellent stiction (high durability of coatings)

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References
1

Sono-tek Inc, http://www.sono-tek.com

Berger, H., Ultrasonic Liquid Atomisation : Theory and applications,

PHP, Hyde Park, NY, 1998.

E. G. & G. Technical Services, Inc., Fuel Cell Handbook, Department

of Energy, USA, 2004.

Senthil Kumar, A., Development of a Novel Light Weight Bipolar

Plate System for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells, M.Tech. Thesis,
Dept. of Energy Science & Engineering, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, 2009.

Hoffman, C. J. and Walczyk, D. F., Development of a PEM Fuel Cell

Electrode Coating Testbed, Proceedings of the ASME 2010 Eighth
International Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology
Conference, FuelCell2010, Brooklyn, New York, 2010.

Millington, B., et al, A novel method for preparing proton exchange

membrane fuel cell electrodes by the ultrasonic-spray technique,
Journal of Power Sources, 196, 8500-8508, 2011.

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