GROWTH-RATE OF YTTRIA-STABILIZED ZIRCONIA THIN-FILMS FORMED BY ELECTROCHEMICAL VAPOR-DEPOSITION USING NIO AS AN OXYGEN SOURCE - II - EFFECTOF THE POROSITY OF NIO SUBSTRATE

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films were formed at 1000 degree s C by a modified electrochemical vapour-deposition (EVD) using NiO as an oxygen source, and ZrCl4 and YCl3 as metal sources. Growth rate ki netics were examined using NiO pellet substrates with different pore s tructures. The thickness of YSZ film increased linearly with depositio n time, and the growth rate increased with increasing the porosity of the substrate. The pore size as well as the porosity affected the grow th rate. In addition, the observed growth rate was much slower than th e theoretical one assuming that the electrochemical transportation of the charged species across the growing film is rate limiting. From the se results, it was concluded that the rate-determining step is not the bulk electrochemical transport, but the mass transport of dissociated oxygen in the substrate pore.