Microstructure Observation of Ni/YSZ Boundary by TEM and STEM

Solid oxide fuel cell attracts much attention due to its advantages such as high efficiency and low carbon emission. For a typical Ni/YSZ anode, it is essential to understand the relationship between performance and microstructure of Ni/YSZ interface and Ni/YSZ/pore triple-phase boundary. Herein, the crystallographic orientation relationship between Ni and YSZ in a practical cell was investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning TEM (STEM). The TEM specimen was lifted out from bulk cell in a focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy. It was found that the orientation relationship is much more complicated than that of a specially designed Ni/YSZ sample.