title: A novel design and micro-fabrication for copper (Cu) electroforming bipolar plates.
abstract: A novel design and micro-fabrication were developed for micro-proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack bipolar plates with cross section of 5c m2 and thickness of about 650 microm. Copper metals were used to make bipolar plates (BPs) by using a LIGA-like micro-fabrication process of deep UV lithography in order to obtain SU-8 resist patterns/and SU-8 mould. Through two-sided exposure and development, copper metal bipolar plates with serpentine (meandering) flow field configurations for a micro PEM fuel cell stack, were fabricated and performance tests through polarization characteristics were conducted; this made it possible for the first time to consider copper sheets as suitable for BPs in micro PEM fuel cell stacks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan, ROC. sshsieh@mail.nsysu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Shou-Shing
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Ching-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chih-Lun
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Feng