Fabrication of micro power source (MPS) using a micro direct methanol fuel cell (/spl mu/DMFC) for the medical application

This paper presents the fabrication and test of a micro power source (MPS) using a micro direct methanol fuel cell (/spl mu/DMFC). Micro power sources are essential for cellular phones, portable electronics and MEMS devices to be miniaturized. The /spl mu/DMFC has a simple structure. The /spl mu/DMFC consists of one proton exchange membrane (PEM) and two silicon substrates with channels. The width and the depth of the micro channel are 250 /spl mu/m and 50 /spl mu/m, respectively. The dimension of one unit of /spl mu/DMFC is 16 mm/spl times/16 mm/spl times/1.2 mm. When fuel (methanol:water=1:1) is supplied to the fabricated cell, the measured output voltage is 100 mV at 25/spl deg/C and the atmospheric pressure.