THE IMPACT OF MEMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GENERATION OF µDMFC

Today, the general proposed solution for powering portable electronic devices (music, telephones, laptops etc.) seems to be the miniaturization of fuel cells, e.g. DMFC towards the micro direct methanol fuel cell (µDMFC). The future of the µDMFC seems promising due to not only the increasing popularity of portable electronic devices but also environmental issues. Although certain companies and start-ups have already started to produce prototype µDMFCs, there is much research remaining to be done to enhance performances and reduce costs of µDMFCs. However, by using an « all silicon » technology in conjunction with existing MEMS technology it is the conclusion of this repost that micro fuel cells using methanol will no doubt out perform their lithium battery counterparts in the next few years.