This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a metal-supported
tubular micro-solid oxide fuel cell, and a fuel cell made from such
method. The method comprises the steps of coating a wooden substrate
member with a conductive substrate layer, coating the substrate layer
with an inner electrode layer, coating the inner electrode layer with an
electrolyte layer, drying and sintering the coated substrate member such
that the substrate member combusts, coating the electrolyte layer with an
outer electrode layer, and then drying and sintering the layers. The
invention further relates to a method of manufacturing a tubular solid
oxide fuel cell assembly comprising: a) coating a tubular substantially
metallic support layer with a ceramic or cermet inner electrode layer, b)
coating the inner electrode layer with a ceramic electrolyte layer; c)
coating the electrolyte layer with a ceramic or cermet outer electrode
layer, then d) sintering the layers to produce a hollow tubular
metal-supported fuel cell; the electrode and electrolyte layers having a
collective wall thickness of 80 .mu.m or less, the support layer having
sufficient mechanical strength to support the electrode and electrolyte
layers and sufficient porosity to flow a reactant therethrough.