Novel aerosol-assisted chemical vapor deposition (AACVD) techniques have been developed at the author's laboratory in the last decade, to prepare ceramic thin films mainly used as electrolyte and electrode materials for intermediate temperature and micro solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC). Four types AACVD including spray-aerosol-assisted metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (AAMOCVD), cold wall-AAMOCVD, microwave plasma-AACVD and combustion-AACVD have been designed and employed to prepare Y2O3-stabilized ZrO2, Y2O3-doped CeO2, Gd2O3-doped CeO2, and La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 thin films on various ceramic substrates. The metal beta-diketonate chelates were chosen as the source materials for AAMOCVD. The structure, composition, morphology and electrical properties of these films were characterized. Thin film SOFC was also constructed and tested. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.