The effect of current-collector structure on the performance of a passive micro direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) is reported. The system consists mainly of a membrane electrode assembly, two current-collectors, two gaskets and two end-plates. It does not include any pump and the delivery of fuel and air is realized completely by natural convection and diffusion, which significantly decreases the complexity and lowers the cost of the micro DMFC. The performance of the micro DMFC with different current-collectors is tested and compared. The results indicate that the exposure ratio of the anode current-collector should be higher than that of the cathode counterpart to ensure good fuel delivery at the anode and to minimize the contact resistance at the cathode. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.