A new combustion spray process has been developed for depositing films and coatings from particles (or particulate materials) suspended in a flammable liquid. The suspension is pumped to an atomizer to produce a mist of the droplets, which is then ignited to create a combustion flame. The solid particles are thermally activated for formation of films and coatings on a substrate inserted into or near the flame. Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) with porous electrodes fabricated by combustion spray show better performance than those prepared by other fabrication processes (such as conventional dry-pressing and firing) especially at low operating temperatures.