The oxygen transport was investigated for modelled interface of striped metal electrode on a solid oxide electrolyte by oxygen tracer exchange and three dimensional imaging techniques by using a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). The gold or platinum electrode on yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte were stable, and acted as a blocking layer of 180 diffusion during the treatments in dry atmosphere at T = 873 K in p(O-18(2)) = 7 kPa. The oxygen flow via triple phase boundary was clearly observed for both electrodes. The treatment in humid atmosphere (T = 773 K, P(O-18(2)) = 7 kPa, p((H2O)-O-18) = 2 kPa) raised the flux of oxygen diffusion through YSZ surface, however, it did not affect on the role of electrode on the oxygen transport properties. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.