The wet powder spraying (WPS) technique was used for the deposition of dense and thin (Y2O3)(0.08)(ZrO2)(0.92) (YSZ-8) films on an anode substrate being used for fuel cell applications. Both agglomeration of the powder and the presence of organics in the substrate have a significant effect on the quality and densification of the thin electrolyte layer. High-energy ball milling effectively broke up the agglomerates and enhanced the packing density of the green layer. Pre-calcination of the substrate at similar to 1000 degrees C enhanced the match of sintering shrinkage between the electrolyte layer and the substrate and improved the quality of the YSZ-8 thin film significantly. Crack-free dual-layer assembly with a highly densified YSZ-8 film as thin as 10 mu m was successfully fabricated by optimizing the fabrication parameters. The cells with a La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 cathode showed a high open circuit voltage of 1.071 V and a peak power density of 894 mW cm(-2) at 850 degrees C operated with hydrogen fuel. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.