A plasma spray method for the manufacture of an ion conducting membrane, in particular of a hydrogen ion conducting membrane or of an oxygen ion conducting membrane. In the method, the membrane is deposited as a layer on a substrate in a process chamber, wherein a starting material is sprayed onto a surface of the substrate by means of a process gas in the form of a process beam. The starting material is injected into a plasma at a low process pressure which is at most 10000 Pa and is partially or completely melted there. In accordance with the invention, the substrate has pores which are connected amongst one another so that the substrate is gas permeable and a portion of an overall pore area of an overall area of the coating surface amounts to at least 30% or, in a particular embodiment, to at least 40%.