An attempt was made to predict the diffusion coefficients of impurity atoms by considering the basic properties of the solute atoms, and by performing a multiple regression analysis of diffusion data. The correlation coefficient (R2) for the activation energy of diffusion was equal to 0.71, and that for the frequency factor was equal to 0.27. The position in the periodic table, and the electronegativity of solute atoms, were found to be highly relevant independent variables. The present model was judged to be comparable to Le Claire’s electrostatic model for predicting the activation energies for impurity diffusion in Cu and Ag.

Prediction of Impurity Diffusion Coefficients in Copper and Silver from the Basic Properties of the Solute Atoms. N.Onodera, M.Aono: Journal of the Japan Institute of Metals, 2001, 65[9], 779-82