Interdiffusion (table 95) in the bulk of the alloy at 293 to 435K was observed by means of the movement of a thin (approximately 1nm thick) Au overlayer into the alloy during annealing. The measured activation energy of 0.74eV was attributed to the migration of mono- and di-vacancies which occurred predominantly in the grain boundaries. The lateral movement of an approximately 0.6nm-thick Au overlayer in a mechanically polished surface furnished data on surface diffusion at about 330K. It was found that the

diffusion coefficients exceeded 10-27m2/s and that the activation energies were 40 to 100kJ/mol for low-temperature diffusion in the bulk of most polycrystalline materials.

G.Hultquist: Journal of Materials Science, 1986, 21[9], 3253-8

Table 95

Interdiffusion in the Cu-Au System

 

Temperature (K)

Grain Size (mm)

D (m2/s)

293

0.20

1.2 x 10-25

309

0.20

8.0 x 10-25

325

0.20

3.0 x 10-20

335

0.20

6.8 x 10-24

373

0.20

4.7 x 10-23

435

0.20

2.6 x 10-21

325

0.30

7.5 x 10-25

383

0.30

3.6 x 10-23

325

0.03

1.0 x 10-23

383

0.03

4.6 x 10-22