The amplitude decay of sinusoidal surface profiles on the c-surface of single crystals was measured in air at 1500 to 1700K. The rate of decay was proportional to the -2.75 power of the sinusoidal wavelength (4.3 to 17.6μrn); indicating that volume diffusion was the predominant mass-transport mechanism. The effective volume diffusion coefficient agreed with tracer diffusion data for the Ti ion. The data could be described by:

D(cm2/s) = 6.8 x 10-3exp[-45.7(kcal/mol)/RT]

Hence, the effective volume diffusion coefficient was assumed to be equal to the self-diffusion coefficient of the Ti ion as oxygen ion transport along the surface was enhanced. No anisotropy was observed for transport on this surface.

Determination of Mass Transport Mechanism of Rutile by Sinusoidal Profile Decay Method. Kitazawa, K., Kuriyama, T., Fueki, K., Mukaibo, T.: Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 1977, 60[7-8], 363–6