The mechanisms of interdiffusion in Cu/Ni thin-film couples were investigated at 573 to 777K by means of in situ measurements of the contact resistance, Auger depth profiling, and transmission electron microscopy. A correlation was established between the contact resistance and Auger concentration profiles. A modified Whipple model, and 2 independent methods which were based upon Auger depth profiling and contact resistance measurements, were used to calculate the grain boundary and intragranular diffusion coefficients, respectively. The estimated grain boundary diffusion data were described by:

D (cm2/s) = 8.2 x 10-1 exp[-1.48(eV)/kT]

The average intragranular diffusion coefficient was given by:

D (cm2/s) = 2.6 x 10-6 exp[-1.38(eV)/kT]

for both methods.

B.C.Johnson, C.L.Bauer, A.G.Jordan: Journal of Applied Physics, 1986, 59[4], 1147-55