By step fluctuation experiments of V(011) thin films grown onto (11▪0) α-Al2O3, using low-energy electron microscopy, the coefficient of surface mass diffusion, Ds, was determined at 1170 to 1560K (centered on 0.6Tm), with a melting point of 2183K for V. As was common with annealed V, Nb and Ta in UHV, sub-monolayer coverages of O were present on the otherwise clean and well-defined surface. The relationship,

D (cm2/s) = 8 x 10-1 exp[-1.43(eV)/kT]

was found for this temperature interval.

M.Ondrejcek, M.Rajappan, W.Swiech, C.P.Flynn: Journal of Applied Physics, 2006, 100[8], 083523