Diffusion Mechanism

What is Diffusion
• Diffusion is mass transport process through material by atomic motion.
• Mass transport in gases and liquids occurs through combination of convection and diffusion.
• In Solid mas transfer occurs through only Diffusion and hence solid diffusion is relatively slower
than liquid-state diffusion.
• During Diffusion molecule moves from an higher concentration area to a lower concentration area.
 Diffusion Continue

• Inhomogeneous materials can become

homogeneous by diffusion. For an active diffusion
to occur, the temperature should be high enough
to overcome energy barriers to atomic motion.

• Application of Diffusion
 Heat treatment of Metal
 Manufacturing of ceramics
 Manufacturing of transistor
 Manufacturing of solar cell
 Diffusion Mechanism

• Atoms in solid are in constant motion rapidly change their position.

• Diffusion is the stepwise migration of atoms from one lattice site to other lattice site.
• Atoms need activation energy to jump from one lattice sit to other lattice site.
• This activation energy come from the thermal energy of atomic vibration. (Eav ~ kBT)
• For diffusion atoms need jump. The probability of the frequency of this jump is Rf =R0 exp ( Eav /
kBT). R0 = the attempt frequency , proportional to the frequency of atomic vibration.
Activation energy and diffusion

• A higher energy is required to squeeze atoms past each

other during diffusion, which is known as the
activation energy.
• The higher the activation energy, the harder it is for
diffusion to occur.
• In general more energy is required for a substitutional
atom Qv, than for an interstitial atom Qf .
•
 Diffusion Condition and types

• Two condition for diffused atomic movement

 Must need an empty adjacent site
 Atom must have sufficient energy to break neighboring atomic bond

• In solid diffusion proceed in two ways.

 Vacancy diffusion
 Interstitial diffusion
 Diffusion Mechanism (l)

Vacancy Diffusion
• Involves interchange of an atom between adjacent lattice
position
• Vacancies must needed
• Diffusing atom and vacancies move opposite side
• Diffusion rate depend on
 No of vacancies
 Activation energy to exchange
 Diffusion Mechanism (2)

Interstitial Diffusion

• Migration of atom from interstitial position to

neighboring empty position
• Requires small impurity atoms (e.g. C, H, O) to fit
into interstices in host. \

• Diffusion rate Depends on

 Vacancy concentration
 Jump frequency
 Comparison between two Mechanism

• Generally Interstitial Diffusion is faster than Vacancy diffusion because bonding of interstitials to
the surrounding atom is normally weaker.
• Also there are more interstitial sites than Vacancy sites to jump.
Thank you