Materials Science

and
Engineering I

Chapter 5
 Outline of Chapter 5
Rate processes in Solids
Atomic diffusion in solids
 Diffusion mechanisms
-Vacancy or Substitutional Diffusion Mechanism
-Interstitial Diffusion Mechanism
Steady-state Diffusion
-Fick’s first law of diffusion
Non-Steady-state Diffusion
-Fick’s second law of diffusion
Factors affect diffusion
Industrial application of diffusion processes
-Case hardening of steel by gas carburizing
-Impurity diffusion into silicon wafers for integrated circuits
Effect of temperature on diffusion in solids
2
 Point Defects
• Vacancies:
-vacant atomic sites in a structure.

Vacancy
distortion
of planes

• Self-Interstitials:
-"extra" atoms positioned between atomic sites.
self-
interstitial
distortion
of planes

3
 Rate Process in Solids
 Reactions occur in solid state resulting in more stable
atomic arrangement.
 Reacting atoms must have sufficient energy to overcome
activation energy barrier.
 At a given temperature, not all atoms have activation
energy E*. It should be supplied to them.

E*
Er = Energy of reactants
ΔE*
E* = Activation Energy Level
Activation Energy
ΔE* = Activation Energy
Er
Reactants Energy released Ep = Energy of Products

Due to reaction
EP
Products
Reaction Coordinate
Figure 4.33
 Rate Process in Solids (Cont..)


 ( E* E ) / KT
e
K = Boltzman’s Constant = 1.38 x 10-23 J/(atom.K).

T = Temperature in Kelvin.
 Rate Process in Solids (Cont..)
 The fraction of atoms having energies greater than E* in a
system (when E* is greater than average energy E) is given
by
 E*
n
 Ce K .T
N total

n = Number of molecules greater than energy E*

Ntotal = Total number of molecules
K = Boltzman’s Constant
C = Constant
T = Temperature in Kelvin.
 Rate Process in Solids (Cont..)
 The number of vacancies at equilibrium at a particular
temperature in a metallic crystal lattice is given by

 EV
nv
 Ce KT
N
nv = Number of vacancies per m3 of metal
Ev = Activation Energy to form a vacancy
T = Absolute Temperature.
K = Boltznam,s Constant.
C = Constant
 Arrhenius Equation
 The rate of chemical reaction is given by Arrhenius
equation.
Rate of reaction = Ce-Q/RT

Q = Activation energy J/mol

R = Molar gas constant J/mol.K
T = Temperature in Kelvin
C = Rate constant ( Independent of temperature)

 Rate of reaction depends upon number of reacting

molecules.
9
 Solidification of Metals
 Arrhenius equation can also be written as
ln (rate) = ln ( C) – Q/RT
Or Log10 (rate) = Log10 (C) – Q/2.303 RT

Which is similar to
Y = b + m X
Which is equation of a straight line
With Y intercept as ‘b’ and slope ‘m’.

Y Log10(rate)
X (1/T)
b Log10(C)
m Q/2.303R
Figure 4.34 Arrhenius plot
(After J. Wulff et al., “Structure and Properties of Materials,” vol. II: “Thermodynamics of Structure,” Wiley, 1964, p.64.)
 What is diffusion?
Diffusion is material transport by atomic motion

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.
11
 Atomic Diffusion in Solids
Diffusion is a process by which a matter is
transported through another matter.
 Examples:
 Movement of smoke particles in air :
Very fast.
 Movement of dye in water : Relatively

slow.
 Solid state reactions : Very restricted

movement due to bonding.

5-2
 Vacancy diffusion

To jump from lattice site to lattice site, atoms need energy to break
bonds with neighbors, and to cause the necessary lattice distortions
during jump. This energy comes from the thermal energy of atomic
vibrations (Eav ~ kT)
Materials flow (the atom) is opposite the vacancy flow direction.
Diffusion Mechanisms
13
(I) Atom migration Vacancy migration
 Vacancy or Substitutional Diffusion mechanism
 Atoms diffuse in solids if
 Vacancies or other crystal defects are present
 There is enough activation energy

 Atoms move into the vacancies present.

 More vacancies are created at higher temperature.
 Diffusion rate is higher at high temperatures.

5-3
 Substitutional Diffusion
 Example: If atom ‘A’ has sufficient
activation energy, it moves into the
vacancy self diffusion.

Activation Activation Activation

= Energy to + Energy to
Energy of
Self diffusion form a move a
Vacancy vacancy

 As the melting point increases, activation

energy also increases Figure 4.35

5-4
 Interstitial Diffusion mechanism
 Atoms move from one
interstitial site to another.
 The atoms that move must
be much smaller than the
matrix atom.
 Example:
Carbon interstitially
diffuses into BCC α or FCC Interstitial atoms
γ iron. Matrix
atoms
5-5 Figure 4.37
 Steady State Diffusion
 There is no change in concentration of solute atoms at
different planes in a system, over a period of time.
 No chemical reaction occurs. Only net flow of atoms.

Solute atom flow

C1
Concentration
Of diffusing C2
atoms

Distance x
Net flow of atoms
Per unit area per
Diffusing Unit
Unit time = J
atoms Area

Figure 4.38
5-6
 Fick’s first Law of diffusion
 The flux or flow of atoms is given by
J = Flux or net flow of atoms.
dc
J  D D = Diffusion coefficient.
dc= Concentration Gradient.
dx
dx the net flow of atoms by
 For steady state diffusion condition,
atomic diffusion is equal to diffusion D times the diffusion
gradient dc/dx .
 Example: Diffusivity of FCC iron at 500oC is 5 x 10-15 m2/S
and at 1000oC is 3 x 10-11 m2/S

5-7
 Diffusivity
 Diffusivity depends upon
 Type of diffusion : Whether the diffusion is

interstitial or substitutional.
 Temperature: As the temperature increases

diffusivity increases.
 Type of crystal structure: BCC crystal has lower

APF than FCC and hence has higher diffusivity.

 Type of crystal imperfection: More open

structures (grain boundaries) increases diffusion.

 The concentration of diffusing species: Higher

concentrations of diffusing solute atoms will affect

diffusivity.

5-8
 Non-Steady State Diffusion
 Concentration of solute atoms at any point in metal changes with time
in this case.
 Fick’s second law:- Rate of compositional change is equal to diffusivity
times the rate of change of concentration gradient.

dC x d  dc x 
  D  Plane 1 Plane 2
dt dx  dx 

Change of concentration of solute

Atoms with change in time in different plane
 Fick’s second law

(J2-J1)/(X2-X1)=(C2-C1)/(t2-t1)
=>(J2-J1)/ΔX=(C2-C1)/Δt
=>dJ/dx=dC/dt
=>d(DdC/dx)=dC/dt

dC/dt :Rate of compositional change

d(DdC/dx): rate of change of concentration gradient

21
 Fick’s Second Law – Solution
Cs  C x  x  Cs
 erf   Time = t2
C s  C0 2 D 
 t  Cx Time= t1

 Cs = Surface concentration of Time = t0

element in gas diffusing C0
into the surface.
 C0 = Initial uniform concentration
x Distance x
of element in solid.
 Cx = Concentration of element at
distance x from surface at
time t2.
 x = distance from surface
 D = diffusivity of solute
 t = time.

5-10
Cs
Time = t2
Time= t1
Cx

Time = t0
C0

x Distance x

23
 Industrial Applications of Diffusion – Case Hardening

 Sliding and rotating parts needs to have hard surfaces.

 These parts are usually machined with low carbon steel

as they are easy to machine.

 Their surface is then hardened by carburizing.

 Steel parts are placed at elevated temperature (9270C)

in an atmosphere of hydrocarbon gas (CH4).

 Carbon diffuses into iron surface and fills interstitial

space to make it harder.

5-11
25
26
27
 Carburizing

C%

Low carbon Diffusing carbon

Steel part atoms

Carbon Gradients
In Carburized metals
 Impurity Diffusion into Silicon wafer
 Impurities are made to diffuse into silicon wafer to change its
electrical characteristics.
 Used in integrated circuits.
 Silicon wafer is exposed to vapor of impurity at 11000C in a
quartz tube furnace.
 The concentration of
impurity at any point
depends on depth and
time of exposure.

Figure 4.44

5-13 (After W.R. Runyan, “ Silicon Semiconductor Technology,” McGraw-Hill, 1965.)

 Effect of Temperature on Diffusion
 Dependence of rate of diffusion on temperature is given by
D = Diffusivity m2/S
Q D0 = Proportionality constant m2/S
D  D0 e RT Q = Activation energy of diffusing
species J/mol
Q
or ln D  ln D0  R = Molar gas constant = 8.314 J/mol.K
RT T = Temperature (K)
Q
or log10 D  log10 D0 
2.303RT

5-14
 Effect of Temperature on Diffusion-Example
 If diffusivity at two temperatures are determined, two
equations can be solved for Q and D0
 Example:-
The diffusivity of silver atoms in silver is 1 x 10-17 at 5000C
and 7 x 10-13 at 10000C.
Therefore, D exp( Q / RT )   Q  1 1 
  exp    
1000 2

exp( Q / RT1 ) 
D500  R  T2 T1  
7  10 13  Q 1 1 
 exp     

1  10 17  R  1273 773  
Solving for activation energy Q
Q  183KJ / mol

5-15
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