INEQUALITY OF FLUX OF ATOMS AND OF COUNTER FLUX OF VACANCIES

Present treatments of the vacancy mechanism start with an equation describing the equal but opposite fluxes of atoms and vacancies. The new starting equation would describe unequal fluxes by additionally taking account of appropriate correlation factors. Where f is the correlation factor, this result is obtained analytically and has been corroborated by a computer simulation of tracer diffusion. For steady-state isothermal electromigration in pure metal, the net fluxes are J//1 equals f//1J//v, demonstrating the impeding action of correlation on the diffusion of atomic species.