Surface diffusion of metals ‐ a comparison of intrinsic and mass transfer measurements

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Abstract
Diffusion of material across solid surfaces was recognized as an identifiable process as early as 1918 by Hamburger.1 These first rather qualitative observations were followed by the classical crystal growth experiments of Volmer and Estermann2 in 1921, in which surface self-diffusion of mercury during the growth of thin mercury platelets from the vapor phase was postulated in order to account for the observed growth kinetics. These early experiments are fascinating from the point of view skill and intuitive elegance in interpretation, which pointed to the right direction for many decades to follow. A large variety of experiments3 have been carried out since those days, supemented by substantial theoretical work, particdarly by Lennard-Jones4,5 and his scholars. became evident that the process of surface diffusion on crystalline solids is a very complex one, and that it is extremely difficult to derive a unique formalism for its understanding.