Vacancy annealing kinetics during non-isothermal ageing

Abstract

We showed in a recent analytical and numerical study that the formation of divacancies during constant-heating-rate annealing (following a down-quench) should lead to an observable minimum in the electrical resistance. The minimum is related to the divacancy binding energy and should permit it to be directly measured.

In the present paper we discuss the modifications brought about by the existence of vacancy sinks which cause the decay of the vacancy supersatura-tion. We enquire how such decay can affect the above-mentioned minimum and make a concurrent study of the effective migration energy of the defects during the decay process itself.