The cooperative effect of electromigration and non-equilibrium vacancies on reactive phase growth

Abstract

Phase formation under a direct current was analysed for a binary system with non-equilibrium vacancy distribution. It was shown that the non-equilibrium vacancy distribution diminishes the effect of electromigration on the phase formation process: if the electric current augments the phase growth, the resulting vacancy concentration gradient delays it; if the current opposes phase growth, the vacancy concentration gradient maintains it. A comparative analysis is presented involving the results obtained within Gösele and Tu theory (taking into consideration the finiteness of the reaction rate at interfaces).

Keywords:

• reaction diffusion
• electromigration
• non-equilibrium vacancies
• phase growth kinetics
• binary system

Acknowledgements

This work was performed with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and partial support of the State Foundation of Fundamental Research of Ukraine (grant Ф25.4/162).