Diffusion without vacancies or interstitials: A new concerted exchange mechanism

Abstract

We present a novel concerted exchange mechanism for the diffusion of substitutional atoms in semiconductors that does not involve any defects. For self-diffusion in Si we show that this mechanism is energetically favorable and is able to account for a number of experimental observations. Implication for the diffusion of substitutional dopants is discussed. © 1986 The American Physical Society.