An improved theory for temperature-dependent Arrhenius parameters in mesoscale surface diffusion

Experiments on metals typically show an abrupt change in the Arrhenius behavior of surface self-diffusion at temperatures near 60–75% of the bulk melting point. To explain this phenomenon, we propose based on correlational evidence that the most common mechanism for surface self-diffusion is one in which adatoms dominate low-temperature transport, while surface vacancies dominate at high temperatures. The high-temperature dominance of vacancies results from their substantially higher entropy of diffusion, which is a consequence of the large vibrational displacements of surface atoms relative to the bulk. This phenomenon may also explain the Arrhenius behavior on some non-metal surfaces.