Point defects- homogenous

Point defects, static disorder, and thermally induced displacements lead to an increase of the background intensity between the spots. Depending on the correlation between the scatters, the background is either homogeneous (no correlation) or... 

Point defects were mentioned in a prior chapter. We now need to determine how they aiffect the structure auid chemical reactivity of the solid state. We will begin by identifying the various defects which can arise in solids and later will show how they can be manipulated to obtain desirable properties not found in naturally formed solids. Since we have already defined solids as either homogeneous and heterogeneous, let us look first at the homogeneous t5 e of solid. We will first restrict our discussion to solids which are stoichiometric, and later will examine solids which can be classified as "non-stoichiometric", or having an excess of one or another of one of the building blocks of the solid. These occur in semi-conductors as well as other types of electronically or optically active solids. 

Types of Point Defects Expected in a Homogeneous Solid... 

Now, suppose that we have a solid solution of two (2) elemental solids. Would the point defects be the same, or not An easy way to visualize such point defects is shown in the following diagram, given as 3.1.3. on the next page. It is well to note here that homogeneous lattices usually involve metals or solid solutions of metals (alloys) in contrast to heterogeneous lattices which involve compounds such as ZnS. 

On the right are the t5rpes of point defects that could occur for the same sized atoms in the lattice. That is, given an array of atoms in a three dimensional lattice, only these two types of lattice point defects could occur where the size of the atoms are the same. The term vacancy is self-explanatory but self-interstitial means that one atom has slipped into a space between the rows of atoms (ions). In a lattice where the atoms are all of the same size, such behavior is energetically very difficult unless a severe disruption of the lattice occurs (usually a "line-defect" results. This behavior is quite common in certain types of homogeneous solids. In a like manner, if the metal-atom were to have become misplaced in the lattice cuid were to have occupied one of the interstitial... 

Identify the fypes of point defects likely to appear in a homogeneous solid. Contrast those to the typical defects which may appear in a heterogeneous solid. 

At temperatures of the order 700 - 900 K the surface point defects play the dominant role in controlling the various eledrophysical parameters of adsorbent on the content of ambient medium [32]. As it has been mentioned in section 1.6, these defects are being formed in the temperature domain in which the respective concentration of volume defects is very small. In fact, cooling an adsorbent down to room temperature results violation of uniform distribution due to redistribution of defects. The availability of non-homogeneous defect distribution led to creation of a new model of depleted surface layer based on the phenomenon of oxidation of surface defects [182] which is an alternative to existing model of the Shottky barrier [183]. 

Two reasons are responsible, for the greater complexity of chemical reactions 1) atomic particles change their chemical identity during reaction and 2) rate laws are nonlinear in most cases. Can the kinetic concepts of fluids be used for the kinetics of chemical processes in solids Instead of dealing with the kinetic gas theory, we have to deal with point, defect thermodynamics and point defect motion. Transport theory has to be introduced in an analogous way as in fluid systems, but adapted to the restrictions of the crystalline state. The same is true for (homogeneous) chemical reactions in the solid state. Processes across interfaces are of great... 

Defect thermodynamics is more complicated when applied to binary (or multi-component) compound crystals. For binary systems, there is one more independent thermodynamic variable to control. In the case of extended binary solid solutions, one would normally choose a composition variable for this purpose. For compounds with very narrow ranges of homogeneity (i.e., point defect concentrations), however, the composition is obviously not a convenient variable. The more natural choice is the chemical potential of one of the two components of the compound crystal. In practice one will often use the vapor pressure ( activity) of this component. 

We have discussed point defects in elements (A) and in nearly stoichiometric compounds having narrow ranges of homogeneity. Let us extend this discussion to the point defect thermodynamics of alloys and nonmetallic solid solutions. This topic is of particular interest in view of the kinetics of transport processes in those solid solutions which predominate in metallurgy and ceramics. Diffusion processes are governed by the concentrations and mobilities of point defects and, although in inhomogeneous crystals the components may not be in equilibrium, point defects are normally very close to local equilibrium. 

Transport plays the overwhelming role in solid state kinetics. Nevertheless, homogeneous reactions occur as well and they are indispensable to establishing point defect equilibria. Defect relaxation in the (p-n) junction, as discussed in the previous section, illustrates this point, and similar defect relaxation processes occur, for example, in diffusion zones during interdiffusion [G. Kutsche, H. Schmalzried (1990)]. 

In Section 4.7, we discussed the relaxation process of SE s in a closed system where the number of lattice sites is conserved (see Eqn. (4.137)). A set of coupled differential equations was established, the kinetic parameters (v(x,iq,x )) of which describe the rate at which particles (iq) change from sublattice x to x. We will discuss rate parameters in closed systems in Section 5.3.3 where we deal with diffusion controlled homogeneous point defect reactions, a type of reaction which is well known in chemical kinetics. 

Let us refer to Figure 5-7 and start with a homogeneous sample of a transition-metal oxide, the state of which is defined by T,P, and the oxygen partial pressure p0. At time t = 0, one (or more) of these intensive state variables is changed instantaneously. We assume that the subsequent equilibration process is controlled by the transport of point defects (cation vacancies and compensating electron holes) and not by chemical reactions at the surface. Thus, the new equilibrium state corresponding to the changed variables is immediately established at the surface, where it remains constant in time. We therefore have to solve a fixed boundary diffusion problem. 

By a change of temperature or pressure, it is often possible to cross the phase limits of a homogeneous crystal. It supersaturates with respect to one or several of its components, and the supersaturated components eventually precipitate. This is an additive reaction. It occurs either externally at the surfaces, or in the crystal bulk by nucleation and growth. Reactions of this kind from initially homogeneous and supersaturated solid solutions will be discussed in Chapter 12 on phase transformations. Internal reactions in the sense of the present chapter occur after crystal A has been brought into contact with reactant B, and the product AB forms isothermally in the interior of A or B. Point defect fluxes are responsible for the matter transport during internal reactions, and local equilibrium is often established throughout. 

We conclude that a crystal which is continuously irradiated with particles of sufficient kinetic energy and in which no further reactions (e.g., phase formations) take place becomes more and more supersaturated with point defects. Recombination starts if the defects can move fast enough by thermal activation. A steady state is reached when the rates of defect production and annihilation (by recombination) are equal. In the homogeneous crystal, the change in local defect concentration (cd) over time is given by (see Section 5.3.3)... 

This chapter is concerned with the influence of mechanical stress upon the chemical processes in solids. The most important properties to consider are elasticity and plasticity. We wish, for example, to understand how reaction kinetics and transport in crystalline systems respond to homogeneous or inhomogeneous elastic and plastic deformations [A.P. Chupakhin, et al. (1987)]. An example of such a process influenced by stress is the photoisomerization of a [Co(NH3)5N02]C12 crystal set under a (uniaxial) chemical load [E.V. Boldyreva, A. A. Sidelnikov (1987)]. The kinetics of the isomerization of the N02 group is noticeably different when the crystal is not stressed. An example of the influence of an inhomogeneous stress field on transport is the redistribution of solute atoms or point defects around dislocations created by plastic deformation. 

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