Researchers make first observation of atoms moving inside bulk materialResearchers at the Departme
Researchers make first observation of atoms moving inside bulk material Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory have obtained the first direct observations of atomic diffusion inside a bulk material. The research, which could be used to give unprecedented insight into the lifespan and properties of new materials, is published in the journal Physical Review Letters. “This is the first time that anyone has directly imaged single dopant atoms moving around inside a material,” said Rohan Mishra of Vanderbilt University who is also a visiting scientist in ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division. Semiconductors, which form the basis of modern electronics, are “doped” by adding a small number of impure atoms to tune their properties for specific applications. The study of the dopant atoms and how they move or “diffuse” inside a host lattice is a fundamental issue in materials research. Traditionally, diffusion of atoms has been studied through indirect macroscopic methods or through theoretical calculations. Diffusion of single atoms has previously been directly observed only on the surface of materials. Read more. -- source link
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