Temperature dependence of the surface diffusion distance of bismuth atoms adsorbed on mica,carbon and silicon monoxide surfaces

The mean distance of surface diffusion of bismuth adatoms on mica, carbon and silicon monoxide surfaces has been determined at different temperatures by measurement of the instantaneous sticking coefficient and the nucleus density.The surface diffusion distance has been found to increase with decreasing temperature in accordance with the formula

$\text{X=}\text{1}\text{2}\text{a}{}_0\text{v}{}_{\mathrm{0d}}\text{v}{}_{\mathrm{0a}}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{exp}\text{E}{}_{\mathrm{a}}\text{? E}{}_{\mathrm{d}}\text{2RT}$

at temperatures above 413, 373 and 383 K for mica, carbon and silicon monoxide respectively. Here X is one-half of the diffusion distance, E_a is the adsorption energy, E_d the activation energy for surface diffusion, a₀ the diffusion jump distance and v_0a and v_0d the vibrational frequencies associated with re-evaporation and with surface diffusion respectively. Below these temperatures it has been found that the temperature dependence of the diffusion distance deviates from the above formula; this can be explained by the presence of residual gas molecules adsorbed on the surfaces.From the temperature dependence of the diffusion distance, the respective values of the pre-exponential term $\text{a}{}_0\text{(}\text{v}{}_{\mathrm{0d}}\text{v}{}_{\mathrm{0a}}\text{)}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}$ and the difference of energies E_a?E_d have been estimated as 7.6 Å and 5.8 kcal mol^?1 for mica, 17 Å and 3.2 kcal mol^?1 for carbon and 58 Å and 1.3 kcal mol^?1 for silicon monoxide.