Low-temperature diffusion in energy and semiconductor materials: A brief review

A key physical mechanism that is important when considering energy or semiconductor materials is diffusion. High diffusivity can limit the applicability of semiconductor materials in functional nanoelectronic devices, whereas it is a prerequisite for energy materials used in batteries and solid oxide fuel cells. Typically, diffusion is thermally activated and governed by Arrhenius behavior. In only a few systems, very high diffusivities have been observed with low activation energies of diffusion (less than 0.1 eV). This, in turn, enables atomic diffusion even at low temperatures. We discuss representative examples of such systems and the implications of diffusion at low temperatures. The focus is on low-temperature diffusion mechanisms across multiple material types (oxides and semiconductors), including materials for different applications such as fuel cells, batteries, nanoelectronics, and superconducting devices. This brief review concludes with future perspectives and consideration of recent advances.