Diffusion in Zr₅₅Al₁₀Ni₁₀Cu₂₅ amorphous alloy with a wide supercooled liquid region

This paper reports the result of diffusion measurement in the supercooled and the amorphous states of Zr₅₅Al₁₀Ni₁₀Cu₂₅ alloy. Diffusion measurements were carried out by an ion-beam sputter-sectioning technique. Self-diffusion of ⁶³Ni in Zr₅₅Al₁₀Ni₁₀Cu₂₅ amorphous alloy with a wide supercooled liquid region has been measured in the temperature range from 530 to 720K. The temperature dependence of the diffusivity in the supercooled liquid phase above the glass transition temperature is significantly different from that in the amorphous phase. The activation energy for diffusion in the supercooled liquid phase is much larger than that in amorphous phase below the glass transition temperature. Diffusion mechanism in the supercooled liquid and the amorphous phases of the Zr₅₅Al₁₀Ni₁₀Cu₂₅ alloy is discussed.