1
Mean Free Time
• Conduction electrons are scattered from the thermal vibrations of the atoms.
• = 1 One scatterer.
• The mean free time between collisions:
1
=
• u slightly depends on temperature.
• The temperature dependence of
essentially arises from = .
1
∝
1
Temperature Dependence of Resistivity
• Thermal vibrations of atoms can be considered to be simple harmonic
motion, like a mass M attached to a spring.
1 1 1 1
K. E. = = cos
2 2
1
K. E. =
4
1
• Kinetic molecular theory K. E. =
2
1 1
≈ ∝
4 2
1 1
∝ ∝ =
Lattice-Scattering-Limited Conductivity
= =
So, the resistivity of a pure metal is
1 1
= = =
= lattice-scattering-limited conductivity
2
Matthiessen’s Rule
• = works well with pure metals
Fails for metallic alloys.
Strained region by impurity exerts a
scattering force = − ( )/
Effective Mean Free Time
• Two different types of scattering processes: (1) from impurities alone and
(2) from thermal vibrations alone.
• Two types of mean free times between collisions: (1) T for scattering from
thermal vibrations only, and (2) I for scattering from impurities only.
1 1 1
= + is smaller than both T and I.
1 1 1
= +
: drift mobility
: lattice-scattering-limited mobility
: impurity-scattering-limited mobility
1 1 1
= = + = +
3
Residual Resistivity
There may also be electrons scattering from dislocations and other crystal
defects, as well as from grain boundaries. All of these scattering processes add to
the resistivity of a metal, just as the scattering process from impurities. We can
therefore write the effective resistivity of a metal as
= +
∶ residual resistivity due to the scattering of electrons by impurities,
dislocations, interstitial atoms, vacancies, grain boundaries, etc.
Residual resistivity shows very little temperature dependence.
ρ ≈ AT + B
where A and B are temperature-independent constants.
Temperature Coefficient
• The temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) α0 is defined as the fractional
change in the resistivity per unit temperature increase at the reference
temperature T0
1
=
• T0 usually 273 K (0 °C) or 293 K (20 °C)
δρ = ρ − ρ0
δT = T − T0
when α0 is constant over the temperature range of interest
ρ = ρ0[1 + α0 (T − T0)]
1
• For metals: = For T0 = 273 K, = 1/273.
4
0 at 273 K
Metal
Aluminum, Al 1/233
Antimony, Sb 1/196
Copper, Cu 1/232
Gold, Au 1/251
Indium, In 1/196
Platinum, Pt 1/255
Silver, Ag 1/244
Tantalum, Ta 1/294
Tin, Sn 1/217
Tungsten, W 1/202
Iron, Fe 1/152
Nickel, Ni 1/125
Resistivity vs. Temperature
• ρ ∝ T is approximately obeyed
except for the magnetic materials.
• For alloys, such as nichrome (Ni-
Cr), ρ is relatively temperature
insensitive, with a very small TCR.
• Empirical relation between and
T for pure metals:
• For nonmagnetic metals, n 1,
whereas it is closer to 2 than 1 for
the magnetic metals Fe and Ni.
10
5
Resistivity vs. Temperature
ρ = AT + B
≲ K:
• The number of atoms that vibrate
with sufficient energy to scatter
the conduction electrons starts to
decrease rapidly with decreasing
temperature becomes more
strongly temperature dependent
∝
• = +
• At T 0, is limited by
scattering from impurities and
crystal defects.
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