Element interdiffusion will accelerate failure of surface coating systems after a long time service at high temperature. To extend service life of the coatings, developing a diffusion barrier between the coating and the substrate is considered as an efficient way. Many research results showed that a diffusion barrier with single function such as metallic or ceramic one can not meet requirements for strong barrier ability and strong interfacial strength of the coatings onto the substrate at the same time. Anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) film with porous surface structure, which has an effective role for element diffusion so as to strengthen the interfacial adhesion rapidly, and a dense Al2O3 sublayer to suppress the inter diffusion was effectively used as diffusion barrier in this work and interdiffusion barrier ability was investigated. The AAO film was obtained by anodizing Al film deposited on C103 niobium alloy by vacuum evaporation technology, and an electroplating Ni plating was prepared as an overlayer. Vacuum heat treatment was applied to promote element diffusion. The results indicated that substantial diffusion occurred in the Ni/C103 specimen without an interlayer and in the Ni/Al/C103 specimen with Al film as an interlayer. In the Ni/AAO/C103 specimen, hardly any interdiffusion was observed. After 4 h vacuum annealing at 900℃, NbNi3 phase was detected on the Ni/C103 and Ni/Al/C103 specimens, which could not be found in the Ni/AAO/C103 specimen. Nb content in the Ni overlayer of Ni/C103, Ni/Al/C103 and Ni/AAO/C103 specimens was 7.05%, 5.08% and 3.55%, respectively. Ni content in the substrate of Ni/C103, Ni/Al/C103 and Ni/AAO/C103 specimens diffusing from the overlayer was 6.84%, 3.62% and 2.85%, respectively. Thus, AAO film exhibited strong barrier ability in suppressing element diffusion. From calculation of the Fick's law, it was found that diffusion coefficient of Ni and Nb in the AAO film at 900℃ was 3.28×10-14 m2/s and 2.16×10-14 m2/s, respectively, and it was raised to 1.03×10-13 m2/s and 3.58×10-14 m2/s at 1000℃, respectively. © All right reserved.