ION BEAM MIXING IN Al/Fe MULTILAYERED THIN FILMS.

Ion beam-induced mixing of Al/Fe multilayered thin films was studied by means of electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy. Ion mixing was performed with Xe**30 -ions at room temperature with doses ranging from 5 multiplied by 10**1**5 to 3 multiplied by 10**1**6 ions/cm**2. The Auger concentration depth profiles showed that atomic mixing occurred at the interface and that oxygen at the interface reduced the mixing efficiency. An amorphous phase, solid solutions and different metastable and stable crystalline phases were obtained after atomic mixing in dependence on initial composition and thermal annealing conditions. The amorphous phase was transformed into the quasicrystalline state with sharp diffraction spots.