Effect of swift heavy ion-irradiation on Cr/Fe/Ni multilayers

A multilayer film having overall composition Fe50C25Ni25, was irradiated su ccessively by 80 MeV Si ions and Ag ions of 150 and 200 MeV energy, The ene rgy deposited in the multilayer in the form of electronic excitations resul ts in significant modification at the interfaces, The interfacial roughness increases in the system after the irradiations as revealed by X-ray reflec tivity measurement. Mossbauer measurements provide evidence of intermixing after the irradiation by 200 MeV Ag ions. Comparison of heavy ion irradiate d multilayer has been done with annealed and low energy ion irradiated samp les. Results suggest that the phases formed at the interfaces of iron as a result of electronic energy loss are similar to those in the cases of therm al diffusion and keV energy ion beam irradiation. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.