Non-equilibrium intermixing and phase transformation in severely deformed Al/Ni multilayers

Al/Ni multilayers were prepared by repeated folding and cold rolling (F&R) of elemental foils. The thickness of Al and Ni foils was reduced down to less than 50 nm after 50 F&R cycles. Three-dimensional atom probe analyses clearly reveal the presence of supersaturated solid solutions and provide evidence of deformation-induced intermixing. The formation of the solid solutions and their transformation into the Al3Ni phase upon annealing is discussed.