Atom probe tomography of swift ion irradiated multilayers

Nanometer scale layered systems are well suited to investigate atomic transport processes induced by high-energy electronic excitations in materials, through the characterization of the interface transformation. In this study, we used the atom probe technique to determine the distribution of the different elements in a (amorphous-Fe2Tb5nm/hcp-Co3nm)20 multilayer before and after irradiation with Pb ions in the electronic stopping power regime. Atom probe tomography is based on reconstruction of a small volume of a sharp tip evaporated by field effect. It has unique capabilities to characterize internal interfaces and layer chemistry with sub-nanometer scale resolution in three dimensions. Depth composition profiles and 3D element mapping have been determined, evidencing for asymmetric interfaces in the as-deposited sample, and very efficient Fe-Co intermixing after irradiation at the fluence 7×1012 ion cm-2. Estimation of effective atomic diffusion coefficients after irradiation suggests that mixing results from interdiffusion in a molten track across the interface in agreement with the thermal spike model.