Ion beam induced phase transformation in Fe–Mn bilayers: a Mössbauer study

Ion‐beam mixing of Fe–Mn bilayers induced by 100 keV krypton ions in the dose range (0.1-15)×10¹⁵ ions/cm²has been studied by means of conversion electron Mössbauer spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The results indicate that a dose of about 1 ×10¹⁵ Kr⁺/cm² is sufficient to induce an appreciable mixing between the two atomic species. The α-Fe(Mn)solid solution presents a maximum at this dose, while at higher doses also the ? and γFe–Mn phases are formed in an appreciable amount. Heating of irradiated samples evidences the metastable character of ? phase and favours the growth of the terminal structures γ-Fe(Mn) and α-Mn(Fe) of the Fe–Mn equilibrium phase diagram.