Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
A Model for Ion Mixing of Bilayer systems in a thermal spike is described. Normal thermal reactions, at a constant average temperature, are assumed for the duration of the spike. New experimental results on mixing of a Nb/Si couple with Xe ions are shown to agree with the prediction of the model that the apparent activation energy in ion mixing can depend upon the ion species. Calculations of spike mixing for Cr and Ni with Si are presented which show that a substantial part of the experimentally observed mixing rates, and their temperature dependence, can be attributed to thermal spike effects.