Depth profiling of nickel using the nuclear resonant 58Ni(p,γ)59Cu reaction: Application to NiFe mixed bilayers and Ni-implanted iron

Abstract The nuclear resonant 58 Ni(p,γ) 59 Cu reaction at E p = 1424 keV was used to determine nickel depth distributions in iron-nickel based alloys. γ radiations were detected by using a high efficiency Ge detector. For quantifying the reaction yield, the γ transitions of E γ = 4.82 MeV, 4.33 MeV and 0.491 MeV energies were considered. This technique allows nickel to be profiled with a depth resolution of about 10 nm at the surface of iron matrix. Applications of the method to NiFe ion beam mixed bilayers and Ni-implanted iron are presented.