Published online by Cambridge University Press: 26 February 2011
An x-ray technique has been used to measure the diffusion of phosphorus in crystalline Ni/amorphous NiPx and amorphous NiPx/NiPy multilayer thin films produced by electrodeposition. The films have repeat lengths in the range 30–80Å and P contents x, y < 25at.%. A value for the interdiffusivity in amorphous NiPx is derived from measurements on fully amorphous films. The behaviour of partially crystalline films is described in terms of phosphorus diffusion into the nickel grain boundaries.