Rutherford backscattering, nuclear reaction, and channeling studies of nitrogen implanted single-crystal stainless steel

The techniques of channeling and backscattering of MeV He+ ions have been used in conjunction with nuclear reactions on nitrogen-implanted single crystals of stainless steel in an attempt to find the mechanism responsible for the well documented improvement in mechanical properties of such implanted steels. The nitrogen, as implanted, is found by the 15N( p,α)12C reaction to sit in the octahedral interstitial site. The present results support the suggestion that CrN forms in the implanted layer and could play a role in the improvement in mechanical properties.