Diffusion during ion irradiation in amorphous PdCuSi

Measurements of the tracer diffusion of Au in amorphous, melt-spun Pd78Cu6Si16 have been carried out during low-flux ion irradiation. The changes in the depth profiles of implanted Au due to diffusion were determined by Rutherford-backscattering spectrometry. Ion mixing is negligible due to the small integrated irradiation doses used in the experiments. The irradiation enhances the diffusion. With more than an order of magnitude, the enhancement saturates at higher doses. The temperature dependence of the diffusion is similar with and without irradiation. The results are discussed in the context of the migration of vacancylike defects produced during irradiation, like radiation-enhanced diffusion observed in crystalline materials