Dual ion beam ballistic alloying process

A process for forming a film adhered to a substrate in an evacuated atmosphere comprising:

• a) cleaning the surface of the substrate with a first energy beam of inert atoms having an energy level in the range from about 100 eV to 2000 eV,
• b) after said cleaning, sputtering a desired non-hydrocarbon substance within said atmosphere by a second beam of inert atoms having an energy of about 1-50 eV/atom and at a rate and in a direction to cause such substance to deposit on said substrate,
• c) simultaneously with said sputtering, exposing the substrate to said first energy beam of inert atoms at an energy level in the range from about 0.1 KeV to 500 KeV to grow a ballistically alloyed layer having a thickness of about 10-2000 .ANG. in said substrate,
• d) subsequently of exposing the substrate to the first beam and the sputtering, continuing the sputtering and exposing the substrate to a lower energy beam of inert atoms from the source of said first beam at an energy level in the range from about 50 eV to 500 eV that will cause the growth of a film of said substance on said substrate to a final desired thickness.