Metallic bilayer samples of Mo(400 Å)/ Al(substrate) were characterized using Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy after first being irradiated with Xe ion beam having an energy of 1.8 MeV. The computer code RUMP was then used to simulate the RBS spectra. The interdiffusion at the interface was considered in terms of thermal spike induced atomic migration. It was found that the coupling of the chemical effect with spike is significant with regard to mixing of the bilayer samples. Furthermore, in addition to the initial contamination of carbon atoms on the surface and at the interface, more carbon atoms were found to be picked up by the surface, this carbon w.as from the vacuum pumps and tended to migrate into the surface once irradiation dose exceeded 11 x 10¹⁵cm². A semi-empirical model was developed for ion beam mixing taking into account collisional mixing and thermal spike effects, as well as the thermal spike shape. The collisional mixing part was accounted for by the Kinchin-Pease model, or, alternatively dynamic Monte Carlo simulation. For the thermal spike, the ion beam mixing parameter Dt/Φ was derived to be proportional to ( - F_D /ΔH_coh)^2+μ, where F_D is the damage energy deposited per unit path length, ΔH_coh is the cohesive energy of the target materials, and µ is a constant dependent on the spike shape and point defect density in the spike regions. The thermal spike introduces a nonlinear effect in the mixing process, distinguishing itself from the linear effect of ballistic mixing. The shape of the thermal spike that best fit the experimental results depends on the magnitude of the cascade density. For relatively high density collisional cascades, where thermal spikes start to be important, it was found that a spherical spike model was more consistent with experimental measurements at low temperatures. However, for extremely high density collisional cascade regions, a cylindrical shaped spike gave better results. The atomic migration energy in the spike regions is scaled by a factor of one out of 8.6 of cohesive energy. The migration mechanism was recognized to be interstitial-dominated one. / M.S.