Abstract: Co thin films were subjected to 50 keV carbon ion implantation.At the dose of 2.5× 10~(17)/cm~2,a hexagonal Co-carbide phase was observed for the first time.The lattice con- stants from electron diffraction are a=0.2685 nm and c=0.4335 nm.The phase does not dis- appear until the dose of 9×10~(17)/cm~2.Auger spectra showed that the stoichiometry was Co_(2-3)C.The behavior of the ferromagnetic carbides along the descending sequence of Ni-Fe-Co by Fermi energy of solids was interpreted.Furthermore,based on the kinetic con- dition of phase transformation and the band theory of solids,a possible explanation about the difference of the results of ion-metallurgy and thermal metallurgy was proposed.

Key words: ion implantation, phase, Fermi energy, Co, Co_(2_3)C