The purpose of this study is to investigate how ion implantation affects the surface characteristics and nitrogenizing depth of the thin film by the use of a NEC 9SDH-2 3 MV Pelletron accelerator that implants nitrogen ions into SKD-61 tool steels for surface modification. Nitrogen ions were implanted into the surface layer of materials so that the hardness of modified films could be improved. Also, the nitride film stripping problems of the traditional nitrogenizing treatment could be overcome by a new approach in surface process engineering. As nitrogen ions with high velocity impacted on the surface of the substrate, the ions were absorbed and accumulated on the surface of the substrate. The experiments were performed with two energies (i.e., 1 and 2 MeV) and different doses (i.e., 2.5 X 10(15), 7.5 X 10(15), and 1.5 X 10(16) ions/ cm(2)). Nitrogen ions were incorporated into the interface and then diffused through the metal to form a nitride layer. Analysis tools included the calculation of stopping and range of ions in matter (SRIM), the detection of a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and nanoindentation testing. Through the depth analysis of SIMS, the effects of the ion-implanted SKD-61 steels after heating at 550 degrees C in a vacuum furnace were examined. The nanoindenting results indicate the variation of hardness of SKD-61 steels with the various ion doses. It reaches two to three times the original hardness of SKD-61 steels. (c) 2007 American Vacuum Society.