The effect of 340 keV Kr ion irradiation on the structure of polycrystalline sputtered Au/Ni superlattices was studied. Different structural modifications are observed depending on the irradiation dose range. An ion-induced relaxation of the compressive stresses initially present in the layers is observed even after very small doses (<0.5 X 10(-1) dpa). With an increasing dose, a progressive interdiffusion at the interfaces is clearly observed accompanied by a reduction of the structural disorder and by an improvement of the texture. Finally, at higher doses (8 dpa), a complete mixing is achieved leading to the formation of a metastable fee polycrystalline solid solution exhibiting a strong (111) texture.