Interface characteristics of selective laser melted stainless steel 316L and Inconel 718

•Formation of interface between stainless steel 316L and Inconel 718 during metal powder bed fusion of was examined.•The interface shapes is appear to determine by the surface tension driven flow during solidification.•The wider Ni-Cr rich interface region, exceeding the typical diffusion lengths, were recognised as a result of melt pool flow. Additive manufactured dissimilar metal constructs of alternating Inconel 718 and Stainless Steel 316L layers were fabricated by using selective laser melting. The solidified interfaces between two materials were examined to understand the interface characteristics. No distinct horizontal layers have been observed and undulating dissimilar interfaces at meso-scale. The undulations of the interfacing are understood a result of the melt pool surface oscillations driven by forces such as surface tension. The shape of the interface and the chemical distribution across the interface implied that the mass transport by the flow can significantly influence the interface morphology.