Calibration of Auger spectra and equilibrium surface composition in a dilute copper–gold alloy

Abstract

The enthalpy and entropy of segregation for gold to the surface of a Cu–6.6% Au alloy are reported together with the calibration procedure used to obtain surface compositions in the presence of overlapping Auger electron peaks. Additionally, a chemical shift in the Au 69‐eV Auger transition for Cu–Au alloys is demonstrated via comparison of Auger spectra from homogeneous Cu–Au alloys with those from a composite Cu/Au sample. Finally, the experimental enthalpy of segregation, −7.53 kJ/mol, is compared with that of a statistical thermodynamic model and other theoretical values from the literature.