Oxidation of stainless steel surface in oxygen atmosphere was investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) depth profiling. The samples made of AISI 304L stainless steel were exposed to highly non-equilibrium oxygen atmosphere at different temperatures between 300 and 800 K and for different periods between 5 and 600 s. The degree of dissociation of oxygen molecules was of the order of 10%. A thin oxide layer formed on the stainless steel surface consisted of the iron oxide. The thickness depended on the sample temperature. At room temperature it was 7 nm, and it remained the same up to 200 °C. With further increase of temperature, the thickness of the oxide layer increased and reached 40 nm at 450 °C. The thickness was independent of exposure time. The results were explained by two mechanisms of oxide growth. Up to 200 °C the oxidation was run by electro-migration, while at higher temperatures the thermal induced migration prevailed.