High-temperature Auger electron spectroscopy of Zircaloy-4

The near-surface region of Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4) has been probed using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). In particular, the behavior of impurity (sulfur) and alloying (tin) elements has been monitored as a function of annealing temperature and time. High-temperature AES experiments above 900 K are reported, with a primary focus on changes in the S(LMM) Auger feature that overlaps with the primary Zr(MNV) transition. We find that the sulfur content of the near-surface region increases linearly with annealing time at higher temperatures. Tin is the only alloying element whose Auger signal intensity significantly exceeds the noise level at these temperatures. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.