Surface segregation in binary alloys: A semiempirical approach

Abstract The preferential segregation concentration of one component in a binary alloy can be estimated, as a function of depth from the surface, from relative X-ray photoemission signal intensities. The details of this semiempirical calculation are outlined. In addition, common approximations applied to these calculations as well as typical experimental errors are analyzed to assess the effects upon the resulting calculated segregation profiles. The semiempirical analysis has been applied to previously published data for Cu17N83 and Fe72Cr28 binary alloys.