MULTISPECTRAL SCANNING AUGER MICROSCOPY OF TRIBOLOGICAL SURFACES

The novel surface analysis technique of multi-spectral Auger microscop y (MULSAM) has been used to study simultaneously and at high resolutio n the chemical and topographic variations across wear scars generated with model oil formulations. This is the first time this technique has been applied to anything other than well-characterised samples from t he semiconductor industry. The MULSAM image manipulations prove suffic iently robust to allow meaningful work on these extremely non-ideal sp ecimens. The work leads to new insights into the composition and spati al distribution of anti-wear films. In particular, the results show si gnificant correlations between the surface topography and the local ch emical nature of the anti-wear film.