The surfaces of getter materials are particularly difficult to analyse because of their high chemical reactivity, The results obtained can, therefore, be strongly influenced by the experimental Set-Up and procedures. In this paper. the experimental influence on the Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) results is discussed, based on the measurements of more than 100 different non-evaporable getter (NEG) materials. There are four typical changes in the Auger electron spectra when a NEG becomes activated. The oxygen peak intensity decreases, the shape of the metal peaks changes. the carbon peak changes shape and intensity and a chlorine peak occurs. All these changes are affected by instrumental artefacts. The Zr-MNV peak shape changes during the reduction of ZrO2 are well suited to determine the onset of NEG activation, while the slope with which the O-KLL peak intensity decreases in a certain temperature range is it better criterion for the determination of the temperature at which activation is complete. The O-KLL intensity and the Zr-MNV peak, shape are influenced by the adsorption of residual gas, in particular of H2O, and by electron stimulated desorption of oxygen. The C-KLL peak shape changes from "graphitic" to "carbidic" when the NEG becomes activated. The changes of the C-KLL intensity observed in the present study are mainly caused by the transfer ofcarbon contamination from the sample holder onto the sample during NEG heating. The presence of chlorine at sub-monolayer (sub-ML) coverage is easily detected by AES but not by XPS. The temperature at which a Cl-LMM peak appears in the NEG Auger electron spectra is correlated with he onset of NEG activation. The Cl-LMM intensity is strongly reduced by electron irradiation, in particular when AES measurements are carried out on hot samples. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.