Auger electron spectroscopy has been used to study ’’preferential sputtering’’ of PtSi, NiSi2, and 0.55 Ag–0.45 Au. The data show that Pt, Ni, and Au are enriched on the surface by either Ar+ or Xe+, but enrichment is larger for Ar+. Furthermore, the enrichment is much larger for ions of 500 vs 2000 eV energy. Various mechanisms which could lead to surface enrichment were considered, including direct knock‐off, recoil sputtering and implantation, energy partitioning, and binding energy effects in cascade sputtering. Because of discrepancies in the predicted sputter yield ratios vs ion mass and energy, these mechanisms were not considered to be correct. Rather, it was postulated that surface segregation assisted by irradiation‐enhanced diffusion was dominant and led to the surface enrichment.