The charging phenomena and charge compensation under electron beam irradiation have been studied on alumina using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Electron-beam effects, observed in AES as oxygen depletion, contamination from residual gas, and charge-up, can be efficiently reduced in an oxygen environment, of less than or equal to 5 X 10(-8) Torr O-2. The oxygen environmental Auger electron spectroscopy reveals an inherent relation between the oxygen depletion and the charge-up of alumina: Oxygen depletion due to electron-stimulated desorption, preceding the other electron-beam effects, is the primary cause of the charge-up of alumina. The charging phenomena of alumina and the efficiency of the O-2 environment for charge compensation can be interpreted in terms of the general energy band schema. (C) 2003 American Vacuum Society.