Grain Rotation and Grain Boundary Selection in Thin Films

Abstract

Computer simulations of the phenomenon of grain rotation in polycrystalline <111> textured films have been carried out. These simulations provide insight into the evolution of film microstructure due to grain rotation. It is found that grain rotation diminishes with annealing time and stops almost completely when a metastable equilibrium is obtained. The incidence of Σ1, Σ7 and Σ3 Coincident Site Lattice (CSL) boundaries increases with time while the other CSLs reduce in number. Sequential annealing experiments have been performed on thin films of gold. Grain rotation is found to take place with an average rotation rate of about 4°/hour at both 250°C and 350°C.