LAUSR

The effect of crystallography and elastic coefficient heterogeneity between a thin film and its substrate has been theoretically investigated on the shear-coupled grain boundary migration in the film. A drag force associated with the elastic energy has been determined by a disclination-based description of the grain boundary migration. Considering also the capillarity driving force derived from the Burke-Turnbull model of normal grain growth, it has been found in case of an Al thin film that the grain growth stagnation occurs beyond a critical film thickness that decreases as the shear modulus and/or Poisson’s ratio of the substrate increase from the corresponding values of the film. In case of $$[001 ]$$ grain boundaries in a Cu thin film, the effect of crystallography on the GB displacement has also been characterized.