Growth paths in polycrystalline thin films

Abstract The polycrystalline grain microstructure of metallic thin films coarsens during grain growth in a unique way when the initial grain structure contains multiple grains in the film thickness. A regime with fast coarsening is followed by a regime of slow coarsening. At the same time, the grain structure itself undergoes clear structural changes from a bulk-like to a bamboo-like structure. The overall coarsening process evolves continuously, whereas the growth paths of individual grains do not follow the ones observed and predicted in either two- or three-dimensional grain growth.