Grain-boundary diffusion in thin films. II. Multiple grain boundaries and surface diffusion

Diffusion in polycrystalline thin films is investigated using both analytical and numerical methods. Bulk, grain-boundary, and interfacial diffusion are all included in the analysis, and the conditions under which each process influences the concentration profile are evaluated. The thin film is treated as a slab of finite thickness containing uniformly spaced grain boundaries that are perpendicula…