Grain growth and texture evolution in thin films

The grain sizes and orientations in polycrystalline films can be manipulated through controlled grain growth with properly chosen film-thickness, and when films are deposited and annealed at properly chosen temperatures, and deposited on properly chosen substrates. Factors causing abnormal grain growth and texture evolution in films can be understood by considering the energetics and crystallographic dependencies of surface, interface and strain energy minimization. Expected and observed results can be catalogued in the form of texture maps, which can be used in materials selection and process design for optimized film properties and performance.