Effects of triple line tension on the surface topography of polycrystals

A balance of surface energies exists where grain boundaries meet the surface of a flat solid specimen. The energy balance leads to grain boundary grooving on the surface, and the establishment of the equilibrium dihedral angle. Triple junctions are defined at the intersections of three grain boundaries. Surface grooves are typically observed to be the deepest at the triple junctions. In this work, a simple model is constructed of a polycrystalline thin film using Surface Evolver numerical software. The equilibrium surface groove depths at triple junctions are investigated as a function of triple junction line tension. Results show that line tension can affect grain boundary groove depths for grain sizes less than similar to1 mum.