Thermodynamics and kinetics of room-temperature microstructural evolution in copper films

Thermodynamics and kinetics of room-temperature microstructural evolution in copper films was studied. A driving force of at least 100 J/cm3 was required to account for the speed at which the grain boundaries move at room temperature. The additional driving force needed to explain the speed at which the grains recrystallize was originating from a high density of defects within the as-deposited grains.