Mullins theory predicts the buildup of adatoms during surface diffusion at the edges of grooves where grain boundaries emerge to the surface of a polycrystalline film. However, the mesoscopic nature of this theory prevents the identification of the atomic scale physical mechanisms involved in this phenomenon. Here, we interpret the buildup of adatoms in atomistic terms through a mean-field rate-equation model and demonstrate both its kinetic nature and its impact on the intrinsic stress in these systems. Furthermore, the model provides estimates of the surface profile of intrinsic stress, of its typical mean values, and of the dependence of stress on temperature and deposition flux for different growth stages. These estimates agree well with reported experimental results obtained from recent advances in nanoscale mapping of mechanical stresses on the surface of polycrystalline films.
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