  We present a general phase-field model for grain-boundary grooving and
agglomeration of polycrystalline alloy thin films. In particular, we study the
effects of slow-diffusing species on grooving rate. As the groove grows, the
slow species becomes concentrated near the groove tip so that further grooving
is limited by the rate at which it diffuses away from the tip. At early times
the dominant diffusion path is along the boundary, while at late times it is
parallel to the substrate. This change in path strongly affects the
time-dependence of grain boundary grooving and increases the time to
agglomeration. The present model provides a tool for agglomeration-resistant
thin film alloy design. keywords: phase-field, thermal grooving, diffusion,
kinetics, metal silicides
