Surface diffusion is one of the most common phenomena during the thin-film growth. The microstructure of the thin film depends on the rate of surface diffusion of the adatoms. In this paper, we theoretically show the effect of external field on surface diffusion barrier using gallium nitride as an example. We show, via density functional calculation, that the desorption energy of surface adsorbed atom and activation barrier for surface diffusion process can be altered by application of external field. Finally, based on the arguments of the electronic effect, we analyze the origin of the effect of the external field and its orientation on desorption energy and activation barrier for surface diffusion. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.