Growth of Ag films on Br- and H-passivated Si(111) surfaces and the annealing behaviour have been investigated by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and photoemission electron microscopy techniques. Upon annealing the phenomenon of thermal grooving was observed in the Ag films. Depending on the annealing temperature, at an intermediate annealing time Ag depletion (evaporation) from the grain boundaries produces fractal patterns of Ag-depleted regions. Continued annealing eventually produces a percolated network of Ag-depleted regions (thermal grooves) along the grain boundaries and isolated Ag grains appear as the depth of the grooves reaches the substrate. For the fractal structures produced by thermal grooving, the fractal dimension has been estimated to be 1.60 +/- 0.04. Observation of a fractal pattern in thermal grooving was not hitherto reported. A thorough analysis of the experimental results has been carried out in the context of current theories. These theories are inadequate to describe the experimental results. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.