Effects of sliding on interface delamination during thin film buckling

A theoretical model for the simultaneous thin film buckling and interface delamination from its substrate has been derived from a Griffith’s criterion which includes plastic events localized at the film–substrate interface. The predictions of the model have been validated by atomistic simulations of the delamination and buckling of a Cu thin film deposited on a W substrate. This model accounts for the stable propagation of the buckle edges without requiring any estimate of the dependence of the adhesion energy on the mode mixity.