Calculations of Buckle-Driven Delamination Using Cohesive Elements

Plane strain, elastic calculations of buckle-driven thin film delamination from compliant substrates using finite element models are considered. The interfacial properties between the film and the substrate are modeled using cohesive elements with a tractionseparation law formulated in terms of a potential. The model yielded the geometry of the buckles given the properties of the film and the substrate, the interfacial toughness and the value of the compressive equi-biaxial stress. Results for the relation between the buckle width and the interfacial toughness were very close to similar results by Yu and Hutchinson (2002), thus giving confidence that the cohesive element approach presented can be used in applications where buckle-driven delamination of thin films is an issue.