Analyses of edge effects on residual stresses in film strip/substrate systems

The residual stress distribution in a thin-film strip overlaid on a substrate is influenced by the edges of the strip. An analytical model is developed to derive a closed-form solution for the stress distribution along the film width. Because the film is much thinner than the substrate, the stress variation through the film thickness is ignored; however, the stress variation through the substrate thickness is considered in the analysis. Compared to the existing analytical models, the present model is more rigorous and the analytical results agree better with both finite element results and experimental measurements. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)02218-0].