Ordering of Spontaneously Formed Buckles on Planar Surfaces

This paper describes the spontaneous formation of patterns of aligned buckles in a thin film of gold deposited on the surface of an elastomer [poly(dimethylsiloxane), PDMS]. The surface of the elastomer is patterned photochemically into areas differing in stiffness and coefficient of thermal expansion. The gold is deposited while the surface of the patterned elastomer is warm (T ∼ 100 °C). On cooling, shrinkage in the elastomer places the gold film under compressive stress. The buckles relieve this compressive stress. The distribution of stresses and buckle patterns is described during the pre- and postbuckling regimes using solutions from calculations describing a model comprising a thin stiff plate resting on a thick elastic foundation.