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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 February 2011
The evolution from straight-sided wrinkles to both worm-like and varicose structures has been investigated mainly by atomic force microscopy. The elastic energy variation related to the formation of these two buckling structures has been computed and discussed. It is shown that both transitions are energetically favourable above a longitudinal (along the initial wrinkle axis) critical stress of few GPa in compression, that is of the order of the internal compressive stresses present in the thin films.