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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 February 2011
An analytical model for strain relaxation by misfit dislocation arrays in thin films is presented that takes into account all components of the strain tensor, including shear strains. The model is developed for (001) films and applied to strain relaxation in (011) oriented FCC metal films. Our results show that shear strains strongly influence the total strain energy of the film. Since both the critical strain for dislocation formation, and the equilibrium spacing of dislocations in arrays depend on the minimum energy values, these quantities are found to be different from those predicted by previous models. This model is useful for understanding both critical strain data and strain relaxation in films.