A compressively strained pseudomorphic Si1−xGex film being debonded from Si substrate by selective etching forms wrinkles with a uniform space periodicity. The present study provides experimental evidences and a theoretical model for the wrinkling process. To allow large deflection, non-linear Von Karman plate theory is employed. The amplitude and wavelength of wrinkles are determined by minimizing the total free energy of a debonded wrinkled film. The wrinkling analysis has shown that the amplitude and wavelength of wrinkled film are an outcome of a subtle compromise between bending energy, and normal and shearing components of the stretching energy. The wave number nondimentionalized over the depth of etch is a function of the membrane strain of a bonded film, Poisson's ratio, and the nondimensional film thickness.
