We investigated the possibility of controlling thin film buckling patterns by varying the substrate curvature and the stress induced therein upon cooling. The numerical and experimental studies are based on a spherical Ag $\mathrm{\text{core}}/{\mathrm{SiO}}_2$ shell system. For Ag substrates with a relatively larger curvature, the dentlike triangular buckling pattern comes out when the film nominal stress exceeds a critical value. With increasing film stress and/or substrate radius, the labyrinthlike buckling pattern takes over. Both the buckling wavelength and the critical stress increase with the substrate radius.

• Received 28 September 2007

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.036102