Surface effects are important to predict the mechanical behavior of nanostructures. In this paper, the wrinkling of a stiff thin film bonded to a compliant substrate is studied using an energy method accounting for surface elasticity and residual surface tension. The wavelength, critical buckling strain and amplitude are obtained analytically. These results provide valuable guide to the precise design and control of the wrinkling profile in many applications ranging from stretchable electronics to micro/nano scale surface patterning and precision metrology. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.