Modelling of thermal deformation and the corresponding stress distribution are significant for the thin-film design. In order to evaluate the mechanical properties experienced by a thin film parameter on the rigid substrate, the author proposes a semi-analytical model to estimate the deformation of the thin film under various conditions. The physical interpretation and simplification of each term is obtained through the order-of-magnitude analysis. Analytical forms for the thin film deformation can be obtained, and the stress in the film can be easily determined using the proposed model through the constitutive law. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.