Mechanisms of strain relaxation and defect formation during surface roughening in Si_1-xGe_x films grown epitaxially on (100)Si substrates have been investigated by controlled annealing experiments. Epitaxial films 10 nm in thickness and containing 18% Ge, which are subcritical with respect to the formation of misfit dislocations, show strain relaxation through surface roughening on annealing at 850 °C, where surface grooves are aligned along 〈100〉 directions. Other films with 22% Ge and supercritical thicknesses have also been studied, where surface grooves are aligned along 〈110〉 directions.