In the present work a technique to impart a controlled deformation to a substrate through deposition of a thin film is shown. Such a technique allows film-substrate systems to be tailored with a desired shape for various applications. An analytical model has been applied to calculate the displacements and stresses of a patterned crystalline substrate. Analytical results have also been validated via Finite Element simulations. Si substrates have been patterned with Si(3)N(4) and measurements of the transverse displacement were found to agree with the theoretical predictions. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.