Method for controlling stress in a substrate during laser deposition

A method for performing a laser deposition process, the method comprising:

• directing a laser beam onto a target spot at a target positioned in a chamber to generate a plasma plume of target material in order to form a thin film of target material on a first substrate positioned on a substrate holder in the chamber, wherein the target spot is movable relative to the substrate holder;
• measuring film stress in the thin film on the first substrate;
• defining, on the first substrate, a first plurality of discrete surface portions;
• calculating adjustments for a parameter of the laser deposition process per discrete surface portion of the first plurality of discrete surface portions based on the stress measured;
• defining, on a second substrate, a second plurality of discrete surface portions;
• aligning the target spot with a first discrete surface portion of the second plurality of discrete surface portions and generating the plasma plume to deposit the target material on the second substrate at the first discrete surface portion of the second plurality of discrete surface portions;
• and
• aligning the target spot with a second discrete surface portion of the second plurality of discrete surface portions, adjusting the parameter depending on the adjustments for the second discrete surface portion, and generating the plasma plume to deposit the target material on the second substrate at the second discrete surface portion of the second plurality of discrete surface portions such that, by adjusting the parameter during the laser deposition process, a specific deposition pattern is obtained over a surface of the second substrate to control a uniformity of a second thin film across the second substrate and thereby control a bending of the second substrate from stress, the parameter comprising temperature, pressure, laser beam pulse duration, laser beam power, distance of target to substrate, spotsize, or RF ionization energy.

A laser deposition device, comprising:

• a chamber;
• a target holder configured to hold a target material;
• a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate;
• and
• a laser configured to direct a laser beam toward a target spot of the target material positioned on the target holder to generate a plasma plume of target material, wherein the target spot is movable relative to the substrate holder in order to deposit target material onto a plurality of discrete surface portions of the substrate,
• wherein the laser deposition device is configured to, during a laser deposition process:
• align the target spot with a first discrete surface portion of the plurality of discrete surface portions and generate the plasma plume to deposit target material on the first discrete surface portion of the plurality of discrete surface portions;
• for each additional discrete surface portion of one or more additional discrete surface portions on the substrate, align the target spot with the additional discrete surface portion and adjust at least one parameter of a plurality of parameters of the laser deposition device depending on the additional discrete surface portion of the plurality of discrete surface portions with which the target spot is aligned to deposit the target material on the additional discrete surface portion such that, by adjusting the at least one parameter during the laser deposition process, a specific deposition pattern for a thin film is obtained over a surface of the substrate to control form a uniformity of the thin film across the plurality of discrete surface portions on the substrate and thereby control a bending of the substrate from stress, the plurality of parameters comprising temperature, pressure, laser beam pulse duration, laser beam power, distance of target to substrate, spotsize and RF ionization energy.