Abstract: A metallic hardmask is formed having a selected stress designed to create a selected amount of positive wafer bow. In preferred embodiments, metallic hardmask is disposed on a memory pillar layer over a wafer substrate. A set of memory pillars using the metal hardmask. Because of the positive wafer bow, the patterned set of memory pillars at both the edges and the central portion of the wafer substrate are aligned with a respective contact for a memory device. A positive wafer bow is defined as a bowed wafer substrate where a central portion of a patterned side of the wafer substrate is lower than edges of the wafer substrate.