Patent ID: 7136165
Filing Date: 2006-11-14
Classification: G01B,G03F,H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate alignment apparatus which aligns and fixes a substrate on a substrate stage, said apparatus comprising: a chucking pad fixed on the substrate stage to chuck and fix a substrate; a moving unit which moves the substrate with respect to the substrate stage such that a mark on the substrate stage and a mark on the substrate coincide with each other, wherein said moving unit has (i) a first unit which aligns the substrate with reference to an outer shape of the substrate, and (ii) a second unit which detects the mark drawn on the substrate and moves the substrate by a shift from the mark on the substrate stage; and a determination unit which evaluates and controls a relative position between said chucking pad and the substrate after movement by said moving unit and determines whether said chucking pad can chuck the substrate, wherein said determination unit evaluates and controls the relative position on the basis of an amount by which the second unit moves the substrate, wherein if said determination unit determines that said chucking pad cannot chuck the substrate, the amount by which the second unit moves the substrate is limited to a value within a range which enables said chucking pad to chuck the substrate.