Patent ID: 6714302
Filing Date: 2004-03-30
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
An aligning method comprising the steps of:exposing a wafer having a plurality of areas to a plurality of mask patterns, with one mask pattern being interchanged with a next mask pattern; exposing a next wafer to the one mask pattern used immediately prior to a replacement, when one wafer is replaced with the next wafer; and exposing an area of the one wafer last exposed to the one mask pattern under a first type of illumination, to the next mask pattern under a second type of illumination, when the one mask pattern is interchanged with the next mask pattern, wherein one of said first type of illumination and said second type of illumination is an illumination from a direction perpendicular to a surface of the one mask pattern, and the other of said first type of illumination and said second type of illumination is an illumination from a direction inclined to a surface of the next mask pattern.