Patent ID: 7006226

Claim:
A method of determining positions of a plurality of regions formed on a substrate based on positions of a plurality of sample regions sampled from the plurality of regions, said method comprising: a first step of sequentially measuring positions of a plurality of the sample regions sampled from the plurality of regions; a second step of calculating a first conversion parameter for converting designed positions of the plurality of regions into determined positions of the plurality of regions based on designed positions of the plurality of the sample regions and the measured positions of the plurality of sample regions; a third step of measuring a position of an additional sample region sampled from the plurality of regions to increase the plurality of sample regions; a fourth step of calculating a second conversion parameter for converting the designed positions of the plurality of regions into determined positions of the plurality of regions based on designed positions of the increased plurality of the sample regions and the measured positions of the increased plurality of sample regions; and a fifth step of determining whether to finish the position determination based on a difference between the first conversion parameter and the second conversion parameter.