Patent ID: 6876946

Claim:
A method of aligning each of a plurality of processing areas arranged on a substrate with a predetermined transfer position in a static coordinate system XY for defining a moving position of said substrate, a pattern of a mask being transferred to each of said plurality of processing areas, wherein each of said plurality of processing areas has a plurality of positioning marks arranged by a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a specific point set in each of said plurality of processing areas, said method comprising: (1) with respect to at least one substrate among a first to (K-1)th substrates (integer: 2≦K≦N): measuring a coordinate position of a positioning mark in said static coordinate system XY in each of several processing areas out of said plurality of processing areas on said substrate by first and second alignment sensors; calculating parameters of a first model equation expressing the regularity of arrangement of said plurality of processing areas by performing a statistical computation using first coordinate positions measured by said first alignment sensor and second coordinate positions measured by said second alignment sensor, and arrangement coordinates upon a design of said specific point and relative arrangement coordinates upon a design of said positioning mark for said specific point in said several processing areas; and moving said substrate relative to said mask based on coordinate positions of said plurality of processing areas in said static coordinate system XY, determined in accordance with said calculated parameters; and (2) with respect to a K-th substrate and subsequent substrates: measuring coordinate positions of a plurality of positioning marks on said substrate in said static coordinate system XY by one of said first and second alignment sensors; calculating parameters of a second model equation expressing the regularity of arrangement of said plurality of processing areas based on the coordinate positions measured by said one alignment sensor; and moving said substrate relative to said mask based on coordinate positions of said plurality of processing areas in said static coordinate system XY, determined in accordance with the parameters of said first model equation and the parameters of said second model equation.