Abstract: A method for positioning an object with patterns being formed thereon, employs a first device for extracting first information relative to patterns in a first region on the object, a second device for extracting second information relative to patterns from a second region including the first region on the object, an operating circuit to calculate a degree of coincidence between the first information and the second information, and a detecting circuit for detecting a position of the first region in the second region, whereby the position of the object can be reproduced with high reproducibility in accordance with the position as detected.

Abstract: A positioning apparatus includes a projecting means for projecting plural coherent light beams onto an object to be aligned. The projecting means comprises plural converging means for forming each coherent light beam into a stripe-shaped beam extended in a direction substantially perpendicularly to the scanning direction of said scanning means, and each of said alignment marks comprises plural short line segments arranged in a stripe extended in a direction substantially perpendicular to the scanning direction of said scanning means and each inclined approximately by 45.degree. with respect to said scanning direction. Therefore, the alignment mark can be clearly identified from the circuit patterns by relatively rough preliminary alignment even if such mark is positioned in a narrow space between the chips for example for LSI.

Abstract: An alignment device for registering an object to a predetermined position with high precision and for calculating inclination of the object with respect to its predetermined position, which is constructed with a moving device for mounting thereon the object and moving the same two-dimensionally, a coordinate measuring device having orthogonally intersecting first and second measuring axes to measure the coordinates of the moving device in both directions of orthogonally intersecting first and second measuring axes of the object, an observing device having a first observing optical system with the center of observation (the first observation center) thereof being substantially on the first measuring axis and a second observing optical system with the center of observation (the second observation center) thereof being substantially on the second measuring axis, and a setting device to set, on the coordinate measuring device, the coordinate values of the first and second observation centers with the substantial

Abstract: An alignment apparatus for bringing two objects, each having at least one reference mark, into a predetermined positional relation is disclosed in which the two objects are scanned by a beam of light emitted from a coherent light source, the light coming from the reference marks is received and converted into electrical signals by means of which the amount of deviation between the two objects is detected and the two objects are adjusted to the predetermined positional relation. Repetitively swept light from the light source is divided into two parts which scan the reference marks at different times and along different directions.

Abstract: An apparatus for photoelectrically detecting the position of each of the edges of a line having the opposite edges thereof formed substantially parallel to each other on an a substrate thereby to measure the width of the line, comprises a source of coherent light, means for condensing the coherent light into a tiny light spot which illuminates the line, means for imparting to the tiny light spot a minute oscillation having an amplitude less than the width of the line, means for providing relative movement of the tiny light spot and the line so that diffracted light may be created at each of the edges of the line, a first photoelectric conversion element for receiving chiefly the diffracted light created at one of the edges of the line, a second photoelectric conversion element for receiving chiefly the diffracted light created at the other edge of the line, and a circuit for producing position signals corresponding to the edges of the line from the output signals from the first and second photoelectric conver

Abstract: An automatic alignment apparatus comprises reference marks formed at the right-hand and left-hand sides of each of a semiconductor wafer and a mask, each of the reference marks comprising two mark elements extending in two different directions. These reference marks are formed such that when the mask and wafer are overlapped with each other, diffracted lights in different directions are produced from adjacent ones of the mark elements on the mask and wafer. A first and a second source of coherent light are provided for illuminating the right-hand and the left-hand marks, respectively, on the mask and wafer with a coherent spot light. First and second scanning means are provided for scanning the right-hand and the left-hand marks, respectively, on the mask and wafer by the spot light so that the diffracted lights are produced from the mark elements of the wafer and mask in one stroke of scanning.