Alignment apparatus including three beams and three gratings

Abstract

A light source emits light having two components which ave slightly-different frequencies and which have different planes of polarization. The emitted light is separated into first, second, and third parts travelling along different paths respectively. First, second, and third reference gratings diffract the first, second, and third light parts respectively. First, second, and third illumination optical systems selectively transmit the diffracted first, second, and third light parts respectively. First, second, and third mark gratings having predetermined orientations are formed on a mask and are illuminated with the first, second, and third light parts coming from the first, second, and third illumination systems respectively. Similarly, first, second, and third mark gratings are formed on a wafer and are illuminated with the first, second, and third light parts coming from the first, second, and third illumination systems respectively. A first device detects first optical beat signals of the diffracted lights coming from the first mark grating on the mask and the first mark grating on the wafer. Similar detection is made for the diffracted lights coming from the other mark gratings on the mask and the wafer.