Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device

Claim 1

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by successively superimposing and printing on a semiconductor substrate a plurality of patterns, the improvement comprising: (a) transferring onto said substrate a mask pattern including a first alignment mark of a first photomask, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour, (b) in the transfer of a mask pattern of a second photomask onto said substrate, positioning and then transferring a second alignment mark having a closed loop contour provided with said second photomask, relative to said first alignment mark on said substrate, in such a manner that the contour of each mark intersects with that of the other, and at least one part of one contour is offset from a closely adjacent part of the contour of the other and substantially parallel thereto, and (c) in the transfer of a mask pattern of a third photomask, positioning and then printing a third alignment mark having a closed loop contour provided with said third mask in such a manner that a part of the contour thereof is offset from a closely adjacent part of the contour of said first alignment mark and substantially parallel thereto, and at least one part of another portion of the contour of the third mark is offset from a closely adjacent part of the contour of said second alignment mark and substantially parallel thereto.

Claim 5

The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device wherein a plurality of patterns are successively superimposed and printed onto a semiconductor substrate, which comprises the steps of: providing on the semiconductor substrate a first pattern having a first alignment mark, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour, providing a second pattern having a second alignment mark, said second alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning the second pattern and mark relative to the first alignment mark on the substrate so that at least part of the contour of the first mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second mark and only a minute distance apart therefrom, printing the second pattern after it is positioned, providing a third pattern on the substrate having a third alignment mark, said third alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning the third pattern and mark so that part of the third alignment mark is over parts of the first and second aignment marks and so that a part of the contour of the third aignment mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the first alignment mark, and at least another part of the contour of the third alignment mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second alignment mark, and printing the third pattern after it is positioned.

Claim 6

The method of manufacturing a semiconductor device wherein a plurality of patterns are successively superimposed and printed onto a semiconductor substrate, which comprises the steps of: providing on the semiconductor substrate a first pattern having a first alignment mark, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour, providing a second pattern having a second alignment mark, said second alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning the second pattern and mark relative to the first alignment mark on the substrate so that at least part of the contour of the first mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second mark and only a minute distance apart therefrom, printing the second pattern after it is positioned, providing a third pattern on the substrate having a third alignment mark, said third alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning the third pattern and mark so that part of the third alignment mark is over parts of the first and second aignment marks and so that a part of the contour of the third aignment mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the first alignment mark, and at least another part of the contour of the third alignment mark is adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second alignment mark, and printing the third pattern after it is positioned.

Claim 7

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a plurality of patterns which are successively superimposed and printed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: printing and forming on said semiconductor substrate a first pattern having a first alignment mark, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning on said substrate a second pattern having a second alignment mark with a closed loop contour in such a manner that at least one part of the contour of the first mark is closely adjacent a congruent part of the contour of the second mark and spaced minutely from it, and then forming the second pattern on said substrate, and positioning a third pattern having a third alignment mark with a closed loop contour overlapping the previous two alignment marks in such a manner that a part of the contour of the third alignment mark is closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the first alignment mark, and at least a part of another portion of the contour of said third alignment mark is closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second alignment mark, and then forming the third pattern on the substrate.

Claim 8

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a plurality of patterns which are successively superimposed and printed on a semiconductor substrate, comprising the steps of: printing and forming on said semiconductor substrate a first pattern having a first alignment mark, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour, positioning on said substrate a second pattern having a second alignment mark with a closed loop contour in such a manner that at least one part of the contour of the first mark is closely adjacent a congruent part of the contour of the second mark and spaced minutely from it, and then forming the second pattern on said substrate, and positioning a third pattern having a third alignment mark with a closed loop contour overlapping the previous two alignment marks in such a manner that a part of the contour of the third alignment mark is closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the first alignment mark, and at least a part of another portion of the contour of said third alignment mark is closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour of the second alignment mark, and then forming the third pattern on the substrate.

Claim 9

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by successively superimposing and printing on a semiconductor substrate a plurality of patterns, including the steps of: transferring onto a semiconductor substrate a mask pattern having a first alignment mark from a first photomask, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour; positioning a second photomask having a second alignment mark with a closed loop contour over the pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate by the first photomask and aligning the second photomask by use of the second alignment mark by positioning same so that the contour outlines of the first and second alignment marks intersect each other at at least one point, and at least another part of the contour outlines of the first and second alignment marks are positioned closely adjacent to congruent portions of each other, and after alignment of the second photomask then transferring same onto said substrate; and positioning a third photomask over the first and second patterns formed on the semiconductor substrate, said third photomask having a third alignment mark with a closed loop contour, and aligning the third mark with at least part of the contour outline of the third mark being positioned closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour outline of the first alignment mark, and at least another part of the contour outline of the third mark being positioned closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour outline of the second alignment mark, and after alignment of the third photomask then transferring same onto said substrate.

Claim 10

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device by successively superimposing and printing on a semiconductor substrate a plurality of patterns, including the steps of: transferring onto a semiconductor substrate a mask pattern having a first alignment mark from a first photomask, said first alignment mark having a closed loop contour; positioning a second photomask having a second alignment mark with a closed loop contour over the pattern formed on the semiconductor substrate by the first photomask and aligning the second photomask by use of the second alignment mark by positioning same so that the contour outlines of the first and second alignment marks intersect each other at at least one point, and at least another part of the contour outlines of the first and second alignment marks are positioned closely adjacent to congruent portions of each other, and after alignment of the second photomask then transferring same onto said substrate; and positioning a third photomask over the first and second patterns formed on the semiconductor substrate, said third photomask having a third alignment mark with a closed loop contour, and aligning the third mark with at least part of the contour outline of the third mark being positioned closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour outline of the first alignment mark, and at least another part of the contour outline of the third mark being positioned closely adjacent to a congruent part of the contour outline of the second alignment mark, and after alignment of the third photomask then transferring same onto said substrate.