Overlay/alignment measurement method and overlay/alignment measurement apparatus

An overlay or alignment measurement method of measuring an amount of overlay or alignment shift by acquiring an optical image of a mark for overlay or alignment measurement formed on a substrate by an optical measurement system, the overlay or alignment measurement method comprising:

• preliminarily measuring an amount of overlay or alignment shift of the mark for overlay or alignment measurement while sequentially shifting a position of a measurement area, corresponding to a field angle of the optical measurement system, relative to the mark for overlay or alignment measurement so as to position the mark for overlay or alignment measurement on each of a plurality of partial areas into which an inside of the measurement area is two-'dimensionally divided;
• calculating a tool-induced shift regarding a characteristic deviation of the optical measurement system for each of the plurality of partial areas based on a preliminarily measured result of the amount of overlay or alignment shift;
• determining a partial area to be used from among the plurality of partial areas on the basis of the tool-induced shift calculated for each of the plurality of partial areas;
• and
• measuring an amount of overlay or alignment shift of the mark for overlay or alignment measurement in a state in which the position of the measurement area relative to the mark for overlay or alignment measurement is set such that the mark for overlay or alignment measurement is located on the partial area determined to be used.