Method and device for determining a lateral offset of a pattern on a substrate relative to a desired position

A method for determining a lateral offset of a pattern on a substrate relative to a desired position, comprising the following steps:

• a) providing a plurality of measurement images of the pattern, which were produced by an optical recording unit in different recording defocus positions along a focusing direction of the recording unit, wherein the recording defocus positions are equidistant with a predetermined increment,
• b) producing a plurality of simulation images, which simulate the recording of the pattern with the optical recording unit in different simulation defocus positions in the focusing direction, wherein at least one optical aberration of the recording unit is taken into account when producing the simulation images and the simulation defocus positions are equidistant with the predetermined increment,
• c) forming a plurality of first pairs, which each has a measurement image and a simulation image, wherein each first pair has the same first focal distance of the defocus positions thereof, and determining a first lateral distance of the patterns for each first pair,
• d) determining a first linear fit line on the basis of the determined first lateral distances,
• e) forming a plurality of second pairs, which each has a measurement image and a simulation image, wherein each second pair has the same second focal distance of the defocus positions thereof, which is different from the first focal distance of the first pairs, and determining a second lateral distance of the patterns for each second pair,
• f) determining a second linear fit line on the basis of the determined second lateral distances, and
• g) determining the lateral offset of the pattern on the substrate relative to the desired position using the linear fit lines in accordance with steps d) and f).