Apparatus and method for high-accuracy alignment

A method for alignment of a first object with a second object, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining the location of a first feature on a surface of said second object using a probe of a scanned probe microscope;
• and
• (b) determining the location of a first feature on the surface of said first object, and
• (c) positioning said first object in preselected spatial relationship with respect to said located first feature on said second object.

A method for rotational and translational alignment of a first object with a second object, comprising the steps of:

• (a) determining, employing one and only one probe of a scanned probe microscope, the position and orientation on the surface of the second object of an alignment mark having a shape such that its position and orientation can be determined;
• (b) comparing the determined position and orientation of the alignment mark with a stored position and orientation of the alignment mark;
• and
• (c) translating and rotating said second object relative to said first object to align said first object with said second object.

An apparatus for rotational and translational alignment of a first object with a second object, comprising:

• (a) means, comprising one and only one probe of a scanned probe microscope, for determining the position and orientation on the surface of the second object of an alignment mark having a shape such that its orientation can be determined;
• (b) data processing apparatus adapted to compare the determined position and orientation of the alignment mark with a stored position and orientation of the alignment mark;
• and
• (c) means for translating and rotating said second object relative to said first object to align said first object with said second object.