Alignment mark and overlay inspection mark

1 . An alignment mark formed on an underlying layer and disposed on a region in which a semiconductor element is not formed,

said alignment mark comprising a plurality of strip-shaped patterns detectable by an optical imaging device,

wherein said patterns have long axes and short axes, and said patterns are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns in such a manner that said long axes are substantially perpendicular to the direction of the alignment adjustment.

2 . The alignment mark according to claim 1 , wherein each of said long axes is shorter than or equals to 16 μm.

3 . The alignment mark according to claim 1 , wherein each of said long axes is shorter than or equals to 10 μm.

4 . The alignment mark according to claim 1 , wherein each of said long axes is 15 μm and each of said short axes is 1 μm, and

wherein the distance between said patterns is 2 μm in the direction of said long axes and 5 μm in the direction of said short axes.

5 . The alignment mark according to claim 4 , wherein said patterns are arranged in a matrix of 4 rows and 18 columns.

6 . The alignment mark according to claim 1 , wherein each of said long axes is 4 μm and each of said short axes is 1 μm, and

wherein the distance between said patterns is 4 μm in the direction of said long axes and 5 μm in the direction of said short axes.

7 . The alignment mark according to claim 6 , wherein said patterns are arranged in a matrix of 7 rows and 18 columns.

8 . An overlay inspection mark formed on an underlying layer and disposed on a region in which a semiconductor element is not formed,

said overlay inspection mark comprising a first mark and a second mark both of which are detectable by an optical imaging device,

wherein said first mark includes four linear marks each of which includes a plurality of strip-shaped dot marks having long axes and short axes, said dot marks of each of said linear marks being so disposed that said long axes are directed in the same direction,

wherein said linear marks are disposed on four sides of a square in such a manner that two of said linear marks face parallel to each other across a center point of said square, and the other two of said linear marks face parallel to each other across said center point, and

wherein said second mark has a shape and a size that enable the measurement of a positional relationship between said first mark and said second mark.

9 . The overlay inspection mark according to claim 8 , wherein each of said long axes of said dot marks is shorter than or equals to 16 μm.

10 . The overlay inspection mark according to claim 8 , wherein each of said long axes of said dot marks is shorter than or equals to 10 μm.

11 . The overlay inspection mark according to claim 8 , wherein each of said linear marks includes two dot marks having said long axes of 15 μm and said short axes of 5.5 μm, and the distance between said two dot marks is 2 μm in the direction of said long axes, and

wherein the distance between said linear marks facing each other across said center point is 25 μm.

12 . The overlay inspection mark according to claim 8 , wherein each of said linear marks includes four dot marks having said long axes of 4 μm and said short axes of 2 μm, and the distance between said dot marks is 4 μm in the direction of said long axes, and

wherein the distance between said linear marks facing each other across said center point is 40 μm.

13 . The overlay inspection mark according to claim 8 , wherein said second mark has a rectangular shape surrounded by said linear marks.