In order to optimize the transitional time during the successive exposure scans for a step-and-scan lithography and improve the productivity in a wafer production process, an investigation of the motion trajectory planning along the scanning direction for wafer stage was carried out. The motions of wafer stage were divided into two respective logical moves （i. e. step-move and scan-move） and the multi-motionoverlap algorithms （MMOA） were presented for optimizing the transitional time between the successive exposure scans. The conventional motion planning method, the Hazelton method and the MMOA were analyzed theoretically and simulated using MATLAB under four different exposure field sizes. The results show that the total time between two successive scans consumed by MMOA is reduced by 4.82%, 2.62%, 3.06% and 3.96%, compared with those of the conventional motion planning method; and reduced by 2.58%, 0.76%, 1.63% and 2.92%, compared with those of the Hazehon method respectively. The theoretical analyses and simulation results illuminate that the MMOA can effectively minimize the transitional step time between successive exposure scans and therefore increase the wafer fabricating productivity.
