A method of detecting a relative positional deviation of a first object having a first grating mark with an optical power and a second object having a second grating mark with an optical power, is disclosed, wherein a projected radiation beam is diffracted by the first and second grating marks in sequence and, on the basis of a position of convergence on a light receiving surface of plural diffraction beams produced by the diffraction through the first and second grating marks and including a signal beam having been diffracted at a predetermined order by each of the first and second grating marks, the relative positional deviation is determined, a detection zone is defined on the light receiving surface, the signal beam is converged upon the detection zone, and a predetermined diffraction beam of the plural diffraction beams which, for a relative positional deviation of the first and second objects, shows displacement different from that of the signal beam is substantially prevented from being converged upon the detection zone.