A method for aligning a substrate to a process center of a support mechanism is provided. The method includes determining substrate thickness after substrate processing at a plurality of orientations and at a plurality of radial distances from a geometric center of the substrate. The method also includes deriving a set of process rate values from substrate thickness and process duration. The method further includes creating for a process rate an off-centered plot, which represents a substantially concentric circle whose points are a circumference of the off-centered plot having substantially the first process rate. The method yet also includes applying a curve-fitting equation to the off-centered plot to determine a set of parameters. The method yet further includes teaching a set of robot arms the set of parameters, thereby enabling the set of robot arms to align another substrate that is supported by the support mechanism with the process center.