This paper describes a mask‐to‐wafer alignment technique for submicron x‐ray lithography. A new gap and lateral alignment method is proposed to avoid the interference of lateral displacement on the gap detection signal and to accurately detect lateral displacement in the wide gap range. This method utilizes a pair of marks: a single grating, which does not have a grating acting as a mark on the wafer, and double‐pitch dual gratings, whose wafer grating pitch is twice as large as the mask grating pitch. Gap detection is performed using an interference signal and an envelope signal. The interference signal is produced by superimposing a positive first‐order diffraction light beam reflected from the mask grating and that of the wafer surface. The envelope signal makes it possible to set an absolute gap. The linear part of the interference signal is used for precision servocontrol at the gap setting point. The lateral alignment, on the other hand, is performed using the intensity difference between positive first‐order and negative first‐order diffraction lights generated by the double‐pitch dual gratings. A highly sensitive and stable lateral displacement detection signal is obtained at the specific gap. The signal has a triangular waveform and hardly varies for gap fluctuations of a few microns from the specific gap. The gap range where a stable signal can be obtained, is 50 times larger than that of the conventional dual grating method. These experimental results agree quite well with theoretical calculations. By combining the single grating method and the double‐pitch dual grating method, accuracies of ±0.02 μm in both gap and lateral alignment servocontrols are realized.