METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING SURFACE STEP

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for measuring surface step capable of largely improving a throughput while maintaining measurement accuracy, and an apparatus for measuring surface step for carrying out the method. SOLUTION: The surface measurement method is performed for measuring the surface step on the flattened surface obtained by covering a substrate with a flattening film to fill between underlying patterns formed on the substrate. The method includes steps of calculating an occupied area ratio of the underlying pattern in each mesh region obtained by dividing a measurement region on the flattened surface into meshes of a predetermined area (S1-S3). A predetermined number of mesh regions from the highest occupied ratio and a predetermined number of mesh regions from the lowest ratio are selected based on the occupied area ratios which have been calculated (S4). Only the surface step distribution of the selected mesh regions is measured (S5). COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI