Patent ID: 7723235

Claim:
A semiconductor device manufacturing method comprising: (a) a step of preparing a semiconductor substrate having a layer to be processed, (b) a step of forming a resist pattern on the layer to be processed, (c) a step of smoothing a sidewall of the resist pattern by forming a first material film on the layer to be processed so as to cover the sidewall of the resist pattern and to fill in concavities in an outer surface of the sidewall of the resist pattern and, subsequently, removing at least one portion of the first material film while another portion of the first material film remains in said concavities in the outer surface of the sidewall of the resist pattern to thereby provide a smoother outer surface for said sidewall of said resist pattern to reduce line edge roughness of the resist pattern, which smoother outer surface is comprised of the sidewall of the resist pattern and said another portion of the first material film that remains in said concavities, and (d) a step of, after the step (c), etching the layer to be processed using the resist pattern and the another portion of the first material film that remains in said concavities as an etching mask.