Patent ID: 7474382

Claim:
A method for determining a focus deviation amount, comprising: forming on a first substrate a plurality of first measurement patterns, each including a protruding pattern with a predetermined shape formed of a resist film and a recessed pattern having adjacent patterns of the resist film with a space provided therebetween, the plurality of first measurement patterns having different focus values at a time of exposure; measuring edge inclination amounts of the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern in the plurality of first measurement patterns; obtaining a focus dependence of the edge inclination amounts, which is a characteristic showing how the edge inclination amounts vary with respect to a variation in the focus value at the time of exposure, based on correspondences between the measured edge inclination amounts and the focus values; forming on a second substrate a second measurement pattern including the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern so as to measure edge inclination amounts of the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern in the second measurement pattern; and calculating a focus deviation amount deviating from a best focus at the time of exposure of the second measurement pattern from the edge inclination amounts measured with respect to the second measurement pattern based on the focus dependence of the edge inclination amounts; wherein a design value of a width of the predetermined shape of the protruding pattern and a design value of a width of the space of the recessed pattern are set so that best focus values at the time of exposing the protruding pattern and the recessed pattern become closer.