Patent ID: 7851236

Claim:
A film thickness prediction method of predicting a film thickness of a second processed layer after planarization when a circuit pattern is formed on a first processed layer formed on a substrate, a second processed layer is formed on an entire surface, and the second processed layer is planarized, comprising the steps of: by using a test substrate provided with various test circuit patterns, forming a second processed layer on the various test circuit patterns, measuring a thickness of the formed second processed layer, and performing planarization processing on the formed second processed layer, creating, in advance, (1) a first actual measurement database related to a relationship between the circuit pattern and a sectional structure of the second processed layer formed thereon, (2) a second actual measurement database related to a relationship between a circumferential length of the circuit pattern and the thickness of the second processed layer formed thereon, and (3) a third actual measurement database related to a relationship between the circuit pattern and a planarization rate of the second processed layer formed thereon; obtaining, in advance, (4) a reference film thickness T blk of the second processed layer formed on a region in which no circuit pattern exists; (A) segmenting a first processed layer to be formed on the substrate into grid-like meshes having a predetermined size, and obtaining a pattern area ratio α ij occupied by the circuit pattern to be formed on the first processed layer in each mesh (i,j) and further obtaining a circumferential length L ij of the circuit pattern in each mesh (i,j); (B) obtaining an initial thickness T 2 — INI — ij of the second processed layer in each mesh (i,j) from the circumferential length L ij of the circuit pattern based on the second actual measurement database; and (C) predicting the film thickness of the second processed layer after planarization of the second processed layer from an initial film thickness predicted value Pr ij of the second processed layer in the mesh (i,j) obtained based on the pattern area ratio α ij and the reference film thickness T blk of the second processed layer, the initial thickness T 2 — INI — ij of the second processed layer, and an amount of planarization H ij of the second processed layer in the mesh (i,j) obtained based on the first actual measurement database, the second actual measurement database, and the third actual measurement database.