METHOD AND INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING HEIGHT OF STEP DIFFERENCE, AND MANUFACTURING METHOD FOR SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a worked depth measuring instrument capable of measuring accurately a height of a step difference. SOLUTION: This step difference measuring instrument 90 is provided with an irradiation means 60 for scanning a surface 1f of a sample 1 with incident light 6 to cross a groove of the sample 1 having the surface 1f formed with the groove, so as to irradiate it, a detector 3 for detecting reflected light 7 reflected on the surface 1f of the sample 1, and a calculation means 123 for calculating a depth of the groove based on the reflected light 7. The step difference measuring instrument 90 measures the depth of the groove deepened by working. The surface 1f of the sample includes the first and second faces, and a diameter of a beam spot is within a width between a width of the first face and a width of the second face. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI