Method for evaluating semiconductor wafer, method for selecting semiconductor wafer and method for fabricating device

Abstract

An evaluation method including steps of: acquiring profile measurement data on an entire surface in a thickness direction of a mirror-polished wafer; identifying a slice-cutting direction by performing first-order or second-order differentiation on diameter-direction profile measurement data on the wafer to acquire differential profiles at predetermined rotation angles and pitches, and comparing the acquired differential profiles; acquiring x-y grid data by performing first-order or second-order differentiation on profile measurement data at a predetermined pitch in a y-direction at a predetermined interval in an x-direction perpendicular to the y-direction, which is the identified slice-cutting direction; acquiring, from the x-y grid data, a maximum derivative value in an intermediate region including the wafer center in the y-direction and a maximum derivative value in upper-end-side and lower-end-side regions located outside the intermediate region; and judging failure incidence possibility in a device fabrication process based on the maximum derivative values.