Semiconductor device fabricating method

A semiconductor device fabricating method, comprising:

• a first step of forming device chip regions, and a monitor chip region for processing management including in a center thereof a sensing region, on a substrate surface layer in a region compartmentalized in lattice form on one main surface side of a semiconductor substrate wafer, each device chip region having a required active region and an edge region surrounding the active region;
• a second step of, after forming metal films of a required pattern on front surfaces of the device chip regions and the monitor chip region by vapor deposition and photolithography, forming protective films on the front surfaces of the device chip regions and the monitor chip region;
• and
• a third step of grinding and polishing another main surface side of the semiconductor substrate wafer to thin the semiconductor substrate wafer,
• wherein a difference between an area of one chip occupied by the protective film of the monitor chip region and an area of one chip occupied by the protective film of one device chip region is 20% or less.