A lithography simulation method includes: taking in design data of a
pattern to be formed on a substrate and mask data to prepare a mask
pattern used in forming a latent image of the pattern on the substrate by
transmission of an energy ray; obtaining the latent image of the pattern
by calculation of an intensity of the energy ray; locally changing, at
least in a portion corresponding to a pattern of interest, a relative
position in a direction of the intensity of the energy ray between a
latent image curve and a reference intensity line in accordance with a
distance between the pattern of interest and a pattern of a neighboring
region , the latent image curve being an intensity distribution curve of
the energy ray constituting the latent image, the reference intensity
line being defined to specify a position of an edge of the pattern of
interest; and calculating a distance between intersections of a portion
of the latent image curve corresponding to the pattern of interest and
the reference intensity line in the changed relative position to define a
line width of interest of the pattern of interest.