Thermal processing method and thermal processing apparatus for substrate employing photoirradiation
View Patent ↗Each of a plurality of flash lamps forming a light source is a bar lamp having an elongated cylindrical shape. The ratio of the distance between the flash lamps and a semiconductor wafer to the distance between the flash lamps and a reflector is set to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2. Consequently, illuminance is weakened on portions of the main surface of the semiconductor wafer located immediately under the flash lamps along the vertical direction and strengthened in portions located immediately under the clearances between adjacent ones of the flash lamps along the vertical direction, thereby reducing illuminance irregularity on the overall main surface of the semiconductor wafer and improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on the semiconductor wafer. Thus, a thermal processing apparatus capable of improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on a substrate is provided.
1. A thermal processing apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating said substrate with light, comprising:
a light source having a plurality of lamps;
a holding element substantially horizontally holding said substrate in a chamber provided under said light source; and
a reflecting element opposed to said holding element through said light source for reflecting light emitted from said light source,
said thermal processing apparatus displacing a peak of illuminance distribution of reflected light introduced into a processed surface of said substrate through said reflecting element with respect to a peak of illuminance distribution of light directly introduced into said processed surface of said substrate from said light source.
2. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
each of said plurality of lamps is a bar lamp having an elongated cylindrical shape, and
said plurality of lamps are aligned in parallel with said substrate held by said holding element to define a clearance between said lamps.
3. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
each of said plurality of lamps is a xenon flash lamp, and
said holding element comprises an assist-heating element preheating held said substrate.
4. A thermal processing apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating said substrate with light, comprising:
a light source having a plurality of lamps;
a holding element substantially horizontally holding said substrate in a chamber provided under said light source; and
a substantially flat reflecting element opposed to said holding element through said light source for reflecting light emitted from said light source, said thermal processing apparatus setting the ratio of the distance between said light source and said substrate held by said holding element to the distance between said substantially flat reflecting element and said light source to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2.
5. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
each of said plurality of lamps is a bar lamp having an elongated cylindrical shape, and
said plurality of lamps are aligned in parallel with said substrate held by said holding element to define a clearance between said lamps,
said thermal processing apparatus setting the ratio of the distance between the centers of said plurality of lamps and said substrate held by said holding element to the distance between said centers of said plurality of lamps and said reflecting element to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2.
6. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein
each of said plurality of lamps is a xenon flash lamp, and
said holding element comprises an assist-heating element preheating held said substrate.
7. A thermal processing apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating said substrate with light, comprising:
a light source formed by horizontally aligning a plurality of bar lamps each having an elongated cylindrical shape in parallel with each other;
a holding element substantially horizontally holding said substrate in a chamber provided under said light source; and
a reflecting element opposed to said holding element through said light source for reflecting light emitted from said light source,
said thermal processing apparatus arranging said reflecting element, said light source and said substrate held by said holding element so that said reflecting element reflects no image of any adjacent bar lamp adjacent to each said bar lamp through a clearance between each said bar lamp and said adjacent bar lamp as viewed from a position of the surface of said substrate held by said holding element located immediately under each of said plurality of bar lamps.
8. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 7 , setting the ratio of the distance between the centers of said plurality of bar lamps and said substrate held by said holding element to the distance between said centers of said plurality of bar lamps and said reflecting element to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2.
9. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
each of said plurality of bar lamps is a xenon flash lamp, and
said holding element comprises an assist-heating element preheating held said substrate.
10. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
said plurality of lamps are a plurality of flash lamps,
said thermal processing apparatus heating said substrate by emitting flash light from said plurality of flash lamps.
11. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein
said plurality of lamps are a plurality of flash lamps,
said thermal processing apparatus heating said substrate by emitting flash light from said plurality of flash lamps.
12. The thermal processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein
said plurality of bar lamps are a plurality of flash lamps,
said thermal processing apparatus heating said substrate by emitting flash light from said plurality of flash lamps.