JP2016184716A - Heat treatment apparatus and method for manufacturing heat treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of preventing the degradation of an O ring due to irradiation with flash light, and a method for manufacturing the heat treatment apparatus.SOLUTION: A sealing structure is achieved by sandwiching an O ring 21 between an upper chamber window 63 and a chamber side portion 61 and pressing a clamping ring 67 against a top of a peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. Grooving is performed on a lower surface and an upper surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, to thereby form a plurality of grooves 22 thereon. Flash light traveling into the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 during irradiation with flash light is reflected by the plurality of grooves 22 and is prevented from traveling toward the O ring 21. This significantly reduces an amount of flash light reaching the O ring 21, and thus degradation of the O ring 21 due to irradiation with flash light can be prevented.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heating a thin plate-shaped precision electronic substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) such as a semiconductor wafer by irradiating flash light, and a method for manufacturing the same.

  In the semiconductor device manufacturing process, impurity introduction is an indispensable step for forming a pn junction in a semiconductor wafer. Currently, impurities are generally introduced by ion implantation and subsequent annealing. The ion implantation method is a technique in which impurity elements such as boron (B), arsenic (As), and phosphorus (P) are ionized and collided with a semiconductor wafer at a high acceleration voltage to physically perform impurity implantation. The implanted impurities are activated by annealing. At this time, if the annealing time is about several seconds or more, the implanted impurities are deeply diffused by heat, and as a result, the junction depth becomes deeper than required, and there is a possibility that good device formation may be hindered.

  Therefore, in recent years, flash lamp annealing (FLA) has attracted attention as an annealing technique for heating a semiconductor wafer in an extremely short time. Flash lamp annealing is a semiconductor wafer in which impurities are implanted by irradiating the surface of the semiconductor wafer with flash light using a xenon flash lamp (hereinafter, simply referred to as “flash lamp” means xenon flash lamp). Is a heat treatment technique for raising the temperature of only the surface of the material in a very short time (several milliseconds or less).

  The radiation spectral distribution of a xenon flash lamp ranges from the ultraviolet region to the near infrared region, has a shorter wavelength than the conventional halogen lamp, and almost coincides with the fundamental absorption band of a silicon semiconductor wafer. Therefore, when the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with flash light from the xenon flash lamp, the semiconductor wafer can be rapidly heated with little transmitted light. Further, it has been found that if the flash light irradiation is performed for a very short time of several milliseconds or less, only the vicinity of the surface of the semiconductor wafer can be selectively heated. For this reason, if the temperature is raised for a very short time by the xenon flash lamp, only the impurity activation can be performed without deeply diffusing the impurities.

  In the lamp annealing apparatus using such a flash lamp, an O-ring is used as a seal member in order to make the inside of the chamber accommodating the semiconductor wafer airtight. Since the O-ring is made of resin and has a relatively low heat-resistant temperature, measures to suppress the temperature rise (for example, cooling of the chamber using a cooling fluid) are required when used in a heat treatment apparatus. In particular, when used in a heat treatment apparatus using a flash lamp, an extremely strong flash light is instantaneously irradiated, so that the O-ring caused by the strong flash light irradiation rather than the deterioration of the O-ring due to heat is used. Surface degradation becomes a problem. The deterioration of the O-ring surface is a serious problem in that not only the airtightness in the chamber is impaired, but the deteriorated O-ring becomes a source of gas and particles.

  For this reason, in Patent Document 1, an O-ring is sandwiched between a chamber side wall and a quartz window, and the quartz window is pressed against the chamber by a clamp ring to seal the back surface of the clamp ring. Therefore, it has been proposed to make the surface rough. If the back surface of the clamp ring is a rough surface, even if a part of the flash light enters between the clamp ring and the chamber side wall during flash light irradiation, the light is diffusely reflected on the back surface of the clamp ring, but is reflected on the O-ring. It is possible to prevent the O-ring from deteriorating.

JP 2009-4427 A

  Conventionally, a flash lamp annealing apparatus for activating impurities as disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been used at normal pressure, but recently for other processing purposes (for example, heat treatment of a high dielectric constant gate insulating film). Application of flash lamp annealing is also under study, and the inside of the chamber may be decompressed to a vacuum depending on the purpose of processing. In order to reduce the pressure in the chamber to a vacuum, the chamber itself needs to have a pressure-resistant structure, and the quartz window that closes the opening of the chamber must be thicker than that disclosed in Patent Document 1.

  However, when the thickness of the quartz window is increased, the amount of flash light that enters the quartz window during flash light irradiation also increases, and the O-ring is exposed to the flash light only by blasting the back surface of the clamp ring. It has been found that the surface deterioration cannot be sufficiently prevented.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus and a method for manufacturing the same that can prevent the deterioration of the O-ring caused by flash light irradiation.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a first aspect of the present invention is a heat treatment apparatus that heats a substrate by irradiating the substrate with flash light, and a chamber that accommodates the substrate and holds the substrate in the chamber. A holding portion; a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber; a quartz window covering the opening on the one side of the chamber; a side wall of the chamber; and a peripheral portion of the quartz window. An O-ring sandwiched between the contact surface and a window pressing member that presses a facing surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window facing the contact surface toward the side wall of the chamber, from the flash lamp Forming a light exposure inhibition portion at the peripheral portion of the quartz window that inhibits light that has been emitted and entered the peripheral portion of the quartz window from reaching the O-ring. And butterflies.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the light exposure inhibition portion is a plurality of grooves formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of grooves are portions that are in contact with the O-ring among the facing surface and the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window. It is characterized by being engraved in the excluded area.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the second or third aspect of the present invention, a mirror surface is formed in the plurality of grooves.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the light exposure inhibition portion is a mirror surface formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the mirror surface is formed on the contact surface of a peripheral portion of the quartz window.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the invention, the mirror surface is further formed on the opposing surface and the end surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the light exposure inhibition portion is a rough surface formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the eighth aspect of the invention, the rough surface is formed on the facing surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window.

  The invention of claim 10 is the heat treatment apparatus according to the invention of claim 8, wherein the rough surface is formed in a region excluding a portion in contact with the O-ring in the contact surface of a peripheral portion of the quartz window. It is characterized by that.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the rough surface excludes a portion of the peripheral surface of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring among the facing surface and the contact surface. It is formed in a region.

  According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention, the light exposure inhibition part is opaque quartz provided at a peripheral part of the quartz window.

  The invention according to claim 13 is the heat treatment apparatus according to the invention according to claim 12, wherein the opaque quartz is provided in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring. And

  The invention according to claim 14 is the heat treatment apparatus according to the invention of claim 12, wherein a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring is formed of transparent quartz. And

  The invention of claim 15 is a method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber for containing the substrate. The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the periphery of the quartz window, and a groove is formed on the surface of the periphery of the quartz window. And a plurality of grooves.

  The invention of claim 16 is a method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate. The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the periphery of the quartz window, and a metal film is formed on the surface of the periphery of the quartz window. The film is made into a mirror surface.

  The invention of claim 17 is a method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate. The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the peripheral edge of the quartz window, and the surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window is blasted. And rough surface.

  The invention according to claim 18 is a method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate. The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the periphery of the quartz window, and opaque quartz is welded to the periphery of the quartz window. It is characterized by providing.

  Further, the invention of claim 19 is the method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus according to the invention of claim 18, wherein a groove is engraved in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring, Welding is performed so that opaque quartz is buried in the groove.

  According to a twentieth aspect of the present invention, in the method for manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus according to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, transparent quartz is provided in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring. Features.

  According to the first to fourteenth aspects of the present invention, the peripheral portion of the quartz window is provided with the light exposure inhibiting portion that inhibits the light emitted from the flash lamp and entering the peripheral portion of the quartz window from reaching the O-ring. Therefore, the amount of flash light reaching the O-ring during flash light irradiation can be reduced, and deterioration of the O-ring due to flash light irradiation can be prevented.

  In particular, according to the inventions of claims 12 to 14, since the light exposure inhibition part is opaque quartz, contamination in the chamber by the light exposure inhibition part can be prevented.

  According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, a plurality of grooves are formed by performing groove processing on the peripheral surface of the quartz window, so that the light that has entered the peripheral portion of the quartz window at the time of flash light irradiation reaches the O-ring. This is hindered by the plurality of grooves, the amount of flash light reaching the O-ring is reduced, and deterioration of the O-ring due to flash light irradiation can be prevented.

  According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the metal film is formed on the peripheral surface of the quartz window to form a mirror surface, so that the light that has entered the peripheral portion of the quartz window during flash light irradiation can reach the O-ring. The amount of flash light that is obstructed by the mirror surface and reaches the O-ring can be reduced, and deterioration of the O-ring due to flash light irradiation can be prevented.

  According to the invention of claim 17, since the surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window is blasted to be roughened, it is rough that the light that has entered the peripheral portion of the quartz window at the time of flash light irradiation reaches the O-ring. The amount of flash light that is obstructed by the surface and reaches the O-ring is reduced, and deterioration of the O-ring due to flash light irradiation can be prevented.

  According to the eighteenth to twentieth aspects of the present invention, the opaque quartz is welded to the peripheral portion of the quartz window, so that the light that has entered the peripheral portion of the quartz window at the time of flash light irradiation can reach the O-ring. The amount of flash light that is blocked by opaque quartz and reaches the O-ring can be reduced, and deterioration of the O-ring due to flash light irradiation can be prevented.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the structure of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the whole external appearance of a holding | maintenance part. It is the top view which looked at the holding | maintenance part from the upper surface. It is the side view which looked at the holding | maintenance part from the side. It is a top view of a transfer mechanism. It is a side view of a transfer mechanism. It is a top view which shows arrangement | positioning of a some halogen lamp. It is the elements on larger scale which show the structure of the seal part periphery of a chamber. It is the figure which expanded the some groove | channel formed in the upper chamber window. It is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window of 3rd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 8th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the peripheral part structure of the upper chamber window of 9th Embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration of a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention. The heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a flash lamp annealing apparatus that heats a semiconductor wafer W by irradiating flash light onto a disk-shaped semiconductor wafer W having a diameter of 300 mm as a substrate. In FIG. 1 and the subsequent drawings, the size and number of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding.

  The heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a chamber 6 that accommodates a semiconductor wafer W, a flash heating unit 5 that houses a plurality of flash lamps FL, and a halogen heating unit 4 that houses a plurality of halogen lamps HL. A flash heating unit 5 is provided on the upper side of the chamber 6, and a halogen heating unit 4 is provided on the lower side. The heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a holding unit 7 that holds the semiconductor wafer W in a horizontal posture inside the chamber 6, and a transfer mechanism 10 that transfers the semiconductor wafer W between the holding unit 7 and the outside of the apparatus, Is provided. Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a control unit 3 that controls the operation mechanisms provided in the halogen heating unit 4, the flash heating unit 5, and the chamber 6 to perform the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W.

  The chamber 6 is configured by mounting quartz chamber windows above and below a cylindrical chamber side portion 61. The chamber side portion 61 has a substantially cylindrical shape with upper and lower openings. The upper opening is closed by an upper chamber window 63 and the lower opening is closed by a lower chamber window 64. ing. The upper chamber window 63 constituting the ceiling of the chamber 6 is a disk-shaped member made of quartz and functions as a quartz window that transmits the flash light emitted from the flash heating unit 5 into the chamber 6. The lower chamber window 64 constituting the floor portion of the chamber 6 is also a disk-shaped member made of quartz and functions as a quartz window that transmits light from the halogen heating unit 4 into the chamber 6.

  The heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is a vacuum-compatible apparatus, and the chamber 6 is also configured to withstand pressure. Specifically, the upper chamber window 63 and the lower chamber window 64 are made thicker (for example, 20 mm or more) than those of the conventional flash lamp annealing apparatus for normal pressure. Further, the inside of the chamber 6 is sealed by sandwiching an O-ring between the upper chamber window 63 and the lower chamber window 64 and the chamber side portion 61, which will be described later.

  A reflective ring 68 is attached to the upper part of the inner wall surface of the chamber side part 61, and a reflective ring 69 is attached to the lower part. The reflection rings 68 and 69 are both formed in an annular shape. The upper reflecting ring 68 is attached by fitting from above the chamber side portion 61. On the other hand, the lower reflection ring 69 is mounted by being fitted from the lower side of the chamber side portion 61 and fastened with a screw (not shown). That is, the reflection rings 68 and 69 are both detachably attached to the chamber side portion 61. An inner space of the chamber 6, that is, a space surrounded by the upper chamber window 63, the lower chamber window 64, the chamber side portion 61, and the reflection rings 68 and 69 is defined as a heat treatment space 65.

  By attaching the reflection rings 68 and 69 to the chamber side portion 61, a recess 62 is formed on the inner wall surface of the chamber 6. That is, a recess 62 surrounded by a central portion of the inner wall surface of the chamber side portion 61 where the reflection rings 68 and 69 are not mounted, a lower end surface of the reflection ring 68, and an upper end surface of the reflection ring 69 is formed. . The recess 62 is formed in an annular shape along the horizontal direction on the inner wall surface of the chamber 6, and surrounds the holding portion 7 that holds the semiconductor wafer W.

  The chamber side portion 61 and the reflection rings 68 and 69 are formed of a metal material (for example, stainless steel) having excellent strength and heat resistance. Further, the inner peripheral surfaces of the reflection rings 68 and 69 are mirrored by electrolytic nickel plating.

  The chamber side 61 is formed with a transfer opening (furnace port) 66 for carrying the semiconductor wafer W into and out of the chamber 6. The transfer opening 66 can be opened and closed by a gate valve 185. The transport opening 66 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the recess 62. Therefore, when the gate valve 185 opens the transfer opening 66, the semiconductor wafer W is carried into the heat treatment space 65 through the recess 62 from the transfer opening 66 and the semiconductor wafer W is carried out from the heat treatment space 65. It can be performed. Further, when the gate valve 185 closes the transfer opening 66, the heat treatment space 65 in the chamber 6 becomes a sealed space.

A gas supply hole 81 for supplying a processing gas to the heat treatment space 65 is formed in the upper portion of the inner wall of the chamber 6. The gas supply hole 81 is formed at a position above the recess 62 and may be provided in the reflection ring 68. The gas supply hole 81 is connected to a gas supply pipe 83 through a buffer space 82 formed in an annular shape inside the side wall of the chamber 6. The gas supply pipe 83 is connected to a gas supply source 85. A valve 84 is inserted in the middle of the path of the gas supply pipe 83. When the valve 84 is opened, the processing gas is supplied from the gas supply source 85 to the buffer space 82. The processing gas flowing into the buffer space 82 flows so as to expand in the buffer space 82 having a smaller fluid resistance than the gas supply hole 81 and is supplied from the gas supply hole 81 into the heat treatment space 65. As the treatment gas, an inert gas such as argon (Ar), helium (He), nitrogen (N ₂ ), or oxygen (O ₂ ), hydrogen (H ₂ ), chlorine (Cl ₂ ), hydrogen chloride (HCl) ), Ozone (O ₃ ), ammonia (NH ₃ ) and other reactive gases can be used.

  On the other hand, a gas exhaust hole 86 for exhausting the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is formed in the lower portion of the inner wall of the chamber 6. The gas exhaust hole 86 is formed at a position lower than the recess 62 and may be provided in the reflection ring 69. The gas exhaust hole 86 is connected to a gas exhaust pipe 88 through a buffer space 87 formed in an annular shape inside the side wall of the chamber 6. The gas exhaust pipe 88 is connected to the exhaust unit 190. A valve 89 is inserted in the middle of the path of the gas exhaust pipe 88. When the valve 89 is opened, the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is discharged from the gas exhaust hole 86 to the gas exhaust pipe 88 through the buffer space 87. A plurality of gas supply holes 81 and gas exhaust holes 86 may be provided along the circumferential direction of the chamber 6 or may be slit-shaped.

  The exhaust unit 190 includes a vacuum pump. Without closing the valve 84 and supplying gas to the heat treatment space 65, the exhaust unit 190 is operated to open the valve 89, whereby the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is discharged and the heat treatment space 65 is vacuumed below atmospheric pressure. The pressure can be reduced to. On the other hand, when the valve 84 is opened to supply the processing gas to the heat treatment space 65 and the exhaust unit 190 is operated to open the valve 89, the atmosphere replacement of the heat treatment space 65 can be performed.

  A gas exhaust pipe 191 that exhausts the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is also connected to the tip of the transfer opening 66. The gas exhaust pipe 191 is connected to the exhaust unit 190 via a valve 192. By opening the valve 192, the gas in the chamber 6 is exhausted through the transfer opening 66.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the holding unit 7. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the holding unit 7 as viewed from above, and FIG. 4 is a side view of the holding unit 7 as viewed from the side. The holding part 7 includes a base ring 71, a connecting part 72, and a susceptor 74. The base ring 71, the connecting portion 72, and the susceptor 74 are all made of quartz. That is, the whole holding part 7 is made of quartz.

  The base ring 71 is an annular quartz member. The base ring 71 is supported on the wall surface of the chamber 6 by being placed on the bottom surface of the recess 62 (see FIG. 1). On the upper surface of the base ring 71 having an annular shape, a plurality of connecting portions 72 (four in this embodiment) are erected along the circumferential direction. The connecting portion 72 is also a quartz member, and is fixed to the base ring 71 by welding. The shape of the base ring 71 may be an arc shape in which a part is omitted from the annular shape.

  The flat susceptor 74 is supported by four connecting portions 72 provided on the base ring 71. The susceptor 74 is a substantially circular flat plate member made of quartz. The diameter of the susceptor 74 is larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. That is, the susceptor 74 has a larger planar size than the semiconductor wafer W. On the upper surface of the susceptor 74, a plurality (five in this embodiment) of guide pins 76 are erected. The five guide pins 76 are provided along a circumference that is concentric with the outer circumference of the susceptor 74. The diameter of the circle in which the five guide pins 76 are arranged is slightly larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. Each guide pin 76 is also formed of quartz. The guide pin 76 may be processed from a quartz ingot integrally with the susceptor 74, or a separately processed one may be attached to the susceptor 74 by welding or the like.

  The four connecting portions 72 erected on the base ring 71 and the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the susceptor 74 are fixed by welding. That is, the susceptor 74 and the base ring 71 are fixedly connected by the connecting portion 72, and the holding portion 7 is an integrally formed member of quartz. When the base ring 71 of the holding unit 7 is supported on the wall surface of the chamber 6, the holding unit 7 is attached to the chamber 6. In a state in which the holding unit 7 is mounted on the chamber 6, the substantially disc-shaped susceptor 74 is in a horizontal posture (a posture in which the normal line matches the vertical direction). The semiconductor wafer W carried into the chamber 6 is placed and held in a horizontal posture on the susceptor 74 of the holding unit 7 attached to the chamber 6. The semiconductor wafer W is placed inside a circle formed by the five guide pins 76, thereby preventing a horizontal displacement. Note that the number of guide pins 76 is not limited to five, and may be any number that can prevent misalignment of the semiconductor wafer W.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the susceptor 74 has an opening 78 and a notch 77 penetrating vertically. The notch 77 is provided to pass the probe tip of the contact thermometer 130 using a thermocouple. On the other hand, the opening 78 is provided to receive radiation light (infrared light) emitted from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the susceptor 74 by the radiation thermometer 120. Further, the susceptor 74 is provided with four through holes 79 through which lift pins 12 of the transfer mechanism 10 to be described later penetrate for the delivery of the semiconductor wafer W.

  FIG. 5 is a plan view of the transfer mechanism 10. FIG. 6 is a side view of the transfer mechanism 10. The transfer mechanism 10 includes two transfer arms 11. The transfer arm 11 has an arc shape that follows the generally annular recess 62. Two lift pins 12 are erected on each transfer arm 11. Each transfer arm 11 can be rotated by a horizontal movement mechanism 13. The horizontal movement mechanism 13 includes a transfer operation position (a position indicated by a solid line in FIG. 5) for transferring the pair of transfer arms 11 to the holding unit 7 and the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7. It is moved horizontally between the retracted positions (two-dot chain line positions in FIG. 5) that do not overlap in plan view. As the horizontal movement mechanism 13, each transfer arm 11 may be rotated by an individual motor, or a pair of transfer arms 11 may be interlocked by a single motor using a link mechanism. It may be moved.

  The pair of transfer arms 11 are moved up and down together with the horizontal moving mechanism 13 by the lifting mechanism 14. When the elevating mechanism 14 raises the pair of transfer arms 11 at the transfer operation position, a total of four lift pins 12 pass through through holes 79 (see FIGS. 2 and 3) formed in the susceptor 74, and the lift pins The upper end of 12 protrudes from the upper surface of the susceptor 74. On the other hand, when the elevating mechanism 14 lowers the pair of transfer arms 11 at the transfer operation position, the lift pins 12 are extracted from the through holes 79, and the horizontal movement mechanism 13 moves the pair of transfer arms 11 so as to open each of them. The transfer arm 11 moves to the retracted position. The retracted position of the pair of transfer arms 11 is directly above the base ring 71 of the holding unit 7. Since the base ring 71 is placed on the bottom surface of the recess 62, the retracted position of the transfer arm 11 is inside the recess 62. Note that an exhaust mechanism (not shown) is also provided in the vicinity of a portion where the drive unit (the horizontal movement mechanism 13 and the lifting mechanism 14) of the transfer mechanism 10 is provided, and the atmosphere around the drive unit of the transfer mechanism 10 is provided. Is discharged to the outside of the chamber 6.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the flash heating unit 5 provided outside the chamber 6 and above the chamber 6 includes a plurality of (30 in the present embodiment) xenon flash lamps FL inside the housing 51. A light source and a reflector 52 provided so as to cover the light source are configured. A lamp light emission window 53 is mounted on the bottom of the casing 51 of the flash heating unit 5. The lamp light emission window 53 constituting the floor of the flash heating unit 5 is a plate-like quartz window made of quartz. By installing the flash heating unit 5 above the chamber 6, the lamp light emission window 53 faces the upper chamber window 63. The flash lamp FL irradiates the heat treatment space 65 with flash light from above the chamber 6 through the lamp light emission window 53 and the upper chamber window 63.

  Each of the plurality of flash lamps FL is a rod-shaped lamp having a long cylindrical shape, and the longitudinal direction of each of the flash lamps FL is along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 (that is, along the horizontal direction). They are arranged in a plane so as to be parallel to each other. Therefore, the plane formed by the arrangement of the flash lamps FL is also a horizontal plane.

  The xenon flash lamp FL has a rod-shaped glass tube (discharge tube) in which xenon gas is sealed and an anode and a cathode connected to a capacitor at both ends thereof, and an outer peripheral surface of the glass tube. And a triggered electrode. Since xenon gas is an electrical insulator, electricity does not flow into the glass tube under normal conditions even if electric charges are accumulated in the capacitor. However, when the insulation is broken by applying a high voltage to the trigger electrode, the electricity stored in the capacitor flows instantaneously in the glass tube, and light is emitted by excitation of atoms or molecules of xenon at that time. In such a xenon flash lamp FL, the electrostatic energy previously stored in the capacitor is converted into an extremely short light pulse of 0.1 to 100 milliseconds, so that the continuous lighting such as the halogen lamp HL is possible. It has the characteristic that it can irradiate extremely strong light compared with a light source. That is, the flash lamp FL is a pulse light emitting lamp that emits light instantaneously in an extremely short time of less than 1 second. The light emission time of the flash lamp FL can be adjusted by the coil constant of the lamp power source that supplies power to the flash lamp FL.

  In addition, the reflector 52 is provided above the plurality of flash lamps FL so as to cover all of them. The basic function of the reflector 52 is to reflect the flash light emitted from the plurality of flash lamps FL toward the heat treatment space 65. The reflector 52 is formed of an aluminum alloy plate, and the surface (the surface facing the flash lamp FL) is roughened by blasting.

  The halogen heating unit 4 provided outside the chamber 6 and below the chamber 6 includes a plurality of (in the present embodiment, 40) halogen lamps HL inside the housing 41. The halogen heating unit 4 is a light irradiation unit that heats the semiconductor wafer W by irradiating the heat treatment space 65 from below the chamber 6 through the lower chamber window 64 with a plurality of halogen lamps HL.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view showing the arrangement of the plurality of halogen lamps HL. A plurality of halogen lamps HL are arranged in a region wider than the main surface of the disk-shaped semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 (that is, a circle having a diameter of 300 mm). A plurality of halogen lamps HL are arranged in a region facing the lower surface of the main surface of the semiconductor wafer W.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, 40 halogen lamps HL are arranged in two upper and lower stages. Twenty halogen lamps HL are arranged on the upper stage close to the holding unit 7, and twenty halogen lamps HL are arranged on the lower stage farther from the holding unit 7 than the upper stage. Each halogen lamp HL is a rod-shaped lamp having a long cylindrical shape. The 20 halogen lamps HL in both the upper and lower stages are arranged so that their longitudinal directions are parallel to each other along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 (that is, along the horizontal direction). Yes. Therefore, the plane formed by the arrangement of the halogen lamps HL in both the upper stage and the lower stage is a horizontal plane.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the arrangement density of the halogen lamps HL in the region facing the peripheral portion is higher than the region facing the central portion of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding portion 7 in both the upper stage and the lower stage. Yes. That is, in both the upper and lower stages, the arrangement pitch of the halogen lamps HL is shorter in the peripheral part than in the central part of the lamp array. For this reason, it is possible to irradiate a larger amount of light to the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer W where the temperature is likely to decrease during heating by light irradiation from the halogen heating unit 4.

  Further, the lamp group composed of the upper halogen lamp HL and the lamp group composed of the lower halogen lamp HL are arranged so as to intersect in a lattice pattern. That is, a total of 40 halogen lamps HL are arranged so that the longitudinal direction of the 20 halogen lamps HL arranged in the upper stage and the longitudinal direction of the 20 halogen lamps HL arranged in the lower stage are orthogonal to each other. Yes.

  The halogen lamp HL is a filament-type light source that emits light by making the filament incandescent by energizing the filament disposed inside the glass tube. Inside the glass tube, a gas obtained by introducing a trace amount of a halogen element (iodine, bromine, etc.) into an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is enclosed. By introducing a halogen element, it is possible to set the filament temperature to a high temperature while suppressing breakage of the filament. Therefore, the halogen lamp HL has a characteristic that it has a longer life than a normal incandescent bulb and can continuously radiate strong light. That is, the halogen lamp HL is a continuous lighting lamp that emits light continuously for at least one second. Further, since the halogen lamp HL is a rod-shaped lamp, it has a long life, and by arranging the halogen lamp HL along the horizontal direction, the radiation efficiency to the upper semiconductor wafer W becomes excellent.

  Further, a reflector 43 is also provided in the housing 41 of the halogen heating unit 4 below the two-stage halogen lamp HL (FIG. 1). The reflector 43 reflects the light emitted from the plurality of halogen lamps HL toward the heat treatment space 65.

  FIG. 8 is a partially enlarged view showing the structure around the seal portion of the chamber 6. In order to maintain the airtightness of the heat treatment space 65 in the chamber 6, the upper chamber window 63 and the chamber side portion 61 are sealed by the O-ring 21. The O-ring 21 is formed of a resin excellent in heat resistance (for example, white Viton (registered trademark)). An annular groove 611 is formed on the upper end of the substantially cylindrical chamber side portion 61, and the O-ring 21 is fitted into the groove 611. The diameter of the cross section of the O-ring 21 is larger than the depth of the groove 611. Then, the upper chamber window 63 is placed from above the O-ring 21 fitted in the groove 611 to press the O-ring 21. Further, the clamp ring 67 is brought into contact with the peripheral edge of the upper surface of the upper chamber window 63, and the clamp ring 67 is screwed to the chamber side portion 61, whereby the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is changed from the upper side to the chamber side portion 61. The O-ring 21 is sandwiched and brought into close contact with the lower peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63 and the upper end portion of the chamber side portion 61. By pressing the upper chamber window 63 with the clamp ring 67, the upper opening of the chamber 6 is sealed with the O-ring 21. The clamp ring 67 is formed of aluminum having excellent resistance to flash light from the flash lamp FL. Similar to the upper opening, the lower opening of the chamber 6 is also sealed by inserting an O-ring (not shown) between the lower chamber window 64 and the chamber side portion 61.

  In the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are formed by performing groove processing on the surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63. Specifically, a plurality of grooves 22 are formed on the lower surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 (that is, the contact surface that contacts the O-ring 21), and the upper surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 (that is, the above-described surface). A plurality of grooves 22 are also engraved on the facing surface (facing the contact surface). Note that the surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 includes the upper surface (opposing surface), the lower surface (contact surface), and the side surface (the end surface on the left side of FIG. 8) of the peripheral portion.

  The plurality of grooves 22 may be formed on the entire contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63, but this is not necessarily the case, and it is sufficient that they are formed at least in a partial region. In this embodiment for processing a semiconductor wafer W having a diameter of 300 mm, for example, a plurality of grooves 22 are formed in an annular band-shaped region having a radius of 215 mm to 260 mm on the upper surface and the lower surface of the upper chamber window 63. However, it is preferable not to form the groove 22 in at least a portion of the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21. That is, it is preferable to engrave a plurality of grooves 22 in a region excluding a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. This is because if the groove 22 is formed in a portion of the contact surface of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, the sealing performance is impaired. It should be noted that the size and shape of the groove in contact with the O-ring 21 are adjusted to the curved surface of the O-ring 21 to ensure sealing performance, and then the O-ring 21 on the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. A groove may also be formed in a portion in contact with.

  FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the plurality of grooves 22 formed in the upper chamber window 63. Each of the plurality of grooves 22 is engraved on the contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 so that the cross section is an annular shape having a right triangle. In this embodiment, each groove | channel 22 is engraved so that the angle (alpha) which one side of the right-angled triangle of a cross section makes with a horizontal surface may be 60 degrees. Further, the size (depth) of each of the plurality of grooves 22 can be set appropriately.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 3 controls the various operating mechanisms provided in the heat treatment apparatus 1. The configuration of the control unit 3 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 3 includes a CPU that is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, control software, data, and the like. It has a magnetic disk to store. The processing in the heat treatment apparatus 1 proceeds as the CPU of the control unit 3 executes a predetermined processing program.

  In addition to the above configuration, the heat treatment apparatus 1 prevents an excessive temperature rise in the halogen heating unit 4, the flash heating unit 5, and the chamber 6 due to thermal energy generated from the halogen lamp HL and the flash lamp FL during the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, various cooling structures are provided. For example, the wall of the chamber 6 is provided with a water-cooled tube (not shown). Thereby, the O-ring 21 fitted in the groove 611 of the chamber side portion 61 is also cooled. Further, the halogen heating unit 4 and the flash heating unit 5 have an air cooling structure in which a gas flow is formed inside to exhaust heat. Air is also supplied to the gap between the upper chamber window 63 and the lamp light emission window 53 to cool the flash heating unit 5 and the upper chamber window 63.

  Next, a processing procedure of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1 having the above configuration will be briefly described. The type of the semiconductor wafer W to be processed in the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is not particularly limited. For example, an Hf-based high dielectric constant gate insulating film (hig-k film) is formed on the surface. Yes. The processing procedure of the heat treatment apparatus 1 described below proceeds by the control unit 3 controlling each operation mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

  First, the air supply valve 84 is opened, and the exhaust valves 89 and 192 are opened to start supply and exhaust of air into the chamber 6. When the valve 84 is opened, nitrogen gas is supplied from the gas supply hole 81 to the heat treatment space 65. When the valve 89 is opened, the gas in the chamber 6 is exhausted from the gas exhaust hole 86. Thereby, the nitrogen gas supplied from the upper part of the heat treatment space 65 in the chamber 6 flows downward and is exhausted from the lower part of the heat treatment space 65, whereby the heat treatment space 65 is replaced with a nitrogen gas atmosphere. Further, when the valve 192 is opened, the gas in the chamber 6 is also exhausted from the transfer opening 66. Further, the atmosphere around the drive unit of the transfer mechanism 10 is also exhausted by an exhaust mechanism (not shown).

  Subsequently, the gate valve 185 is opened to open the transfer opening 66, and the semiconductor wafer W to be processed is transferred into the heat treatment space 65 in the chamber 6 through the transfer opening 66 by the transfer robot outside the apparatus. The semiconductor wafer W carried in by the carrying robot advances to a position directly above the holding unit 7 and stops. Then, when the pair of transfer arms 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 moves horizontally from the retracted position to the transfer operation position and rises, the lift pins 12 protrude from the upper surface of the susceptor 74 through the through holes 79 and the semiconductor wafer W. Receive.

  After the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the lift pins 12, the transfer robot leaves the heat treatment space 65 and the transfer opening 66 is closed by the gate valve 185. When the pair of transfer arms 11 are lowered, the semiconductor wafer W is transferred from the transfer mechanism 10 to the susceptor 74 of the holding unit 7 and held from below in a horizontal posture. The semiconductor wafer W is held inside the five guide pins 76 on the upper surface of the susceptor 74. The pair of transfer arms 11 lowered to below the susceptor 74 is retracted to the retracted position, that is, inside the recess 62 by the horizontal movement mechanism 13. After the semiconductor wafer W is carried into the chamber 6 and the transfer opening 66 is closed, the valve 84 is closed while the exhaust unit 190 is operated to reduce the heat treatment space 65 to below atmospheric pressure, and then the gas is supplied. A reactive gas such as ammonia may be supplied from the source 85 to the heat treatment space 65.

  After the semiconductor wafer W is held horizontally from below by the holding unit 7 made of quartz, the 40 halogen lamps HL of the halogen heating unit 4 are turned on all at once and preheating (assist heating) is started. Is done. The halogen light emitted from the halogen lamp HL passes through the lower chamber window 64 and the susceptor 74 made of quartz and is irradiated from the back surface of the semiconductor wafer W. By receiving light from the halogen lamp HL, the semiconductor wafer W is preheated and the temperature rises. In addition, since the transfer arm 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 is retracted to the inside of the recess 62, there is no obstacle to heating by the halogen lamp HL.

  When preheating with the halogen lamp HL is performed, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is measured by the contact thermometer 130. That is, a contact thermometer 130 incorporating a thermocouple contacts the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 via the notch 77 of the susceptor 74 to measure the temperature of the wafer being heated. The measured temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is transmitted to the control unit 3. The controller 3 monitors whether or not the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W that is heated by light irradiation from the halogen lamp HL has reached a predetermined preheating temperature T1. The preheating temperature T1 is set to about 200 ° C. to 800 ° C., preferably about 350 ° C. to 600 ° C. (in this embodiment, 600 ° C.) at which impurities added to the semiconductor wafer W are not likely to diffuse due to heat. . Note that when the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is increased by light irradiation from the halogen lamp HL, temperature measurement by the radiation thermometer 120 is not performed. This is because the halogen light irradiated from the halogen lamp HL enters the radiation thermometer 120 as disturbance light, and accurate temperature measurement cannot be performed.

  After the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W reaches the preheating temperature T1, the control unit 3 maintains the semiconductor wafer W at the preheating temperature T1 for a while. Specifically, the control unit 3 feedback-controls the output of the halogen lamp HL so that the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W measured by the contact thermometer 130 maintains the preheating temperature T1.

  By performing such preheating by the halogen lamp HL, the entire semiconductor wafer W is uniformly heated to the preheating temperature T1. In the preliminary heating stage with the halogen lamp HL, the temperature of the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W where heat dissipation is more likely to occur tends to be lower than that in the central area, but the arrangement density of the halogen lamps HL in the halogen heating section 4 is The region facing the peripheral portion is higher than the region facing the central portion of the semiconductor wafer W. For this reason, the light quantity irradiated to the peripheral part of the semiconductor wafer W which tends to generate heat increases, and the in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer W in the preheating stage can be made uniform. Furthermore, since the inner peripheral surface of the reflection ring 69 attached to the chamber side portion 61 is a mirror surface, the amount of light reflected toward the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer W by the inner peripheral surface of the reflection ring 69 increases. The in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer W in the preheating stage can be made more uniform.

  When a predetermined time elapses after the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W reaches the preheating temperature T1, the flash lamp FL of the flash heating unit 5 irradiates the surface of the semiconductor wafer W with flash light. At this time, a part of the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL goes directly into the chamber 6, and the other part is once reflected by the reflector 52 and then goes into the chamber 6. Flash heating of the semiconductor wafer W is performed by irradiation.

  Since the flash heating is performed by irradiation with flash light (flash light) from the flash lamp FL, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be increased in a short time. That is, the flash light irradiated from the flash lamp FL is converted into a light pulse in which the electrostatic energy stored in the capacitor in advance is extremely short, and the irradiation time is extremely short, about 0.1 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds. It is a strong flash. Then, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W flash-heated by flash light irradiation from the flash lamp FL instantaneously rises to a processing temperature T2 of 1000 ° C. or more, and then quickly drops.

  After the end of the flash heat treatment, the halogen lamp HL is turned off after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereby, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is rapidly lowered from the preheating temperature T1. The temperature of the semiconductor wafer W during the temperature decrease is measured by the contact thermometer 130 or the radiation thermometer 120, and the measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 3. The controller 3 monitors whether or not the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W has dropped to a predetermined temperature from the measurement result. Then, after the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is lowered to a predetermined temperature or lower, the pair of transfer arms 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 is moved horizontally from the retracted position to the transfer operation position again and lifted, whereby the lift pins 12 are moved to the susceptor. The semiconductor wafer W protruding from the upper surface of 74 and subjected to the heat treatment is received from the susceptor 74. Subsequently, the transfer opening 66 closed by the gate valve 185 is opened, and the semiconductor wafer W placed on the lift pins 12 is unloaded by the transfer robot outside the apparatus, and the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1 is performed. Is completed. When the semiconductor wafer W is heat-treated in a reactive gas atmosphere such as ammonia, the transfer opening 66 is preferably opened after the heat treatment space 65 is replaced with a nitrogen gas atmosphere.

  By the way, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, when flash light is irradiated from the flash lamp FL, the flash light diffusely reflected by the inner wall surface of the chamber 6 may enter into the periphery of the upper chamber window 63. In particular, in the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment for vacuum, the plate thickness of the upper chamber window 63 and the lower chamber window 64 is thicker than that of the conventional flash lamp annealing apparatus for atmospheric pressure. The amount of flash light entering the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 during light irradiation increases. Since the lower chamber window 64 is disposed on the opposite side of the flash lamp FL with the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 in between, the flash light hardly reaches even when the flash light is irradiated.

  When the quartz upper chamber window 63 is not specially processed, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 repeats multiple reflections on the peripheral surface and reaches the O-ring 21. When the resin O-ring 21 is exposed to strong flash light, not only the surface of the O-ring 21 is deteriorated and the airtightness in the chamber 6 is lowered, but also the deteriorated O-ring 21 becomes a source of gas and particles. There is a risk.

  For this reason, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are formed on the contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. By engraving a plurality of grooves 22 on the contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 during flash light irradiation is reflected by the plurality of grooves 22. As a result, the amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is remarkably reduced. That is, the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 reaches the O-ring 21 by the plurality of grooves 22 formed on the periphery of the upper chamber window 63. It is inhibiting. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation. In the present embodiment, the angle α formed by one side of the right triangle in the cross section of the plurality of grooves 22 with the horizontal plane is 60 °, but depending on the position where the plurality of grooves 22 are provided, the size of the upper chamber window 63, and the like. It is preferable to set the angle α so that light entering the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 does not go to the O-ring 21.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the second embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a mirror film is formed by forming a metal film in the plurality of grooves 22 of the first embodiment.

  In the second embodiment, a metal film is formed, for example, by sputtering in the plurality of grooves 22 formed on the contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. The engraving form of the plurality of grooves 22 is the same as that of the first embodiment (see FIGS. 8 and 9). As a material for the metal film, for example, chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti) can be used. If each surface which comprises the some groove | channel 22 is a smooth surface, the interface with the groove | channel 22 of the metal film formed on it will become a mirror surface.

  By forming mirror surfaces in the plurality of grooves 22, the flash light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 during irradiation with the flash light is reliably reflected by the plurality of grooves 22 and does not travel toward the O-ring 21. The amount of flash light that reaches the lens is further significantly reduced. That is, by forming a mirror surface in the plurality of grooves 22 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is O-ring. It reliably inhibits reaching 21. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the third embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the third embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are engraved on the surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, but in the third embodiment The mirror surface is formed on the surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63.

  FIG. 10 is a view showing the structure of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63 of the third embodiment. In FIG. 10, the same elements as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the third embodiment, a mirror film 23 is formed by forming a metal film on the contact surface (lower surface) of the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. The peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 made of quartz is a smooth surface. A metal film is formed on the smooth surface by sputtering, for example. The material of the metal film to be formed can be set appropriately, and for example, chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), titanium (Ti), or the like can be used. However, a metal material (for example, copper (Cu)) that is also used as a wiring material of the semiconductor wafer W to be processed is inappropriate. When a metal film is formed on the smooth surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, the interface with the peripheral edge of the metal film becomes a mirror surface. In this way, the mirror surface 23 can be formed on the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. The reflectance of the formed mirror surface 23 is 90% or more.

  The mirror surface 23 does not necessarily have to be formed on the entire contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, and may be formed in a partial region including at least a portion in contact with the O-ring 21. Since the surface of the mirror surface 23 (the surface opposite to the interface with the upper chamber window 63) is a smooth surface, the sealing performance is maintained even if the mirror surface 23 is formed at a site in contact with the O-ring 21.

  By forming the mirror surface 23 on the contact surface at the periphery of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 during flash light irradiation is reflected by the mirror surface 23 and does not go to the O-ring 21. The amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the mirror surface 23 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. It is. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the fourth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the fourth embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are engraved on the surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. The mirror surface is formed on the surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63.

  FIG. 11 is a view showing the structure of the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 of the fourth embodiment. In FIG. 11, the same elements as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. Similar to the third embodiment, in the fourth embodiment as well, a metal film is formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 to form the mirror surface 23. In the third embodiment, only the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is the mirror surface 23, whereas in the fourth embodiment, the entire peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63, that is, the contact surface (lower surface), facing A metal film is formed on the surface (upper surface) and the end surface to form a mirror surface 23. The peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 made of quartz is a smooth surface. A metal film is formed on the smooth surface by sputtering, for example. The material of the metal film to be formed can be set appropriately as in the third embodiment. When a metal film is formed on the smooth surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, the interface with the peripheral edge of the metal film becomes a mirror surface. In this way, the mirror surface 23 can be formed on the contact surface, the opposing surface, and the end surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. That is, it can be said that the mirror surface 23 of the fourth embodiment is obtained by forming a metal film on the opposing surface and the end surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 in addition to the third embodiment. The reflectance of the formed mirror surface 23 is 90% or more.

  The mirror surface 23 does not necessarily have to be formed on the entire contact surface, the opposing surface, and the end surface of the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, and may be formed in a partial region including at least a portion that contacts the O-ring 21. .

  By forming the mirror surface 23 on the contact surface, the opposing surface, and the end surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 when irradiated with the flash light is reflected by the mirror surface 23 and heat-treated again. It will return to the space 65. As a result, the flash light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 does not travel toward the O-ring 21, and the amount of flash light that reaches the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the mirror surface 23 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. It is. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the fifth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the fifth embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The fifth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are engraved on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 in the first embodiment. The rough surface is formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63.

  FIG. 12 is a view showing the structure of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63 of the fifth embodiment. In FIG. 12, the same elements as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the fifth embodiment, the contact surface (lower surface) of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is blasted to form the rough surface 24. Specifically, surface grinding is performed on the contact surface by subjecting the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 to blasting, for example, by spraying a mixture of fine particles in compressed air. A rough surface 24 is formed on the surface. The formed rough surface 24 has, for example, a transmittance of 25% and a scattering reflectance of 75%.

  The rough surface 24 is not necessarily formed on the entire contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, and may be formed at least in a partial region. However, it is preferable not to form the rough surface 24 in at least a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21. That is, it is preferable to form the rough surface 24 in a region excluding a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the contact surface at the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. This is because if the rough surface 24 is formed in a portion of the contact surface of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, the sealing performance may be impaired. Further, the roughness of the rough surface 24 by blasting of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that is in contact with the O-ring 21 is made finer than other portions to ensure sealing performance. Also good.

  By forming the rough surface 24 on the contact surface at the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 during flash light irradiation is scattered by the rough surface 24 and directed toward the O-ring 21. The amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the rough surface 24 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. -ing As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Sixth Embodiment>
Next, a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the sixth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the sixth embodiment is also the same as that in the first embodiment. The sixth embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are engraved on the surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. The rough surface is formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63.

  FIG. 13 is a view showing the structure of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63 of the sixth embodiment. In FIG. 13, the same elements as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the sixth embodiment, the rough surface 24 is formed by performing blasting on the opposing surface (upper surface) of the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63. Specifically, surface grinding is performed on the facing surface by subjecting the facing surface of the upper chamber window 63 to blasting by spraying, for example, a mixture of compressed air and fine particles. A rough surface 24 is formed on the surface. The formed rough surface 24 has, for example, a transmittance of 25% and a scattering reflectance of 75%. The rough surface 24 is not necessarily formed on the entire surface of the opposing surface of the peripheral edge portion of the upper chamber window 63, and may be formed at least in a partial region.

  By forming the rough surface 24 on the opposite surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 at the time of flash light irradiation is scattered by the rough surface 24 and directed toward the O-ring 21. The amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the rough surface 24 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. -ing As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Seventh embodiment>
Next, a seventh embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the seventh embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the seventh embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The seventh embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that, in the first embodiment, a plurality of grooves 22 are formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 in the first embodiment. The rough surface is formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63.

  In the seventh embodiment, both the contact surface (lower surface) and the opposing surface (upper surface) of the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63 are blasted to form the rough surface 24. That is, the formation area of the rough surface 24 in the seventh embodiment is a combination of the fifth embodiment and the sixth embodiment. The blasting method in the seventh embodiment is also the same as in the fifth and sixth embodiments.

  By forming the rough surface 24 on the contact surface and the opposing surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 during flash light irradiation is scattered by the rough surface 24, and the O-ring. Accordingly, the amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the rough surface 24 formed on the peripheral surface of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. -ing As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

<Eighth Embodiment>
Next, an eighth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the eighth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the eighth embodiment is also the same as that in the first embodiment. The eighth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that opaque quartz is provided on the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63.

  14-17 is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window 63 of 8th Embodiment. 14 to 17, the same elements as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the eighth embodiment, the opaque quartz 25 is provided on the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 that is a quartz window. The opaque quartz 25 is, for example, quartz whose light transmittance is reduced by containing a large number of minute bubbles, and has a very low transmittance with respect to the wavelength range of the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL (for example, a thickness of 3 mm). (1% or less)

  In the example shown in FIG. 14, an annular opaque quartz 25 is welded to the outer peripheral end of the upper chamber window 63. The outer diameter of the annular opaque quartz 25 is larger than the diameter of the O-ring 21, and the inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the O-ring 21. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 14, the entire peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 including the portion in contact with the O-ring 21 is formed from the opaque quartz 25.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 15, after a groove having a semicircular cross section is engraved in a ring shape on a portion of the contact surface (lower surface) of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, the groove portion The opaque quartz 25 is welded so that the opaque quartz 25 is buried.

  In the example shown in FIG. 16, a groove having a rectangular cross section is formed in a circular shape in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, and then the opaque quartz 25 is formed in the groove. The opaque quartz 25 is welded so as to be buried.

  Further, in the example shown in FIG. 17, stepping processing is performed on a region including a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, and the opaque quartz 25 is formed so that there is no step in the region. Weld. In the example shown in FIG. 17, the groove and the opaque quartz 25 in the example shown in FIG. 16 can be regarded as extending to the outer peripheral end of the upper chamber window 63.

  In any of the examples shown in FIGS. 14 to 17, the opaque quartz 25 is formed at a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21. Therefore, in the eighth embodiment, the sealing performance is maintained by the contact between the opaque quartz 25 and the O-ring 21. For this reason, as the opaque quartz 25 used for 8th Embodiment, it is preferable to employ | adopt a highly smooth thing with small surface roughness.

  By providing the opaque quartz 25 at a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that comes into contact with the O-ring 21, flash light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 at the time of flash light irradiation is blocked by the opaque quartz 25. As a result, the amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is remarkably reduced. That is, the opaque quartz 25 provided at the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. It is. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

  Further, if the opaque quartz 25 is used, there is no possibility of contaminating the inside of the chamber 6 for processing the semiconductor wafer W, similarly to the quartz that is the material of the upper chamber window 63.

<Ninth Embodiment>
Next, a ninth embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus of the ninth embodiment is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment. The processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the ninth embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The ninth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that opaque quartz is provided on the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63.

  FIGS. 18-25 is a figure which shows the structure of the peripheral part of the upper chamber window 63 of 9th Embodiment. 18 to 25, the same elements as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 8) are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the ninth embodiment, the opaque quartz 25 is provided on the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 that is a quartz window. However, in the ninth embodiment, the portion in contact with the O-ring 21 is formed of transparent quartz. The transparent quartz is the same as the quartz forming the upper chamber window 63 and transmits the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL.

  In the example shown in FIG. 18, a groove having a rectangular cross section is formed in a circular shape in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, and then the opaque quartz 25 is buried in the groove. Thus, the opaque quartz 25 is welded. Thereafter, a groove having a rectangular cross section is formed in a ring shape in a portion of the surface of the opaque quartz 25 that contacts the O-ring 21, and the transparent quartz 26 is welded so that the transparent quartz is buried in the groove. .

  In the example shown in FIG. 19, an annular opaque quartz 25 is welded to the outer peripheral end of the upper chamber window 63, and an annular transparent quartz 26 is welded to the outer peripheral surface of the opaque quartz 25. ing. The outer diameter and inner diameter of the annular opaque quartz 25 are smaller than the diameter of the O-ring 21. The outer diameter of the annular transparent quartz 26 is larger than the diameter of the O-ring 21 and the inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the O-ring 21. Accordingly, in the example of FIG. 19, a portion that contacts the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is formed of the transparent quartz 26, and the annular opaque quartz 25 is provided inside thereof.

  In the example shown in FIG. 20, after a groove having a rectangular cross section is engraved in an annular shape inside a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, the opaque quartz 25 is embedded in the groove. Then, the opaque quartz 25 is welded. As a result, as shown in FIG. 20, a portion of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that comes into contact with the O-ring 21 is formed of transparent quartz, and a wall of opaque quartz 25 is formed on the inner side. The height of the wall of the opaque quartz 25 may be such that the light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 can be prevented from reaching the contact portion between the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 and the O-ring 21. . The example shown in FIG. 19 can be regarded as having the wall of the opaque quartz 25 of the example shown in FIG.

  In the example shown in FIG. 21, grooves having a rectangular cross section are engraved in an annular shape so as to be staggered from the upper surface side and the lower surface side inside the portion contacting the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63. After that, the opaque quartz 25 is welded so that the opaque quartz 25 is buried in the two grooves. As a result, as shown in FIG. 21, the portion of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that is in contact with the O-ring 21 is formed of transparent quartz, and the two walls of opaque quartz 25 are alternately formed on the inner side. It will be. The height position of the upper end of the opaque quartz 25 from the lower surface side is higher than the height position of the lower end of the opaque quartz 25 from the upper surface side. Therefore, the light that has entered the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is blocked by the two opaque quartz 25 walls without reaching the contact portion between the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 and the O-ring 21. . In the example shown in FIG. 21, two walls of the opaque quartz 25 of the example shown in FIG. 20 are alternately provided from the upper and lower sides of the upper chamber window 63.

  In the example shown in FIG. 22, a step process is applied to a region including a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, and the opaque quartz 25 having an L-shaped cross section is entirely formed in the region. After circumferential welding, the transparent quartz 26 is welded all around so that there is no step inside the L-shape. The outer diameter of the transparent quartz 26 is larger than the diameter of the O-ring 21, and the inner diameter is smaller than the diameter of the O-ring 21. Therefore, in the example of FIG. 22, the portion that comes into contact with the O-ring 21 is formed of the transparent quartz 26, and the inside and the upper side thereof are covered with the opaque quartz 25. In the example shown in FIG. 22, the portion of the opaque quartz 25 in contact with the O-ring 21 of the example shown in FIG. 17 is further stepped and the transparent quartz 26 is welded so that there is no step in the region. It can be considered.

  In the example shown in FIG. 23, after a groove having a rectangular cross section is engraved in a ring shape in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21, an annular shape is formed in the groove. Of opaque quartz 25 is inserted. Further, the entire circumference of the transparent quartz 26 is then welded so as to cover the opaque quartz 25 fitted in the groove. As a result, as shown in FIG. 23, a ring made of opaque quartz 25 is built in the upper chamber window 63, and a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is formed of the transparent quartz 26. The upper side is covered with the opaque quartz 25. However, in the example shown in FIG. 23, an air pool may be generated near the interface of the opaque quartz 25, and the air chamber may be thermally expanded during the heat treatment to damage the upper chamber window 63. It is preferable that an air vent hole 27 communicating from the interface to the outside of the upper chamber window 63 is appropriately provided.

  In the example shown in FIG. 24, a groove having a rectangular cross section is engraved in an annular shape inside a portion in contact with the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, and then an annular shape is formed in the groove. The opaque quartz 25 is inserted. Furthermore, after that, the entire circumference of transparent quartz is welded so as to cover the opaque quartz 25 fitted in the groove. As a result, as shown in FIG. 23, a ring made of opaque quartz 25 is built in the upper chamber window 63, and a portion that contacts the O-ring 21 in the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 is formed of transparent quartz. A wall of opaque quartz 25 is formed on the inner side. The height of the wall of the opaque quartz 25 may be such that the light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 can be prevented from reaching the contact portion between the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 and the O-ring 21. . The example shown in FIG. 24 can be considered to be embedded in the upper chamber window 63 by reducing the height of the wall of the opaque quartz 25 of the example shown in FIG. However, even in the example shown in FIG. 24, an air reservoir may be generated near the interface of the opaque quartz 25, and the air reservoir may thermally expand during the heat treatment, so that the upper chamber window 63 may be damaged. Similarly to the example shown, it is preferable to provide an air vent hole communicating from the interface of the opaque quartz 25 to the outside of the upper chamber window 63.

  In the example shown in FIG. 25, an annular groove is formed from the end surface of the upper chamber window 63 toward the center, and the opaque quartz 25 is welded so that the opaque quartz 25 is buried in the groove. As a result, as shown in FIG. 25, the portion of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21 is formed of transparent quartz, and the upper side thereof is covered with the opaque quartz 25. The length in which the opaque quartz 25 enters the center side from the end surface of the upper chamber window 63 is such that the light that has entered the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 reaches the contact portion between the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 and the O-ring 21. It is sufficient if it is a level that inhibits this. The groove may be welded by inserting a ring of opaque quartz 25 divided into several parts in the circumferential direction.

  In the example shown in FIGS. 18 to 25, the opaque quartz 25 is provided on the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, but the portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 that contacts the O-ring 21 is the transparent quartz 26. Formed. Therefore, in the ninth embodiment, the sealing performance is maintained by the contact between the transparent quartz 26 and the O-ring 21. In general, transparent quartz can be provided with higher smoothness with smaller surface roughness than opaque quartz, and if the portion in contact with the O-ring 21 is formed of transparent quartz 26, it is more sophisticated. It becomes possible to realize a sealing property.

  Further, by providing the opaque quartz 25 so as to prevent the flash light entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the contact portion between the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 and the O-ring 21 when the flash light is irradiated. The amount of flash light reaching the O-ring 21 is significantly reduced. That is, the opaque quartz 25 provided at the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 prevents the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. It is. As a result, the O-ring 21 is prevented from being exposed to the flash light during the flash light irradiation, and the O-ring 21 can be prevented from being deteriorated by the flash light irradiation.

  Further, if the opaque quartz 25 is used, there is no possibility of contaminating the inside of the chamber 6 for processing the semiconductor wafer W, similarly to the quartz or transparent quartz 26 which is the material of the upper chamber window 63.

<Modification>
While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the light exposure inhibition that inhibits the light emitted from the flash lamp FL and entering the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the periphery of the upper chamber window 63 from reaching the O-ring 21. In addition to this, whether the back surface of the clamp ring 67 that holds the upper chamber window 63 (the surface in contact with the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63) is subjected to prosthetic processing such as blasting. Alternatively, a mirror surface may be formed by forming a metal film. Thereby, the flash light reaching the O-ring 21 at the time of flash light irradiation can be further reduced.

  In the seventh embodiment, both the contact surface (lower surface) and the opposing surface (upper surface) of the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63 are blasted to form the rough surface 24. In addition, the upper chamber window 63 The end face of the peripheral edge 63 may be blasted to make it rough. If a rough surface is also formed on the peripheral edge of the upper chamber window 63, it is possible to more reliably inhibit the flash light from reaching the O-ring 21 when the flash light is irradiated.

  Further, in each of the above embodiments, the light exposure inhibition portion is formed at the peripheral portion of the upper chamber window 63, but the O-ring is also sandwiched between the lower chamber window 64 and the chamber side portion 61. A similar light exposure inhibition portion may be formed at the peripheral portion of the lower chamber window 64 that is sealed. Although the flash light hardly reaches the lower chamber window 64, since the halogen light emitted from the halogen lamp HL enters, by forming a light exposure inhibition portion at the peripheral portion of the lower chamber window 64, Degradation of the O-ring due to halogen light can be prevented.

  In each of the above embodiments, the semiconductor wafer W is preheated by the halogen lamp HL. Alternatively, the semiconductor wafer W may be placed on a hot plate and preheated.

  In each of the above embodiments, the flash heating unit 5 is provided with 30 flash lamps FL. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of flash lamps FL may be an arbitrary number. it can. The flash lamp FL is not limited to a xenon flash lamp, and may be a krypton flash lamp. Further, the number of halogen lamps HL provided in the halogen heating unit 4 is not limited to 40, and may be any number as long as a plurality of halogen lamps HL are arranged in the upper and lower stages.

  The substrate to be processed by the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, and may be a glass substrate or a solar cell substrate used for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display device. Further, the technique according to the present invention may be applied to bonding of metal and silicon, crystallization of polysilicon, or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heat processing apparatus 3 Control part 4 Halogen heating part 5 Flash heating part 6 Chamber 7 Holding part 10 Transfer mechanism 21 O-ring 22 Groove 23 Mirror surface 24 Rough surface 25 Opaque quartz 26 Transparent quartz 61 Chamber side part 63 Upper chamber window 64 Lower side Chamber window 65 Heat treatment space 67 Clamp ring FL Flash lamp HL Halogen lamp W Semiconductor wafer

Claims (20)

A heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with flash light,
A chamber for housing the substrate;
A holding unit for holding the substrate in the chamber;
A flash lamp provided outside the chamber and on one side of the chamber;
A quartz window covering the opening on the one side of the chamber;
An O-ring sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the contact surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window;
A window pressing member that presses a facing surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window facing the contact surface toward the side wall of the chamber;
With
A heat treatment apparatus characterized in that a light exposure inhibition part that inhibits light emitted from the flash lamp and entering the inside of the periphery of the quartz window from reaching the O-ring is formed at the periphery of the quartz window. . The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The heat exposure apparatus, wherein the light exposure inhibition part is a plurality of grooves carved on a peripheral surface of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2,
The plurality of grooves are engraved in a region excluding a portion in contact with the O-ring among the facing surface and the contact surface of a peripheral portion of the quartz window. In the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2 or 3,
A heat treatment apparatus, wherein a mirror surface is formed in the plurality of grooves. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The heat exposure apparatus, wherein the light exposure inhibition part is a mirror surface formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
The said mirror surface is formed in the said contact surface of the peripheral part of the said quartz window, The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
The said mirror surface is further formed in the said opposing surface and end surface of the peripheral part of the said quartz window, The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The heat exposure apparatus, wherein the light exposure inhibition part is a rough surface formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The rough surface is formed on the facing surface of the peripheral edge of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The rough surface is formed in a region excluding a portion in contact with the O-ring in the contact surface of a peripheral portion of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein
The said rough surface is formed in the area | region except the site | part which contacts the said O-ring among the said opposing surface and the said contact surface of the peripheral part of the said quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The heat exposure apparatus, wherein the light exposure inhibition part is opaque quartz provided at a peripheral part of the quartz window. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein
The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opaque quartz is provided in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 12, wherein
The part which contacts the said O-ring among the said contact surfaces of the peripheral part of the said quartz window is formed with transparent quartz, The heat processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate,
The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the peripheral edge of the quartz window,
A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, wherein a plurality of grooves are formed by performing groove processing on a peripheral surface of the quartz window. A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate,
The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the peripheral edge of the quartz window,
A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, wherein a metal film is formed on a peripheral surface of the quartz window to form a mirror surface. A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate,
The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the peripheral edge of the quartz window,
A method for manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that a surface of a peripheral edge of the quartz window is subjected to blasting to form a rough surface. A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating flash light from a flash lamp provided on one side of the chamber outside the chamber containing the substrate,
The opening on the one side of the chamber is covered with a quartz window, and an O-ring is sandwiched between the side wall of the chamber and the peripheral edge of the quartz window,
A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, wherein opaque quartz is welded to a peripheral portion of the quartz window. In the manufacturing method of the heat processing apparatus of Claim 18,
A method for manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: forming a groove portion in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that contacts the O-ring, and performing welding so that opaque quartz is buried in the groove portion. In the manufacturing method of the heat processing apparatus of Claim 18,
A method of manufacturing a heat treatment apparatus, wherein transparent quartz is provided in a portion of the contact surface of the peripheral portion of the quartz window that comes into contact with the O-ring.

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