Patent ID: 11901200
Assignee: SCREEN HOLDINGS CO., LTD.
Field: Semiconductors (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 1:
2. A heat treatment apparatus for irradiating a substrate with light to heat the substrate, thereby forming an oxide film, said heat treatment apparatus comprising:
a chamber for receiving a substrate therein;
a light irradiator for irradiating said substrate with light to heat said substrate;
a gas supply part for supplying an oxidizing gas into said chamber;
a pressure reduction part for reducing pressure within the chamber; and
a controller for controlling said gas supply part so as to supply said oxidizing gas into said chamber to change an atmosphere within said chamber from an inert gas atmosphere to an oxidizing atmosphere when the temperature of said substrate reaches a predetermined switching temperature in the course of the process of heating said substrate by irradiating said substrate with light from said light irradiator, wherein
said gas supply part stops the supply of said oxidizing gas into said chamber and said gas supply part supplies hydrogen gas into said chamber while the pressure reduction part reduces the pressure within the chamber after the completion of the process of heating said substrate by irradiating said substrate with light from said light irradiator.