Patent ID: 6140256
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: C23C

Abstract:
A semiconductor processing method comprising:a loading step of loading a target substrate into a process chamber, and mounting said target substrate onto a mount surface of a worktable, said mount surface being arranged to be heated by a heating member;a contact heating step of heating said target substrate substantially to a process temperature by said mount surface, while maintaining a state where a bottom surface of said target substrate is in contact with said mount surface;a separating step, following said contact heating step, of separating said target substrate and said mount surface from each other while keeping them parallel to each other, so as to transfer to a non-contact state where said bottom surface of said target substrate and said mount surface face each other with a first gap therebetween, said bottom surface of said target substrate being substantially entirely exposed to radiation heat from said mount surface to heat said target substrate in said separating step;a non-contact heating step of causing said bottom surface of said target substrate to be substantially entirely exposed to radiation heat from said mount surface in said non-contact state to heat said target substrate and keep said target substrate substantially at said process temperature; anda main processing step of supplying a process gas into said process chamber while performing said non-contact heating step, and subjecting said target substrate to a main process using said process gas,wherein said steps from said contact heating step to said main processing step are performed under a control of a control section,wherein said non-contact state is formed in said separating step by moving said target substrate up to a process position while keeping said mount surface stationary,wherein said target substrate is moved up in said separating step by a first support member, which is movable up and down, while said target substrate is mounted on said first support member such that said bottom surface is substantially entirely exposed,wherein said first support member is arranged to be in contact with said bottom surface of said target substrate in at least three positions,wherein said first support member comprises not less than three lifter pins, which are movable up and down between a state where they project from said mount surface and a state where they retreat under said mount surface.