Patent ID: 8674273
Filing Date: 2014-03-18
Classification: C23C,H01L,H05B

Abstract:
1. A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a processing chamber which performs a predetermined process on a plurality of substrates; a plurality of susceptors made of a conductive material and each having a mounting surface for mounting the substrates; a rotatable susceptor supporting unit which supports the susceptors in the processing chamber, the susceptors being spaced apart from each other in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surfaces; a magnetic field generating unit, provided on a sidewall of the processing chamber, which inductively heats the susceptors by generating an AC magnetic field in a direction parallel to the mounting surfaces; and a control unit which controls the AC magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating unit, wherein the magnetic field generating unit has a pair of electromagnets formed by winding induction coils around cores each having two magnetic poles, and AC power sources which independently apply AC currents to the induction coils of the electromagnets; the electromagnets are installed on a pair of opposite sidewalls of the processing chamber, and two pole faces of one of the electromagnets and two pole faces of the other electromagnet are separately arranged to face each other with peripheral portions of the susceptors therebetween; and the control unit independently controls the AC currents applied to the induction coils of the electromagnets by adjusting the AC power sources.