Patent ID: 7575431

Claim:
A vertical heat processing apparatus for performing a heat process on a plurality of target substrates all together, the apparatus comprising: a vertical process container configured to accommodate the target substrates and having a transfer port at a bottom; a holder configured to support the target substrates at intervals in a vertical direction inside the process container; a lid configured to open and airtightly close the transfer port; an elevating mechanism configured to move up and down the lid with the holder supported thereon, so as to load and unload the holder into and from the process container through the transfer port; a gas supply system configured to supply a process gas into the process container; an exhaust system configured to exhaust gas from inside the process container; a heater disposed around the process container, and configured to supply heat rays through a sidewall of the process container, so as to heat an interior of the process container; a thermal buffer member disposed between the heater and a lower end side of the process container to surround the lower end side, and configured to decrease transmissibility of the lower end side for heat rays between the heater and target substrates inside the process container; a temperature sensor disposed between the thermal buffer member and target substrates inside the process container; and a control section configured to control a set temperature of the heater with reference to detection data obtained by the temperature sensor.