Patent ID: 8461061

Claim:
A method of holding a plurality of planar substrates for thermal treatment comprising: providing a tube shaped furnace having a first end and a second end, the tube shaped furnace being surrounded by a plurality of heaters for conducting a thermal treatment process, the first end having a door; providing a boat fixture having a base frame coupled to a top frame, the base frame including two length portions and a first width portion, a second width portion, and at least one middle member connected between the two length portions; mounting a grooved member on the first width portion, the second width portion, and the at least one middle member, each grooved member having a plurality of grooves; inserting a plurality of planar substrates into the boat fixture so that the grooved member on the first width portion, the second width portion, and the at least one middle member, supports each of the planar substrates in a manner such that each substrate is separated from adjoining substrates by a desired distance; loading the boat fixture into the tube shaped furnace from the first end; and subjecting the plurality of planar substrates to the thermal treatment process.