SEMICONDUCTOR HEAT TREATMENT METHOD AND SEMICONDUCTOR HEAT TREATMENT APPARATUS

摘要

[PROBLEMS] A semiconductor heat treatment method and a semiconductor heat treatment apparatus by which heat treatment can be performed without affecting untreated semiconductor wafers while remarkably improving throughput of the entire heat treatment operation by storing heat-treated semiconductor wafers in a cooling tube (5) and having them retracted and cooled from a lower part of a furnace opening (1a) at the same time. [MEANS FOR SOLVING PROBLEMS] The semiconductor heat treatment method is provided with a process of transferring the empty cooling tube (5) to the lower part of the furnace opening (1a) in a load lock chamber (2) communicated at the lower part of a heat treatment furnace (1) through the furnace opening (1a); a process of storing in the empty cooling tube (5) a boat (3) loaded with the heat-treated semiconductor wafers in the heat treatment furnace (1); a process of retracting the cooling tube (5) storing the boat (3) loaded with the heat-treated semiconductor wafers from the lower part of the furnace opening (1a) in the load lock chamber (2); a process of transferring another boat (3) loaded with the untreated semiconductor wafers to the lower part of the furnace opening (1a) in the load lock chamber (2); a process of performing heat treatment by transferring the boat (3) into the heat treatment furnace (1); a process of taking out the boat (3) to which cooling after heat treatment is completed from the retracted cooling tube (5); a process of carrying out the semiconductor wafers from the boat (3); and a process of carrying in the untreated semiconductor wafers to the boat (3).