SUBSTRATE PROCESSING EQUIPMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent particles and organic substances from staying in a waiting room as well as to inhibit a natural oxidation film, by securing continuously the flow of the atmosphere which has neither stagnation nor stay in the ready room. SOLUTION: A thermal processing equipment 10 is provided with: a processing chamber 25 for processing a wafer 1 held by a boat 21; a waiting room 12 where the boat 21 stands by for carrying it in to the processing chamber 25; a boat elevator 19 which makes the boat 21 go up and down between the ready room 12 and the processing chamber 25; and a clean unit 41 which supplies nitrogen gas 30 and clean air 40 to the ready room 12. A circulation passage 31 for making nitrogen gas circulate through the ready room 12 is provided with: a nitrogen gas feed pipe 46 for supplying nitrogen gas; a fresh air supply pipe 44 for supplying fresh air; and a discharge passage 49 for discharging nitrogen gas and clean air. The discharge passage 49 is equipped with a damper 52, and a bypass way 53 for bypassing the damper 52 is equipped in discharge passage 49. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT