Thermal processing method and thermal processing apparatus for substrate employing photoirradiation

摘要

Each of a plurality of flash lamps forming a light source is a bar lamp having an elongated cylindrical shape. The ratio of the distance between the flash lamps and a semiconductor wafer to the distance between the flash lamps and a reflector is set to not more than 1.8 or at least 2.2. Consequently, illuminance is weakened on portions of the main surface of the semiconductor wafer located immediately under the flash lamps along the vertical direction and strengthened in portions located immediately under the clearances between adjacent ones of the flash lamps along the vertical direction, thereby reducing illuminance irregularity on the overall main surface of the semiconductor wafer and improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on the semiconductor wafer. Thus, a thermal processing apparatus capable of improving in-plane uniformity of temperature distribution on a substrate is provided.