Heat treatment apparatus of light-emission type and method of cleaning same

摘要

After the maintenance of a heat treatment apparatus, a susceptor and a heating plate are moved upwardly and a flow of nitrogen gas from an inlet passage toward an outlet passage is produced prior to the heat treatment of a semiconductor wafer. In this state, flash lamps are turned on to cause the momentary expansion and contraction of the gas in a chamber, thereby scattering particles deposited on a bottom plate and the like. The scattered particles are removed by the flow of nitrogen gas passing through a bottom portion of the chamber and discharged outwardly through the outlet passage. The particles in the chamber are easily removed only by turning on the flash lamps a predetermined number of times at fixed time intervals while producing such a flow of nitrogen gas. This provides the heat treatment apparatus of a light-emission type and a method of cleaning the heat treatment apparatus capable of easily removing the particles in the chamber.