APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING WAFER ENVIRONMENT BETWEEN THERMAL CLEANING AND HEAT TREATMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus and a method for controlling the wafer temperature and environment. SOLUTION: The apparatus 10 of this inventive comprises an RTP chamber (20) having an inert or reducing environment. The RTP chamber (20) contains a pedestal 24 for holding a single wafer 16, and a heater unit 22 disposed to heat the single wafer uniformly at a high rate. The apparatus 10 further comprises a cooling chamber 30 having a reducing or inert environment and disposed contiguously to the RTP chamber to open selectively thereto, a first loading chamber 40 having an inert or reducing environment and containing a cassette 44 for holding one or a plurality of wafers, and a heat treatment chamber 50, e.g. an LPCVD furnace, disposed to execute heat treatment of a wafer in the cassette. Wafer handlers 80-83 for carrying a wafer is subjected to temperature control.