Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

This invention provides a substrate processing method and apparatus that prevents substrate breakage even when a damaged substrate is subjected to flash heating. As a pretreatment for flash heating, hydrofluoric acid is supplied to the back side of a semiconductor wafer to perform etching. This alleviates residual stress from scratches on the back side of the semiconductor wafer. Then, the front side of the semiconductor wafer is flash-heated. By flash-heating the front side while the residual stress from scratches on the back side of the semiconductor wafer has been alleviated, even when the semiconductor wafer experiences significant thermal stress due to rapid thermal expansion and deformation on the front side, breakage originating from the scratches can be prevented. In other words, wafer breakage can be prevented even when a damaged semiconductor wafer is subjected to flash heating.

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