Heat treatment method and heat treatment device

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat treatment method and a heat treatment device capable of preventing a product wafer from being mistakenly set with a dummy process recipe. A product process recipe that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of a product wafer is prepared at an appropriate time. In addition, a dummy process recipe that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of a dummy wafer is also prepared. The product process recipe is stored in association with the corresponding dummy process recipe. Before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, a process recipe for the heat treatment is selected. At this time, the dummy process recipe is not displayed, and the selection of the dummy process recipe is prohibited. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a product wafer from being mistakenly set with a dummy process recipe, and it is possible to prevent the product wafer from being mistakenly processed by heat treatment of dummy processing contents.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat treatment method and a heat treatment apparatus for heating a thin plate-shaped precision electronic substrate (hereinafter referred to as a "substrate") such as a semiconductor wafer by irradiating the substrate with light. Background Art

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, flash lamp annealing (FLA) for heating semiconductor wafers in a very short time has attracted attention. Flash lamp annealing is a heat treatment technology that uses a xenon flash lamp (hereinafter referred to as a "flash lamp" when it is abbreviated to refer to a xenon flash lamp) to irradiate the surface of the semiconductor wafer with a flash light, thereby heating the surface of the semiconductor wafer only in a very short time (several milliseconds or less).

[0003] The radiation spectrum of a xenon flash lamp is distributed from the ultraviolet region to the near-infrared region, and the wavelength is shorter than that of a conventional halogen lamp, and is roughly consistent with the fundamental absorption band of a silicon semiconductor wafer. Therefore, when a semiconductor wafer is irradiated with a flash from a xenon flash lamp, less light is transmitted, and the temperature of the semiconductor wafer can be rapidly increased. In addition, it is also known that if the flash irradiation is extremely short, less than a few milliseconds, it is possible to selectively increase the temperature only near the surface of the semiconductor wafer.

[0004] This flash lamp annealing is used for a process that requires extremely short-term heating, for example, typically for activation of impurities implanted into a semiconductor wafer. If a flash lamp is irradiated on the surface of a semiconductor wafer into which impurities have been implanted by ion implantation, the surface of the semiconductor wafer can be heated to the activation temperature in an extremely short time, and only the impurity activation can be performed without deeply diffusing the impurities.

[0005] Typically, not limited to heat treatment, semiconductor wafer processing is performed in batches (a group of semiconductor wafers that are the subject of the same processing under the same conditions). In a single-wafer substrate processing device, multiple semiconductor wafers constituting a batch are processed continuously and sequentially. In a flash lamp annealing device, multiple semiconductor wafers constituting a batch are also moved into a chamber one by one and heat treated sequentially.

[0006] In addition, sometimes, the temperature of the chamber structure such as the susceptor holding the semiconductor wafer changes during the process of sequentially processing a plurality of semiconductor wafers constituting a batch. This phenomenon occurs when the flash lamp annealing device that is temporarily in a stopped state restarts the process or when the processing conditions such as the processing temperature of the semiconductor wafer are changed. If the temperature of the chamber structure such as the susceptor changes during the process of processing a plurality of semiconductor wafers constituting a batch, the problem of the temperature history of the semiconductor wafers at the beginning of the batch and the semiconductor wafers at the end of the batch being different during the processing will occur.

[0007] In order to solve this problem, before starting the processing of the product batch, a dummy wafer that is not the processing object is moved into the chamber and supported on a susceptor, and the dummy wafer is heated, thereby raising the temperature of the chamber structure such as the susceptor in advance (dummy running). Patent document 1 discloses that dummy running is performed on about 10 dummy wafers to make the temperature of the chamber structure such as the susceptor reach a stable temperature during processing.

[0008] [Background Technology Literature]

[0009] [Patent Document]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-092102 Summary of the invention

[0011] [Problems to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The heat treatment of semiconductor wafers (product wafers) constituting a product batch and the virtual operation of dummy wafers are performed according to the process recipe. The so-called process recipe is a scheme that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of wafers. For example, the process recipe specifies flash heating after preheating with a halogen lamp or flash heating processing conditions.

[0013] A product process recipe that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of product wafers is prepared for each content of the heat treatment. In addition, a dummy process recipe is prepared for executing the best virtual operation corresponding to each product process recipe. In other words, a large number of product process recipes and dummy process recipes are prepared and stored in the flash lamp annealing device.

[0014] Therefore, there used to be a problem that the dummy process recipe was incorrectly set when processing the product wafer. Generally speaking, the content of the product process recipe is different from the content of the dummy process recipe. For example, sometimes the dummy process recipe only specifies the preheating process using a halogen lamp but does not specify flash heating. Therefore, if the dummy process recipe is incorrectly set for the product wafer, it will cause, for example, the product wafer is incorrectly processed by only performing the preheating process.

[0015] The present invention is completed in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a heat treatment method and a heat treatment device that can prevent the erroneous setting of a dummy process recipe for a product wafer.

[0016] [Technical means to solve the problem]

[0017] In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of technical solution 1 is a heat treatment method, which heats the substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and is characterized in that it comprises: a dummy process recipe making step, which makes a dummy process recipe that specifies the order and treatment conditions of the heat treatment for the dummy wafer; and a process recipe selection step, which selects the process recipe for performing the heat treatment before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer; and in the process recipe selection step, it is prohibited to select the dummy process recipe.

[0018] In addition, the invention of Technical Solution 2 is based on the heat treatment method of the invention of Technical Solution 1, and is characterized in that it also includes a storage step, which stores a product process recipe that specifies the order and processing conditions of the heat treatment of the product wafer in association with the virtual process recipe, and when the product process recipe is selected in the process recipe selection step, before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, the heat treatment of the virtual wafer is performed according to the virtual process recipe associated with the product process recipe.

[0019] In addition, the invention of claim 3 is a heat treatment method according to the invention of claim 1, characterized in that, in the dummy process recipe preparation step, flash heating using a flash lamp is prohibited.

[0020] In addition, the invention of claim 4 is a heat treatment method according to the invention of claim 1, characterized in that, in the dummy process recipe preparation step, only nitrogen gas can be specified as the processing gas.

[0021] In addition, the invention of technical solution 5 is based on the heat treatment method of the invention of technical solution 1, and is characterized in that, in the process of making the dummy process recipe, a wafer thermometer for measuring the temperature of the dummy wafer or a base thermometer for measuring the temperature of the base on which the dummy wafer is mounted is used as a temperature control thermometer.

[0022] In addition, the invention of technical solution 6 is a heat treatment device that heats a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and is characterized in that it comprises: a heat treatment unit that performs heat treatment on the substrate; and an input unit that is used to prepare a dummy process recipe that specifies the order and treatment conditions for the heat treatment of a dummy wafer; and before starting the heat treatment of a product wafer, when selecting a process recipe for performing the heat treatment, it is prohibited to select the dummy process recipe.

[0023] In addition, the invention of technical solution 7 is based on the heat treatment device of the invention of technical solution 6, and is characterized in that it also has a storage unit, which stores a product process recipe that specifies the order and processing conditions of the heat treatment of the product wafer in association with the virtual process recipe, and before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, when the product process recipe is selected, the heat treatment of the virtual wafer is performed according to the virtual process recipe associated with the product process recipe.

[0024] In addition, the invention of technical solution 8 is a heat treatment device based on the invention of technical solution 6, characterized in that in the input part, when the dummy process recipe is prepared, flash heating using a flash lamp is prohibited.

[0025] In addition, the invention of technical solution 9 is based on the heat treatment device of the invention of technical solution 6, characterized in that in the input part, when making the dummy process recipe, only nitrogen can be specified as the processing gas.

[0026] In addition, the invention of technical solution 10 is a heat treatment device based on the invention of technical solution 6, characterized in that in the input part, when the dummy process recipe is made, a wafer thermometer for measuring the temperature of the dummy wafer or a base thermometer for measuring the temperature of the base on which the dummy wafer is placed can be specified as a temperature control thermometer.

[0027] [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the invention of technical solutions 1 to 5, since the selection of a dummy process recipe is prohibited in the process recipe selection step of selecting a process recipe for performing a heat treatment on a product wafer, it is possible to prevent the dummy process recipe from being mistakenly set for the product wafer.

[0029] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 2, when a product process recipe is selected in the process recipe selection step, before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, the heat treatment of the dummy wafer is performed according to the dummy process recipe associated with the product process recipe, so the heat treatment of the dummy wafer can be performed according to the optimal dummy process recipe.

[0030] According to the invention of technical solutions 6 to 10, since it is prohibited to select a dummy process recipe when selecting a process recipe for performing the heat treatment before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, it is possible to prevent the dummy process recipe from being mistakenly set for the product wafer.

[0031] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 7, since a product process recipe is selected before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, the heat treatment of the dummy wafer is performed according to a dummy process recipe associated with the product process recipe, so the heat treatment of the dummy wafer can be performed according to the optimal dummy process recipe. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1 It is a top view showing the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Front view of the heat treatment device.

[0034] Figure 3 It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the heat treatment section.

[0035] Figure 4 It is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the holding portion.

[0036] Figure 5 This is a top view of the base.

[0037] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the base.

[0038] Figure 7 It is a top view of the transfer mechanism.

[0039] Figure 8 It is a side view of the transfer mechanism.

[0040] Fig. 9 It is a top view showing the arrangement of a plurality of halogen lamps.

[0041] Fig.10 It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit.

[0042] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the procedure of dummy processing.

[0043] Fig.12 This figure shows an example of an editor screen for creating a product process recipe.

[0044] Fig.13 This is a diagram showing an example of an editor screen for creating a dummy recipe. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0046] First, the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a top view showing a heat treatment apparatus 100 of the present invention, Figure 21 is a front view thereof. The heat treatment apparatus 100 is a flash lamp annealing apparatus that irradiates a circular plate-shaped semiconductor wafer W as a substrate with a flash to heat the semiconductor wafer W. The size of the semiconductor wafer W to be processed is not particularly limited, and is, for example, φ300 mm or φ450 mm. Impurities are injected into the semiconductor wafer W before being transported into the heat treatment apparatus 100, and activation treatment of the injected impurities is performed by utilizing the heat treatment of the heat treatment apparatus 100. In addition, Figure 1 In the following figures, the size or number of each part is exaggerated or simplified as needed for easy understanding. Figure 1 to Figure 3 In each of the drawings, an XYZ orthogonal coordinate system is indicated in which the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane in order to make their directional relationship clear.

[0047] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the heat treatment apparatus 100 includes: an indexer section 101 for carrying an unprocessed semiconductor wafer W from the outside into the apparatus and carrying a processed semiconductor wafer W out of the apparatus; an alignment section 230 for positioning the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W; two cooling sections 130 and 140 for cooling the semiconductor wafer W after the heat treatment; a heat treatment section 160 for performing flash heat treatment on the semiconductor wafer W; and a transfer robot 150 for transferring the semiconductor wafer W between the cooling sections 130 and 140 and the heat treatment section 160. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 100 includes a control section 3, which controls the motion mechanisms provided in the above-mentioned processing sections and the transfer robot 150 to perform the flash heat treatment on the semiconductor wafer W.

[0048] The indexer section 101 includes a load port 110 for arranging and placing a plurality of carriers C, and a transfer robot 120 for taking out unprocessed semiconductor wafers W from each carrier C and placing processed semiconductor wafers W in each carrier C. Specifically, the indexer section 101 is provided with three load ports, and the load port 110 is a general term for a first load port 110a, a second load port 110b, and a third load port 110c (abbreviated as load port 110 when the three load ports are not specifically distinguished). The first load port 110a and the second load port 110b among the three load ports are used to place carriers C containing semiconductor wafers W that become products (hereinafter, also referred to as product wafers W). On the other hand, the third load port 110c is a load port dedicated to a dummy carrier DC containing a dummy wafer DW. That is, only a dummy carrier DC is placed in the third load port 110c.

[0049] The carrier C and dummy carrier DC containing unprocessed semiconductor wafers W are transported by an unmanned transport vehicle (AGV, OHT) and placed on the load port 110. In addition, the carrier C and dummy carrier DC containing processed semiconductor wafers W are also taken away from the load port 110 by the unmanned transport vehicle.

[0050] In addition, in the load port 110, the carrier C and the dummy carrier DC can be configured as follows: Figure 2 The carrier C and the dummy carrier DC are lifted and moved as shown by the arrow CU, so that the transfer robot 120 can carry out any semiconductor wafer W (or dummy wafer DW) in and out of the carrier C and the dummy carrier DC. In addition, as the form of the carrier C and the dummy carrier DC, in addition to the FOUP (front opening unified pod) that stores the semiconductor wafer W in a closed space, it can also be a SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface Face) box or an OC (open cassette) that exposes the stored semiconductor wafer W to the external air.

[0051] In addition, the transfer robot 120 can perform the following operations: Figure 1 The hand 121 slides as shown by the arrow 120S, and the hand 121 performs a rotational movement and a lifting movement as shown by the arrow 120R. Thus, the delivery robot 120 takes in and out the semiconductor wafer W from the carrier C and the dummy carrier DC, and delivers the semiconductor wafer W to the alignment unit 230 and the two cooling units 130 and 140. The handover robot 120 takes in and out the semiconductor wafer W from the carrier C (or the dummy carrier DC) by sliding the hand 121 and lifting the carrier C. In addition, the handover robot 120 delivers the semiconductor wafer W to the alignment unit 230 or the cooling units 130 and 140 by sliding the hand 121 and lifting the handover robot 120.

[0052] The alignment unit 230 is connected to the side of the indexer unit 101 along the Y-axis direction. The alignment unit 230 is a processing unit that rotates the semiconductor wafer W in a horizontal plane to face a direction suitable for flash heating. The alignment unit 230 is configured by providing a mechanism that supports the semiconductor wafer W in a horizontal posture and rotates it, and a mechanism that optically detects a notch or an orientation flat formed on the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer W, etc., inside an alignment chamber 231 that is an aluminum alloy shell.

[0053] The semiconductor wafer W is delivered to the alignment section 230 by the delivery robot 120. The semiconductor wafer W is delivered from the delivery robot 120 to the alignment chamber 231 in a manner such that the center of the wafer is located at a specific position. In the alignment section 230, the semiconductor wafer W is rotated around the vertical axis with the center of the semiconductor wafer W received from the indexer section 101 as the rotation center, and the notch and the like are optically detected, thereby adjusting the direction of the semiconductor wafer W. The semiconductor wafer W whose direction has been adjusted is taken out from the alignment chamber 231 by the delivery robot 120.

[0054] A transfer chamber 170 for accommodating the transfer robot 150 is provided as a transfer space for semiconductor wafers W using the transfer robot 150. The transfer chamber 170 is connected in three directions to the processing chamber 6 of the heat treatment unit 160, the first cooling chamber 131 of the cooling unit 130, and the second cooling chamber 141 of the cooling unit 140.

[0055] The heat treatment unit 160 as a main part of the heat treatment apparatus 100 is a substrate processing unit that performs flash heating processing by irradiating flash light from a xenon flash lamp FL to the preheated semiconductor wafer W. The configuration of the heat treatment unit 160 will be described below.

[0056] The two cooling units 130 and 140 have substantially the same structure. The cooling units 130 and 140 are respectively provided with a metal cooling plate and a quartz plate placed on the upper surface of the cooling plate in the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141, which are aluminum alloy shells (both are omitted in the figure). The temperature of the cooling plate is adjusted to room temperature (about 23° C.) by a Peltier element or constant temperature water circulation. The semiconductor wafer W subjected to flash heat treatment by the heat treatment unit 160 is moved into the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141 and placed on the quartz plate and then cooled.

[0057] The first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141 are both located between the indexer section 101 and the transport chamber 170, and are connected to both the indexer section 101 and the transport chamber 170. Two openings are formed in the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141 for carrying in and out the semiconductor wafer W. Of the two openings of the first cooling chamber 131, the opening connected to the indexer section 101 can be opened and closed by a gate valve 181. On the other hand, the opening of the first cooling chamber 131 connected to the transport chamber 170 can be opened and closed by a gate valve 183. That is, the first cooling chamber 131 is connected to the indexer section 101 via the gate valve 181, and the first cooling chamber 131 is connected to the transport chamber 170 via the gate valve 183.

[0058] When the semiconductor wafer W is transferred between the indexer part 101 and the first cooling chamber 131, the gate valve 181 is opened. In addition, when the semiconductor wafer W is transferred between the first cooling chamber 131 and the transfer chamber 170, the gate valve 183 is opened. When the gate valves 181 and 183 are closed, the interior of the first cooling chamber 131 becomes a closed space.

[0059] In addition, of the two openings of the second cooling chamber 141, the opening connected to the indexer section 101 can be opened and closed by the gate valve 182. On the other hand, the opening of the second cooling chamber 141 connected to the transfer chamber 170 can be opened and closed by the gate valve 184. That is, the second cooling chamber 141 is connected to the indexer section 101 via the gate valve 182, and the second cooling chamber 141 is connected to the transfer chamber 170 via the gate valve 184.

[0060] When the semiconductor wafer W is transferred between the indexer part 101 and the second cooling chamber 141, the gate valve 182 is opened. In addition, when the semiconductor wafer W is transferred between the second cooling chamber 141 and the transfer chamber 170, the gate valve 184 is opened. When the gate valves 182 and 184 are closed, the interior of the second cooling chamber 141 becomes a closed space.

[0061] Furthermore, the cooling units 130 and 140 respectively include a gas supply mechanism for supplying clean nitrogen gas to the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141 and an exhaust mechanism for exhausting the gas in the chamber. These gas supply mechanisms and exhaust mechanisms can also switch the flow rates into two stages.

[0062] The transport robot 150 disposed in the transport chamber 170 can rotate as indicated by arrow 150R with the axis along the vertical direction as the center. The transport robot 150 has two link mechanisms including a plurality of arm segments, and transport hands 151a and 151b for holding the semiconductor wafer W are respectively disposed at the front ends of the two link mechanisms. These transport hands 151a and 151b are arranged at a specific interval up and down, and can slide and move linearly in the same horizontal direction independently through the link mechanisms. In addition, the transport robot 150 moves the two transport hands 151a and 151b up and down by lifting and moving the base on which the two link mechanisms are disposed, while maintaining the state of being separated by a specific interval.

[0063] When the transfer robot 150 transfers (puts in and out) the semiconductor wafer W to the first cooling chamber 131, the second cooling chamber 141, or the processing chamber 6 of the heat treatment unit 160 as a transfer target, the two transfer hands 151a and 151b are first rotated so as to face the transfer target, and then (or during the rotation) the transfer hands are moved up and down so that any one of the transfer hands is at a height to transfer the semiconductor wafer W to the transfer target. Then, the transfer hands 151a (151b) are moved to slide linearly in the horizontal direction to transfer the semiconductor wafer W to the transfer target.

[0064] The semiconductor wafer W of the transfer robot 150 and the delivery robot 120 can be delivered via the cooling units 130 and 140. That is, the first cooling chamber 131 of the cooling unit 130 and the second cooling chamber 141 of the cooling unit 140 also function as a passage for delivering the semiconductor wafer W between the transfer robot 150 and the delivery robot 120. Specifically, the semiconductor wafer W is delivered by the transfer robot 150 or the delivery robot 120 to the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141, and then received by the other. The transfer robot 150 and the delivery robot 120 constitute a transfer mechanism for transferring the semiconductor wafer W from the carrier C to the heat treatment unit 160.

[0065] As described above, gate valves 181 and 182 are provided between the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141 and the indexer section 101, respectively. In addition, gate valves 183 and 184 are provided between the transfer chamber 170 and the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141, respectively. Furthermore, a gate valve 185 is provided between the transfer chamber 170 and the processing chamber 6 of the heat treatment section 160. When the semiconductor wafer W is transferred in the heat treatment apparatus 100, these gate valves are opened and closed as appropriate. In addition, nitrogen gas is also supplied to the transfer chamber 170 and the alignment chamber 231 from the gas supply section, and the gas inside the transfer chamber 170 and the alignment chamber 231 is exhausted through the exhaust section (both are omitted in the figure).

[0066] Next, the configuration of the heat treatment unit 160 will be described. Figure 3 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of the heat treatment unit 160. The heat treatment unit 160 includes: a processing chamber 6 for accommodating a semiconductor wafer W for heat treatment; a flash lamp chamber 5 for housing a plurality of flash lamps FL; and a halogen lamp chamber 4 for housing a plurality of halogen lamps HL. The flash lamp chamber 5 is provided on the upper side of the processing chamber 6, and the halogen lamp chamber 4 is provided on the lower side. In addition, the heat treatment unit 160 includes: a holding unit 7 for holding the semiconductor wafer W in a horizontal position inside the processing chamber 6; and a transfer mechanism 10 for transferring the semiconductor wafer W between the holding unit 7 and the transfer robot 150.

[0067] The processing chamber 6 is formed by installing chamber windows made of quartz on the top and bottom of a cylindrical chamber side portion 61. The chamber side portion 61 has a generally cylindrical shape with upper and lower openings, and an upper chamber window 63 is installed and closed at the upper opening, and a lower chamber window 64 is installed and closed at the lower opening. The upper chamber window 63 constituting the top of the processing chamber 6 is a disk-shaped component formed of quartz, and functions as a quartz window that allows the flash emitted from the flash lamp FL to pass into the processing chamber 6. In addition, the lower chamber window 64 constituting the bottom of the processing chamber 6 is also a disk-shaped component formed of quartz, and functions as a quartz window that allows the light from the halogen lamp HL to pass into the processing chamber 6.

[0068] In addition, a reflection ring 68 is installed on the upper part of the wall surface on the inner side of the chamber side portion 61, and a reflection ring 69 is installed on the lower part. The reflection rings 68 and 69 are both formed in a circular ring shape. The upper reflection ring 68 is installed by being embedded from the upper side of the chamber side portion 61. On the other hand, the lower reflection ring 69 is installed by being embedded from the lower side of the chamber side portion 61 and fixed with screws not shown in the figure. In other words, the reflection rings 68 and 69 are both installed on the chamber side portion 61 in a freely loadable and detachable manner. The inner space of the processing chamber 6, that is, the space surrounded by the upper chamber window 63, the lower chamber window 64, the chamber side portion 61 and the reflection rings 68 and 69 is defined as a heat treatment space 65.

[0069] By installing the reflection rings 68 and 69 on the chamber side portion 61, a recessed portion 62 is formed on the inner wall surface of the processing chamber 6. That is, the recessed portion 62 is formed to be surrounded by the central portion of the inner wall surface of the chamber side portion 61 where the reflection rings 68 and 69 are not installed, the lower end surface of the reflection ring 68, and the upper end surface of the reflection ring 69. The recessed portion 62 is formed in a circular ring shape along the horizontal direction on the inner wall surface of the processing chamber 6, and surrounds the holding portion 7 holding the semiconductor wafer W. The chamber side portion 61 and the reflection rings 68 and 69 are formed of a metal material (e.g., stainless steel) having excellent strength and heat resistance.

[0070] In addition, a transport opening (furnace port) 66 for carrying in and out the semiconductor wafer W relative to the processing chamber 6 is formed on the chamber side 61. The transport opening 66 can be opened and closed by the gate valve 185. The transport opening 66 is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the recess 62. Therefore, when the gate valve 185 opens the transport opening 66, the semiconductor wafer W can be carried into the heat treatment space 65 from the transport opening 66 through the recess 62, and the semiconductor wafer W can be carried out from the heat treatment space 65. In addition, if the gate valve 185 closes the transport opening 66, the heat treatment space 65 in the processing chamber 6 becomes a closed space.

[0071] In addition, a gas supply hole 81 for supplying a processing gas to the heat treatment space 65 is formed on the upper part of the inner wall of the processing chamber 6. The gas supply hole 81 is formed and arranged at a position higher than the recess 62, and can also be arranged on the reflection ring 68. The gas supply hole 81 is connected to the gas supply pipe 83 via a buffer space 82 formed in an annular shape inside the side wall of the processing chamber 6. The gas supply pipe 83 is connected to the processing gas supply source 85. In addition, a valve 84 is inserted in the middle of the path of the gas supply pipe 83. If the valve 84 is opened, the processing gas is transported from the processing gas supply source 85 to the buffer space 82. The processing gas flowing into the buffer space 82 flows in a diffused manner in the buffer space 82 where the fluid resistance is smaller than that of the gas supply hole 81, and is supplied from the gas supply hole 81 to the heat treatment space 65. As the processing gas, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) or a reactive gas such as hydrogen (H2) or ammonia (NH3) (nitrogen in this embodiment) can be used.

[0072] On the other hand, a gas exhaust hole 86 for exhausting the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is formed at the lower part of the inner wall of the processing chamber 6. The gas exhaust hole 86 is formed at a lower position than the recess 62, and can also be set at the reflection ring 69. The gas exhaust hole 86 is connected to the gas exhaust pipe 88 via a buffer space 87 formed in an annular shape inside the side wall of the processing chamber 6. The gas exhaust pipe 88 is connected to the exhaust part 190. In addition, a valve 89 is inserted in the middle of the path of the gas exhaust pipe 88. If the valve 89 is opened, the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is discharged from the gas exhaust hole 86 through the buffer space 87 to the gas exhaust pipe 88. In addition, the gas supply hole 81 and the gas exhaust hole 86 can be set in multiple numbers along the circumferential direction of the processing chamber 6, or they can be slit-shaped. In addition, the processing gas supply source 85 and the exhaust mechanism 190 can be a mechanism set in the heat treatment device 100, or a facility of a factory for setting the heat treatment device 100.

[0073] A gas exhaust pipe 191 for exhausting the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is also connected to the front end of the transfer opening 66. The gas exhaust pipe 191 is connected to the exhaust mechanism 190 via a valve 192. When the valve 192 is opened, the gas in the processing chamber 6 is exhausted through the transfer opening 66.

[0074] Figure 4 : is a perspective view showing the overall appearance of the holding part 7. The holding part 7 is composed of a base ring 71, a connecting part 72 and a base 74. The base ring 71, the connecting part 72 and the base 74 are all formed of quartz. That is, the entire holding part 7 is formed of quartz.

[0075] The base ring 71 is a quartz component in an arc shape with a portion missing from a circular ring. The missing portion is provided to prevent interference between the transfer arm 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 described below and the base ring 71. The base ring 71 is supported by the wall surface of the processing chamber 6 by being placed on the bottom surface of the recess 62 (see Figure 3 ). On the upper surface of the base ring 71, a plurality of connecting parts 72 (four in this embodiment) are vertically provided along the circumferential direction of the annular shape. The connecting part 72 is also a quartz component and is fixed to the base ring 71 by welding.

[0076] The base 74 is supported by four connection parts 72 provided on the base ring 71 . Figure 5 74 is a top view of the base. Figure 6 74. The susceptor 74 includes a holding plate 75, a guide ring 76, and a plurality of substrate support pins 77. The holding plate 75 is a substantially circular flat plate-shaped member formed of quartz. The diameter of the holding plate 75 is larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. In other words, the holding plate 75 has a larger plane size than the semiconductor wafer W.

[0077] A guide ring 76 is provided on the peripheral portion of the upper surface of the retaining plate 75. The guide ring 76 is a circular ring-shaped component having an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. For example, when the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is φ300 mm, the inner diameter of the guide ring 76 is φ320 mm. The inner periphery of the guide ring 76 is set to be a tapered surface that widens upward from the retaining plate 75. The guide ring 76 is formed of the same quartz as the retaining plate 75. The guide ring 76 can be welded to the upper surface of the retaining plate 75, or can be fixed to the retaining plate 75 using separately processed pins or the like. Alternatively, the retaining plate 75 and the guide ring 76 can be processed as an integral component.

[0078] The area on the upper surface of the holding plate 75 that is closer to the inner side than the guide ring 76 is set as a planar holding surface 75a for holding the semiconductor wafer W. On the holding surface 75a of the holding plate 75, a plurality of substrate support pins 77 are erected. In the present embodiment, a total of 12 substrate support pins 77 are erected at intervals of 30° along a circumference that is concentric with the outer circumference of the holding surface 75a (the inner circumference of the guide ring 76). The diameter of the circle on which the 12 substrate support pins 77 are arranged (the distance between the opposing substrate support pins 77) is smaller than the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W. If the diameter of the semiconductor wafer W is φ300 mm, the diameter of the circle is φ270 mm to φ280 mm (φ270 mm in the present embodiment). Each substrate support pin 77 is formed of quartz. The plurality of substrate support pins 77 may be set on the upper surface of the holding plate 75 by welding, or may be processed integrally with the holding plate 75.

[0079] Back to Figure 4The four connecting parts 72 erected on the base ring 71 are fixedly connected to the peripheral part of the holding plate 75 of the base 74 by welding. That is, the base 74 and the base ring 71 are fixedly connected by the connecting parts 72. The base ring 71 of the holding part 7 is supported by the wall surface of the processing chamber 6, and the holding part 7 is installed in the processing chamber 6. When the holding part 7 is installed in the processing chamber 6, the holding plate 75 of the base 74 is in a horizontal posture (a posture in which the normal line is consistent with the vertical direction). In other words, the holding surface 75a of the holding plate 75 is a horizontal plane.

[0080] The semiconductor wafer W carried into the processing chamber 6 is placed and held in a horizontal position on the susceptor 74 of the holding portion 7 installed in the processing chamber 6. At this time, the semiconductor wafer W is supported and held on the susceptor 74 by 12 substrate support pins 77 vertically provided on the holding plate 75. More strictly speaking, the upper ends of the 12 substrate support pins 77 contact the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W to support the semiconductor wafer W. Since the heights of the 12 substrate support pins 77 (the distance from the upper ends of the substrate support pins 77 to the holding surface 75a of the holding plate 75) are uniform, the semiconductor wafer W can be supported in a horizontal position by the 12 substrate support pins 77.

[0081] In addition, the semiconductor wafer W is supported by the plurality of substrate support pins 77 at a certain interval from the holding surface 75a of the holding plate 75. The thickness of the guide ring 76 is greater than the height of the substrate support pins 77. Therefore, the guide ring 76 prevents the horizontal positional deviation of the semiconductor wafer W supported by the plurality of substrate support pins 77.

[0082] In addition, if Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, an opening 78 is formed in the holding plate 75 of the base 74 so as to penetrate vertically. The opening 78 is for the edge radiation thermometer 20 (see Figure 3 ) is provided to receive radiation light (infrared light) emitted from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the base 74. That is, the edge radiation thermometer 20 receives light emitted from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the base 74 through the opening 78 to measure the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W. Furthermore, four through holes 79 are provided through the holding plate 75 of the base 74 for the lift pins 12 of the transfer mechanism 10 described below to pass through and transfer the semiconductor wafer W.

[0083] Figure 7 1 is a top view of the transfer mechanism 10. Figure 81 is a side view of the transfer mechanism 10. The transfer mechanism 10 includes two transfer arms 11. The transfer arms 11 are formed in an arc shape along the substantially annular recess 62. Two lift pins 12 are provided vertically on each transfer arm 11. Each transfer arm 11 can be rotated by a horizontal moving mechanism 13. The horizontal moving mechanism 13 enables a pair of transfer arms 11 to be in a transfer operation position ( Figure 7 The solid line position), and the retreat position ( Figure 7 The transfer action position is below the base 74, and the retreat position is outside the base 74. The horizontal movement mechanism 13 may be a mechanism that uses individual motors to rotate each transfer arm 11 separately, or a mechanism that uses a link mechanism to rotate a pair of transfer arms 11 in conjunction with one motor.

[0084] In addition, the pair of transfer arms 11 are moved up and down together with the horizontal moving mechanism 13 by the lifting mechanism 14. When the lifting mechanism 14 raises the pair of transfer arms 11 to the transfer operation position, a total of four lift pins 12 pass through the through holes 79 (see FIG. 1 ) provided in the base 74. Figure 4 , 5 ), the upper end of the lift pin 12 protrudes from the upper surface of the base 74. On the other hand, if the lifting mechanism 14 causes the pair of transfer arms 11 to descend in the transfer action position and pulls the lift pin 12 out of the through hole 79, and the horizontal moving mechanism 13 causes the pair of transfer arms 11 to move in an open manner, then each transfer arm 11 moves to a retreat position. The retreat position of the pair of transfer arms 11 is directly above the base ring 71 of the holding portion 7. Since the base ring 71 is placed on the bottom surface of the recess 62, the retreat position of the transfer arm 11 becomes the inner side of the recess 62. In addition, an exhaust mechanism (not shown) is also provided near the portion of the transfer mechanism 10 where the drive portion (the horizontal moving mechanism 13 and the lifting mechanism 14) is provided, and is configured to discharge the gas around the drive portion of the transfer mechanism 10 to the outside of the chamber 6.

[0085] Back to Figure 3 The heat treatment section 160 has two radiation thermometers, an edge radiation thermometer (edge ​​pyrometer) 20 and a center radiation thermometer (center pyrometer) 25. As described above, the edge radiation thermometer 20 is a wafer thermometer that receives infrared light radiated from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W through the opening 78 of the base 74, and measures the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W based on the intensity of the infrared light. On the other hand, the center radiation thermometer 25 is a base thermometer that receives infrared light radiated from the center of the base 74, and measures the temperature of the base 74 based on the intensity of the infrared light. In addition, for the convenience of illustration, in Figure 3Although the edge radiation thermometer 20 and the center radiation thermometer 25 are described as being inside the processing chamber 6, they are both mounted on the outer wall surface of the processing chamber 6 and receive infrared light through the through holes provided on the outer wall surface.

[0086] The flash lamp room 5 disposed above the processing chamber 6 is composed of a light source including a plurality of (30 in the present embodiment) xenon flash lamps FL on the inner side of a housing 51, and a reflector 52 disposed so as to cover the upper side of the light source. In addition, a light irradiation window 53 is provided at the bottom of the housing 51 of the flash lamp room 5. The light irradiation window 53 constituting the bottom of the flash lamp room 5 is a plate-shaped quartz window formed of quartz. By disposing the flash lamp room 5 above the processing chamber 6, the light irradiation window 53 and the upper chamber window 63 are opposed to each other. The flash lamp FL irradiates the heat treatment space 65 with flash light from above the processing chamber 6 through the light irradiation window 53 and the upper chamber window 63.

[0087] The flash lamps FL are rod-shaped lamps each having a long cylindrical shape, and are arranged in a plane so that their length directions are parallel to each other along the main surface (that is, along the horizontal direction) of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding portion 7. Therefore, the plane formed by the arrangement of the flash lamps FL is also a horizontal plane.

[0088] The xenon flash lamp FL includes: a rod-shaped glass tube (discharge tube) in which xenon gas is sealed and an anode and a cathode connected to a capacitor are arranged at both ends; and a trigger electrode is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the glass tube. Since xenon gas is an electrical insulator, even if electric charge is stored in the capacitor, no electricity flows into the glass tube under normal conditions. However, when a high voltage is applied to the trigger electrode to break the insulation, the electricity stored in the capacitor flows into the glass tube instantly, and light is emitted by the excitation of xenon atoms or molecules at this time. In this xenon flash lamp FL, the electrostatic energy previously stored in the capacitor is converted into an extremely short light pulse of 0.1 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds, so it has the characteristic of being able to irradiate extremely strong light compared to a continuously lit light source such as a halogen lamp HL. In other words, the flash lamp FL is a pulse light lamp that emits light instantly in an extremely short time of less than 1 second. In addition, the light emission time of the flash lamp FL can be adjusted according to the coil constant of the lamp power supply that supplies power to the flash lamp FL.

[0089] In addition, the reflector 52 is provided above the plurality of flash lamps FL so as to cover the entirety of the flash lamps FL. The basic function of the reflector 52 is to reflect the flash emitted from the plurality of flash lamps FL to the heat treatment space 65. The reflector 52 is formed of an aluminum alloy plate, and its surface (the surface facing the flash lamp FL) is roughened by sandblasting.

[0090] The halogen lamp chamber 4 disposed below the processing chamber 6 has a plurality of (40 in this embodiment) halogen lamps HL built inside a housing 41. The plurality of halogen lamps HL irradiate light from below the processing chamber 6 through the lower chamber window 64 toward the heat treatment space 65.

[0091] Fig. 9 It is a top view showing the arrangement of a plurality of halogen lamps HL. In the present embodiment, 20 halogen lamps HL are arranged in the upper and lower sections. Each halogen lamp HL is a rod-shaped lamp having a long cylindrical shape. The 20 halogen lamps HL in the upper and lower sections are arranged in parallel with each other along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer W held in the holding portion 7 (that is, along the horizontal direction) in their respective length directions. Therefore, the plane formed by the arrangement of the halogen lamps HL in both the upper and lower sections is a horizontal plane.

[0092] In addition, if Fig. 9 As shown, the upper and lower sections have a higher density of halogen lamps HL in the area opposite to the peripheral portion than in the area opposite to the central portion of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding portion 7. That is, in both the upper and lower sections, the spacing of the halogen lamps HL in the peripheral portion is shorter than in the central portion of the lamp arrangement. Therefore, the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer W, which is prone to temperature drop when heated by light irradiation from the halogen heating unit 4, can be irradiated with more light.

[0093] The lamp group including the upper halogen lamps HL and the lamp group including the lower halogen lamps HL are arranged in a lattice-like manner. That is, a total of 40 halogen lamps HL are arranged so that the length direction of each halogen lamp HL in the upper stage is perpendicular to the length direction of each halogen lamp HL in the lower stage.

[0094] The halogen lamp HL is a filament-type light source that emits light by energizing a filament disposed inside a glass tube to turn the filament incandescent. Inside the glass tube, a gas obtained by introducing a trace amount of halogen elements (iodine, bromine, etc.) into an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is sealed. By introducing the halogen element, the breakage of the filament can be suppressed, and the temperature of the filament can be set to a high temperature. Therefore, the halogen lamp HL has a longer life than a conventional incandescent bulb and can continuously irradiate strong light. In other words, the halogen lamp HL is a continuously lit lamp that emits light continuously for at least 1 second. In addition, since the halogen lamp HL is a rod-shaped lamp, it has a longer life, and by arranging the halogen lamp HL in the horizontal direction, the radiation efficiency to the semiconductor wafer W above becomes excellent.

[0095] In addition, a reflector 43 ( Figure 3 ). The reflector 43 reflects the light emitted from the plurality of halogen lamps HL toward the heat treatment space 65 side.

[0096] The control unit 3 controls the various operating mechanisms provided in the heat treatment apparatus 100 . Fig.10 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the control unit 3. The hardware structure of the control unit 3 is the same as that of an ordinary computer. That is, the control unit 3 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) as a circuit for performing various calculations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) as a read-only memory for storing basic programs, a RAM (Random Access Memory) as a free read-write memory for storing various information, and a disk 35 that pre-stores control software or data. The processing in the heat treatment device 100 is performed by the CPU of the control unit 3 executing a specific processing program. In addition, in Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , the control unit 3 is shown in the indexer unit 101 , but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the control unit 3 can be arranged at any position in the heat treatment apparatus 100 .

[0097] like Fig.10 As shown, the product process recipe for the product wafer W and the dummy process recipe for the dummy wafer DW are associated and stored in the magnetic disk 35 as the storage unit of the control unit 3. This will be described further below.

[0098] In addition, a touch panel 33 of liquid crystal is connected to the control unit 3. The touch panel 33 is, for example, provided on the outer wall of the heat treatment device 100. The touch panel 33 displays various information and accepts input of various comments or parameters. In other words, the touch panel 33 has the functions of both a display unit and an input unit. The operator of the heat treatment device 100 can input instructions or parameters from the touch panel 33 while confirming the information displayed on the touch panel 33. In addition, a combination of an input unit such as a keyboard or a mouse and a display unit such as a liquid crystal display may be used instead of the touch panel 33.

[0099] In addition to the above-mentioned structure, the heat treatment section 160 is also provided with various cooling structures to prevent the halogen lamp chamber 4, the flash lamp chamber 5 and the processing chamber 6 from excessive temperature rise caused by the heat energy generated from the halogen lamp HL and the flash lamp FL during the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W. For example, a water cooling pipe (not shown) is provided on the wall of the processing chamber 6. In addition, the halogen lamp chamber 4 and the flash lamp chamber 5 are provided with an air cooling structure for exhausting heat by forming a gas flow inside. In addition, air is also supplied to the gap between the upper chamber window 63 and the lamp radiation window 53 to cool the flash lamp chamber 5 and the upper chamber window 63.

[0100] Next, the processing operation of the heat treatment device 100 of the present invention is described. Here, after describing the processing operation of the semiconductor wafer (product wafer) W that becomes a product, the heat treatment of the dummy wafer DW is described. The semiconductor wafer W that becomes the processing object is a semiconductor substrate to which impurities (ions) are added by ion implantation. The activation of the impurities is performed by flash irradiation heat treatment (annealing) using the heat treatment device 100.

[0101] First, unprocessed semiconductor wafers W injected with impurities are placed in a carrier C in a state where multiple pieces are placed on the first load port 110a or the second load port 110b of the indexer part 101. Then, the transfer robot 120 takes out the unprocessed semiconductor wafers W from the carrier C one by one and carries them into the alignment chamber 231 of the alignment part 230. In the alignment chamber 231, the semiconductor wafer W is rotated around the vertical axis in a horizontal plane with its center as the rotation center, and the notch is optically detected, so that the direction of the semiconductor wafer W is adjusted.

[0102] Next, the transfer robot 120 of the indexer unit 101 takes out the semiconductor wafer W whose direction has been adjusted from the alignment chamber 231 and carries it into the first cooling chamber 131 of the cooling unit 130 or the second cooling chamber 141 of the cooling unit 140. The unprocessed semiconductor wafer W carried into the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141 is carried out into the transfer chamber 170 by the transfer robot 150. When the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W is transferred from the indexer unit 101 to the transfer chamber 170 via the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141, the first cooling chamber 131 and the second cooling chamber 141 function as a path for the transfer of the semiconductor wafer W.

[0103] The transfer robot 150 that has taken out the semiconductor wafer W rotates toward the heat treatment unit 160. Then, the gate valve 185 opens the space between the processing chamber 6 and the transfer chamber 170, and the transfer robot 150 moves the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W into the processing chamber 6. At this time, when the previously heat-treated semiconductor wafer W is present in the processing chamber 6, the heat-treated semiconductor wafer W is taken out by one of the transfer hands 151a and 151b, and the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W is moved into the processing chamber 6 to perform wafer replacement. Then, the gate valve 185 closes the space between the processing chamber 6 and the transfer chamber 170.

[0104] The semiconductor wafer W carried into the processing chamber 6 is preheated by the halogen lamp HL and then flash-heated by flash irradiation from the flash lamp FL. The impurities implanted into the semiconductor wafer W are activated by the flash-heating process.

[0105] After the flash heat treatment is completed, the gate valve 185 opens the space between the processing chamber 6 and the transfer chamber 170 again, and the transfer robot 150 transfers the semiconductor wafer W after the flash heat treatment from the processing chamber 6 to the transfer chamber 170. The transfer robot 150 that has taken out the semiconductor wafer W rotates from the processing chamber 6 toward the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141. In addition, the gate valve 185 closes the space between the processing chamber 6 and the transfer chamber 170.

[0106] Then, the transfer robot 150 transfers the semiconductor wafer W after the heat treatment to the first cooling chamber 131 of the cooling unit 130 or the second cooling chamber 141 of the cooling unit 140. At this time, if the semiconductor wafer W passes through the first cooling chamber 131 before the heat treatment, it is still transferred to the first cooling chamber 131 after the heat treatment, and if the semiconductor wafer W passes through the second cooling chamber 141 before the heat treatment, it is still transferred to the second cooling chamber 141 after the heat treatment. In the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141, the semiconductor wafer W after the flash heat treatment is cooled. Since the overall temperature of the semiconductor wafer W at the time of being transferred out of the processing chamber 6 of the heat treatment unit 160 is relatively high, the semiconductor wafer W is cooled to near room temperature in the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141.

[0107] After a specific cooling treatment time, the transfer robot 120 moves the cooled semiconductor wafer W out of the first cooling chamber 131 or the second cooling chamber 141 and returns it to the carrier C. If a specific number of processed semiconductor wafers W are accommodated in the carrier C, the carrier C is moved out from the first load port 110 a or the second load port 110 b of the indexer part 101 .

[0108] The heat treatment in the heat treatment unit 160 is further described. Before the semiconductor wafer W is carried into the processing chamber 6, the valve 84 for gas supply is opened, and the valves 89 and 192 for exhaust are opened to start supplying and exhausting gas in the processing chamber 6. If the valve 84 is opened, nitrogen gas is supplied to the heat treatment space 65 from the gas supply hole 81. In addition, if the valve 89 is opened, the gas in the processing chamber 6 is exhausted from the gas exhaust hole 86. As a result, the nitrogen gas supplied from the upper part of the heat treatment space 65 in the processing chamber 6 flows downward and is exhausted from the lower part of the heat treatment space 65.

[0109] In addition, by opening the valve 192, the gas in the processing chamber 6 is also exhausted from the transfer opening 66. Furthermore, the gas around the driving part of the transfer mechanism 10 is also exhausted by the exhaust mechanism (not shown). In addition, during the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment part 160, nitrogen gas is continuously supplied to the heat treatment space 65, and its supply amount is appropriately changed according to the treatment process.

[0110] Then, the gate valve 185 is opened and the transport opening 66 is opened, and the semiconductor wafer W to be processed is transported into the heat treatment space 65 in the processing chamber 6 through the transport opening 66 by the transport robot 150. The transport robot 150 moves the transport hand 151a (or the transport hand 151b) holding the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W into a position directly above the holding portion 7 and stops. Then, the pair of transfer arms 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 are horizontally moved and raised from the retreat position to the transfer operation position, so that the lift pins 12 protrude from the upper surface of the holding plate 75 of the base 74 through the through holes 79 to receive the semiconductor wafer W. At this time, the lift pins 12 rise to a position higher than the upper ends of the substrate support pins 77.

[0111] After the unprocessed semiconductor wafer W is placed on the lift pins 12, the transport robot 150 withdraws the transport hand 151a from the heat treatment space 65 and closes the transport opening 66 by the gate valve 185. Then, the semiconductor wafer W is handed over to the base 74 of the holding part 7 from the transport mechanism 10 by the pair of transfer arms 11 descending and held from below in a horizontal posture. The semiconductor wafer W is supported and held on the base 74 by a plurality of substrate support pins 77 vertically arranged on the holding plate 75. In addition, the semiconductor wafer W is held on the holding part 7 with the surface where patterning is performed and impurities are injected as the upper surface. A specific gap is formed between the back side (the main surface on the opposite side to the front side) of the semiconductor wafer W supported by the plurality of substrate support pins 77 and the holding surface 75a of the holding plate 75. The pair of transfer arms 11 that have descended to the bottom of the base 74 are retreated to the retreat position, that is, the inner side of the recess 62 by the horizontal movement mechanism 13.

[0112] After the semiconductor wafer W is held horizontally from below by the base 74 of the holding portion 7, 40 halogen lamps HL are lit at the same time to start preheating (auxiliary heating). The halogen light emitted from the halogen lamp HL is irradiated from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W through the lower chamber window 64 and the base 74 formed by quartz. The temperature of the semiconductor wafer W rises after being preheated by receiving the light from the halogen lamp HL. In addition, the transfer arm 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 has been retreated to the inner side of the recess 62, so it will not hinder the heating by the halogen lamp HL.

[0113] When preheating is performed using the halogen lamp HL, the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is measured using the edge radiation thermometer 20. That is, the edge radiation thermometer 20 receives infrared light radiated from the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer W held on the base 74 through the opening 78 to measure the temperature of the wafer during heating. The measured temperature of the semiconductor wafer W is transmitted to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 controls the output of the halogen lamp HL while monitoring whether the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W heated by light irradiation from the halogen lamp HL has reached a specific preheating temperature T1. That is, the control unit 3 performs feedback control on the output of the halogen lamp HL based on the measured value of the edge radiation thermometer 20 so that the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W becomes the preheating temperature T1. The preheating temperature T1 is set to a temperature at which there is no need to worry about the impurities added to the semiconductor wafer W diffusing due to heat, that is, about 600°C to 800°C (700°C in this embodiment).

[0114] After the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W reaches the preheating temperature T1, the control unit 3 temporarily maintains the semiconductor wafer W at the preheating temperature T1. Specifically, at the time point when the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W measured by the edge radiation thermometer 20 reaches the preheating temperature T1, the control unit 3 adjusts the output of the halogen lamp HL to maintain the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W at approximately the preheating temperature T1.

[0115] By performing such preheating using the halogen lamp HL, the temperature of the entire semiconductor wafer W is uniformly raised to the preheating temperature T1. In the stage of preheating using the halogen lamp HL, there is a tendency that the temperature of the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer W, which is more likely to generate heat dissipation, is lower than that of the central portion. The density of the halogen lamps HL in the halogen lamp chamber 4 is higher in the area opposite to the peripheral portion than in the area opposite to the central portion of the semiconductor wafer W. Therefore, the amount of light irradiated to the peripheral portion of the semiconductor wafer W, which is more likely to generate heat dissipation, becomes larger, and the in-plane temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer W in the preheating stage can be uniform.

[0116] At a specific time point after the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W reaches the preheating temperature T1, the flash lamp FL flashes the surface of the semiconductor wafer W. At this time, a part of the flash emitted from the flash lamp FL is directly emitted into the processing chamber 6, and another part is temporarily reflected by the reflector 52 and then emitted into the processing chamber 6. The semiconductor wafer W is flash heated by the flash irradiation.

[0117] Since the flash heating is performed by irradiating a flash light from a flash lamp FL, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be raised in a short time. That is, the flash light irradiated from the flash lamp FL is an extremely short and strong flash light that converts the electrostatic energy previously stored in the capacitor into an extremely short light pulse and has an irradiation time of approximately 0.1 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds. Moreover, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W flash-heated by the flash light irradiation from the flash lamp FL instantly rises to a processing temperature T2 of 1000°C or more, and after the impurities injected into the semiconductor wafer W are activated, the surface temperature drops rapidly. In this way, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be raised and lowered in an extremely short time during the flash heating, so the impurities injected into the semiconductor wafer W can be activated while suppressing the diffusion of the impurities due to heat. In addition, since the time required for the activation of the impurities is extremely short compared to the time required for its thermal diffusion, the activation is completed even in a short time of approximately 0.1 milliseconds to 100 milliseconds when no diffusion occurs.

[0118] After the flash heating treatment is completed, the halogen lamp HL goes out after a specific time. As a result, the semiconductor wafer W is rapidly cooled from the preheating temperature T1. The temperature of the semiconductor wafer W being cooled is measured by the edge radiation thermometer 20, and its measurement result is transmitted to the control unit 3. The control unit 3 monitors whether the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W drops to a specific temperature based on the measurement result of the edge radiation thermometer 20. Then, after the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W drops below a specific level, the pair of transfer arms 11 of the transfer mechanism 10 moves horizontally from the retreat position to the transfer action position and rises again, whereby the lift pins 12 protrude from the upper surface of the base 74 and receive the heat-treated semiconductor wafer W from the base 74. Subsequently, the transport opening 66 closed by the gate valve 185 is opened, and the processed semiconductor wafer W placed on the lift pins 12 is moved out by the transport hand 151b (or transport hand 151a) of the transport robot 150. The transfer robot 150 moves the transfer hand 151b to a position directly below the semiconductor wafer W lifted by the lift pins 12 and stops. Then, the pair of transfer arms 11 descends, and the flash-heated semiconductor wafer W is delivered and placed on the transfer hand 151b. Then, the transfer robot 150 withdraws the transfer hand 151b from the processing chamber 6 and carries the processed semiconductor wafer W out.

[0119] Typically, the semiconductor wafers W are processed in batches. A batch refers to a group of semiconductor wafers W that are processed with the same content under the same conditions. In the heat treatment apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor wafers W (e.g., 25) constituting a batch are accommodated in a carrier C and loaded on the first loading port 110a or the second loading port 110b of the indexer part 101, and the semiconductor wafers W are sequentially moved from the carrier C into the processing chamber 6 one by one for heat treatment.

[0120] Here, when the processing of a batch is started by using the heat treatment device 100 that is not currently processing, the first semiconductor wafer W of the batch is moved into the processing chamber 6 at approximately room temperature and then preheated and flash heated. This situation may be, for example, when the first batch is processed after the heat treatment device 100 is started after maintenance or when a long time has passed since the previous batch was processed. During the heating treatment, heat is conducted from the heated semiconductor wafer W to the chamber structures such as the susceptor 74, so the susceptor 74, which is initially at room temperature, gradually heats up by heat storage as the number of semiconductor wafers W processed increases. In addition, a portion of the infrared light emitted from the halogen lamp HL is absorbed by the lower chamber window 64, so as the number of semiconductor wafers W processed increases, the temperature of the lower chamber window 64 also gradually rises.

[0121] Moreover, when the heat treatment of about 10 semiconductor wafers W is performed, the temperature of the susceptor 74 and the lower chamber window 64 reaches a fixed stable temperature. In the susceptor 74 that has reached the stable temperature, the amount of heat transferred from the semiconductor wafer W to the susceptor 74 is balanced with the amount of heat dissipated from the susceptor 74. Until the temperature of the susceptor 74 reaches the stable temperature, the amount of heat transferred from the semiconductor wafer W is greater than the amount of heat dissipated from the susceptor 74, so as the number of processed semiconductor wafers W increases, the temperature of the susceptor 74 gradually rises by heat storage. In contrast, after the temperature of the susceptor 74 reaches the stable temperature, the amount of heat transferred from the semiconductor wafer W is balanced with the amount of heat dissipated from the susceptor 74, so the temperature of the susceptor 74 is maintained at a fixed stable temperature. In addition, the so-called stable temperature refers to the temperature of the susceptor 74 when the temperature of the susceptor 74 rises and becomes fixed by continuously heating a batch of multiple semiconductor wafers W in the processing chamber 6 without preheating the susceptor 74. Furthermore, after the temperature of the lower chamber window 64 reaches the stable temperature, the heat absorbed by the lower chamber window 64 from the irradiation light of the halogen lamp HL is balanced with the heat released from the lower chamber window 64 , so the temperature of the lower chamber window 64 is also maintained at a fixed stable temperature.

[0122] If the processing is started in the processing chamber 6 at room temperature, there is a problem of uneven temperature history between the initial semiconductor wafer W of the batch and the semiconductor wafer W from the middle because of the different temperatures of the structures in the processing chamber 6. In addition, since the initial semiconductor wafer W is supported by the low-temperature base 74 and then flash heated, wafer warping may sometimes occur. Therefore, before starting the processing of the product batch, a virtual operation (virtual processing) is implemented in which a dummy wafer DW that is not the processing object is moved into the processing chamber 6 for heating treatment so that the structures in the chamber such as the base 74 are heated to a stable temperature. By heating about 10 dummy wafers DW, the structures in the chamber such as the base 74 can be heated to a stable temperature. This dummy processing is not only performed when the processing is started in the processing chamber 6 at room temperature, but also when the preheating temperature T1 or the processing temperature T2 is changed. The heat treatment of the product wafers W constituting the product batch and the dummy processing of the dummy wafers DW are performed according to the process recipe. Hereinafter, the creation of a process recipe and dummy processing in this embodiment will be described.

[0123] Fig.11 It is a flow chart showing the sequence of virtual processing. First, a product process recipe is prepared at an appropriate time (step S1). The so-called product process recipe refers to a process recipe that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer (product wafer) W that becomes the product. If the content of the heat treatment is different, the product process recipe is also different. For example, if the preheating temperature T1 or the processing temperature T2, or the type of processing gas is different, the product process recipe is also different. Therefore, in the heat treatment device 100, a plurality of product process recipes are prepared and saved according to the number of patterns of the heat treatment to be performed.

[0124] In this embodiment, the operator of the thermal processing apparatus 100 inputs parameters through the touch panel 33 to create a product process recipe. Fig.12 1 is a diagram showing an example of an editor screen for creating a product process recipe. When creating a product process recipe, a product-specific editor is started, such as Fig.12 The editor screen shown is displayed on the touch panel 33. The operator inputs various parameters from the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe displayed on the touch panel 33. Fig.12 The main parts of the editor screen are simplified.

[0125] like Fig.12As shown, a heat treatment condition editing area 210 and a process gas condition editing area 220 are displayed on the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe. In the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe, the processing conditions for preheating by the halogen lamp HL and flash heating by the flash lamp FL can be set individually from the heat treatment condition editing area 210. For example, the operator can set the target temperature (preheating temperature T1) during preheating, the maintenance time of the preheating temperature T1, the applied voltage to the flash lamp FL, the pulse width of the flash, etc. from the heat treatment condition editing area 210. The product wafer W is heat-treated according to the processing conditions set from the heat treatment condition editing area 210.

[0126] In addition, in the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe, in addition to nitrogen as an inert gas, ammonia or a component gas (a mixed gas of hydrogen and nitrogen) as a reactive gas can be specified and the flow rate can be set from the process gas condition editing area 220. When the product wafer W is processed, the process gas set in the process gas condition editing area 220 is supplied to the processing chamber 6.

[0127] Next, a dummy process recipe is made (step S2). The so-called dummy process recipe refers to a process recipe that specifies the processing sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment (dummy treatment) of the dummy wafer DW. The dummy process recipe can be said to be a process recipe specialized for dummy treatment, and is a process recipe used to adjust the temperature of the structure in the chamber such as the base 74 to a stable temperature. If the heat treatment conditions are different for each product process recipe, the stable temperature is also different, so a dummy process recipe is made for each product process recipe.

[0128] Similar to the product process recipe, the operator of the heat treatment apparatus 100 inputs parameters through the touch panel 33 to create a virtual process recipe. Fig.12 In the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe shown, pressing button 201 switches to the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe. Fig.13 2 is a diagram showing an example of an editor screen for creating a dummy process recipe. If button 201 is pressed in the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe, the dummy dedicated editor is started. Fig.13 The editor screen shown is displayed on the touch panel 33. The operator creates a dummy process recipe by inputting various parameters from the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe displayed on the touch panel 33. Fig.12 Similarly, in Fig.13 The main parts of the editor screen are simplified.

[0129] like Fig.13As shown, in the editor screen dedicated to the virtual process recipe, a heat treatment condition editing area 310, a process gas condition editing area 320, and a temperature control condition editing area 330 are displayed. In the editor screen dedicated to the virtual process recipe, the processing conditions for preheating using the halogen lamp HL can be set from the heat treatment condition editing area 310. For example, the operator can set the preheating temperature of the virtual wafer DW from the heat treatment condition editing area 310. However, in the heat treatment condition editing area 310 of the editor screen dedicated to the virtual process recipe, items related to flash heating are not displayed. In other words, in the editor screen dedicated to the virtual process recipe, flash heating using the flash lamp FL is prohibited. Therefore, the operator cannot set flash heating from the editor screen dedicated to the virtual process recipe.

[0130] The purpose of the dummy process is to heat the chamber structures such as the susceptor 74 to a stable temperature. Even if the surface of the dummy wafer DW is heated in a very short time by flash heating, the entire dummy wafer DW is hardly heated, so the flash heating is almost useless for heat transfer from the dummy wafer DW to the susceptor 74. In other words, it can be said that the flash heating process is an unnecessary process for the dummy process. Furthermore, there is a concern that the dummy wafer DW may break as a result of the unnecessary flash heating process. Therefore, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, flash heating using the flash lamp FL is prohibited.

[0131] In addition, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, nitrogen gas can be specified as an inert gas and the flow rate can be set from the process gas condition editing area 320. However, reactive gases such as ammonia gas or a constituent gas cannot be specified from the process gas condition editing area 320 of the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe. In other words, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, only nitrogen gas can be specified as the process gas.

[0132] Ammonia gas etc. are not required for the dummy process for raising the temperature of the chamber structures such as the susceptor 74 to a stable temperature. If ammonia gas etc. are used in the dummy process, not only is the ammonia gas etc. consumed meaninglessly, but also a process of exhausting the ammonia gas etc. from the processing chamber 6 is required after the dummy process. Therefore, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, only nitrogen gas can be specified as the processing gas.

[0133] Furthermore, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, the edge radiation thermometer 20 or the center radiation thermometer 25 can be selected from the temperature control condition editing area 330 as the temperature control thermometer for the dummy process. As described above, during the heat treatment of the product wafer W, the output of the halogen lamp HL is feedback-controlled based on the temperature measurement result of the edge radiation thermometer 20, and the center radiation thermometer 25 is not used. That is, while the edge radiation thermometer 20 is fixed as the temperature control thermometer in the product process recipe, the edge radiation thermometer 20 or the center radiation thermometer 25 can be selected in the dummy process recipe.

[0134] The edge radiation thermometer 20 measures the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W (or dummy wafer DW) held on the susceptor 74, while the central radiation thermometer 25 measures the temperature of the susceptor 74 itself. In the dummy process used to heat the structure in the chamber such as the susceptor 74 to a stable temperature, it is sometimes more effective to control the output of the halogen lamp HL based on the temperature of the susceptor 74 rather than the temperature of the dummy wafer DW so as to quickly heat up the susceptor 74. On the other hand, when the temperature of the susceptor 74 is finally adjusted to a stable temperature, it is sometimes preferable to control the output of the halogen lamp HL based on the temperature of the dummy wafer DW. Therefore, in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe, the edge radiation thermometer 20 or the central radiation thermometer 25 can be selected as the temperature control thermometer. In addition, in the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe, the central radiation thermometer 25 cannot be selected.

[0135] In addition, if Fig.13 As shown, a button 301 for switching to an editor screen dedicated to a product process recipe is displayed on the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe. The operator presses the button 301 in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy process recipe to switch to the editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe. Fig.12 The editor screen dedicated to the product process recipe is shown.

[0136] Back to Fig.11 , the prepared dummy process recipe is associated with the product process recipe and stored in the disk 35 as the storage unit of the control unit 3 (step S3). A plurality of product process recipes are prepared according to the number of patterns for the heat treatment of the product wafer W. In addition, if the heat treatment conditions of the product wafer W are different, the stable temperature is also different, so a dummy process recipe is prepared for each product process recipe. In other words, a corresponding dummy process recipe is prepared for each product process recipe. The dummy process recipes corresponding to each of the plurality of product process recipes are associated with the product process recipe and stored in the disk 35.

[0137] Next, before starting the heat treatment of the product wafers W constituting the product batch, the operator selects the product process recipe used to perform the heat treatment (step S4). At this time, it is possible to select a plurality of product process recipes that have been made and display them on the touch panel 33. A plurality of product process recipes are displayed on the touch panel 33, for example, in the form of a list. On the touch panel 33, only the product process recipe is displayed without displaying the dummy process recipe made in step S2. That is, in the process recipe selection process of step S4, the selection of the dummy process recipe is prohibited. The operator selects one of the plurality of product process recipes displayed on the touch panel 33 to set the product process recipe selected as the product wafer W to be processed.

[0138] Next, a dummy process is performed according to a dummy process recipe stored in the disk 35 in association with the selected product process recipe (step S5). Specifically, the dummy wafer DW is transferred from the dummy carrier DC mounted on the third load port 110c to the processing chamber 6 of the thermal treatment unit 160 by the transfer robot 120 and the conveying robot 150. Then, in the processing chamber 6, a thermal treatment is performed on the dummy wafer DW according to the dummy process recipe associated with the selected product process recipe. By using the dummy wafer DW heated by this dummy process, the chamber structures such as the base 74 are heated to a stable temperature. The dummy wafer DW after the thermal treatment is returned to the dummy carrier DC again by the transfer robot 120 and the conveying robot 150. By performing dummy processing on multiple dummy wafers DW, the temperature of the chamber structures such as the base 74 is adjusted to a stable temperature.

[0139] After the dummy treatment is completed, the heat treatment of the initial product wafer W constituting the product batch is started (step S6). As described above, the heat treatment of the product wafer W is performed according to the selected product process recipe. Since the dummy treatment is performed according to the dummy process recipe associated with the selected product process recipe, the initial product wafer W is maintained on the susceptor 74 whose temperature is adjusted to a stable temperature suitable for the heat treatment content of the product wafer W. Therefore, the heat treatment history can be made uniform for all product wafers W constituting the product batch.

[0140] In this embodiment, when selecting a process recipe for the heat treatment of the product wafer W before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer W, since the selection of a dummy process recipe is prohibited, it is possible to prevent the dummy process recipe from being mistakenly set for the product wafer W. Thus, it is possible to prevent the product wafer W from being mistakenly subjected to the heat treatment of the dummy process.

[0141] Furthermore, since the product process recipe is stored in association with the corresponding dummy process recipe, if the product process recipe is selected before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer W, the dummy treatment is automatically performed according to the optimal dummy process recipe, and the temperature of the chamber structure such as the susceptor 74 is adjusted to a stable temperature suitable for the heat treatment content of the product wafer W. As a result, all the product wafers W constituting the product batch are maintained at the susceptor 74 at the same temperature, and the heat treatment history of all these product wafers W can be made uniform.

[0142] Furthermore, when creating a dummy recipe, flash heating using the flash lamp FL can be prohibited in the editor screen dedicated to the dummy recipe, and only nitrogen gas can be specified as the processing gas. This can prevent mistakes such as specifying unnecessary flash heating for the dummy recipe.

[0143] The above is a description of the embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention can be modified in various ways beyond the above contents as long as it does not deviate from the scope of the main purpose. For example, in the above embodiment, the editor screen for editing the process recipe is displayed on the touch panel 33, but instead, the editor can be started by a computer (for example, a host computer) provided outside the heat treatment device 100, and the operator can perform the process recipe creation operation. The created process recipe is handed over from the computer to the control unit 3 of the heat treatment device 100.

[0144] In the above embodiment, the flash lamp room 5 includes 30 flash lamps FL, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of flash lamps FL can be set to any number. In addition, the flash lamp FL is not limited to a xenon flash lamp, and can also be a krypton flash lamp. In addition, the number of halogen lamps HL included in the halogen lamp room 4 is not limited to 40, and can be set to any number.

[0145] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a filament-type halogen lamp HL is used as a continuous lighting lamp that continuously emits light for more than 1 second to preheat the semiconductor wafer W, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a discharge-type arc lamp (e.g., a xenon arc lamp) may be used as a continuous lighting lamp instead of the halogen lamp HL for preheating. In this case, the dummy wafer DW is also heated by light irradiation from the arc lamp.

[0146] Furthermore, the substrate to be processed by the heat treatment apparatus 100 is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, but may be a glass substrate used for a flat panel display such as a liquid crystal display device or a substrate for a solar cell.

[0147]

Explanation of symbols

[0148] 3. Control Unit

[0149] 4 Halogen lamp housing

[0150] 5 Flash Room

[0151] 6 Processing Chamber

[0152] 7. Maintaining part

[0153] 10 Transfer mechanism

[0154] 33 Touch Panel

[0155] 35 Disk

[0156] 65 Heat treatment space

[0157] 74 Base

[0158] 100 Heat treatment device

[0159] 101 Indexer

[0160] 110 Load Port

[0161] 110a Load port 1

[0162] 110b 2nd load port

[0163] 110c Load port 3

[0164] 120 Handover Robot

[0165] 130, 140 Cooling unit

[0166] 150 Transport Robot

[0167] 151a, 151b Carrying hand

[0168] 160 Heat Treatment Department

[0169] 210, 310 Heat treatment condition editing area

[0170] 220, 320 Process gas condition editing area

[0171] 330 Temperature control condition editing area

[0172] C carrier

[0173] DC Virtual Carrier

[0174] DW Dummy Wafer

[0175] FL Flash

[0176] HL halogen lamp

[0177] W Semiconductor Wafer

Claims

1. A heat treatment method, characterized in that: The method heats a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and comprises: The product process recipe is made into a process to make a product process recipe that specifies the sequence and processing conditions for the heat treatment of the product wafer; A dummy process recipe creation step is used to create a dummy process recipe that specifies the sequence and processing conditions of heat treatment for the dummy wafer; A storage step of storing the product process recipe and the virtual process recipe in association with each other; as well as A process recipe selection step, before starting the thermal treatment of the product wafer, selects the product process recipe for performing the thermal treatment; and In the process recipe selection step, the dummy process recipe is prohibited from being selected. When the product process recipe is selected in the process recipe selection step, before starting the thermal treatment of the product wafer, the thermal treatment of the dummy wafer is performed according to the dummy process recipe associated with the product process recipe.

2. The heat treatment method according to claim 1, characterized in that In the dummy process recipe creation step, flash heating using a flash lamp is prohibited.

3. The heat treatment method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the dummy process recipe creation step, only nitrogen gas may be specified as the processing gas.

4. The heat treatment method according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the dummy process recipe preparation step, the temperature control thermometer may include a wafer thermometer for measuring the temperature of the dummy wafer or a susceptor thermometer for measuring the temperature of a susceptor on which the dummy wafer is mounted.

5. A heat treatment device, characterized in that: The method heats a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and comprises: A heat treatment section performs heat treatment on the substrate; An input unit for generating a dummy process recipe that specifies the sequence and processing conditions of heat treatment for a dummy wafer and a product process recipe that specifies the sequence and processing conditions of heat treatment for a product wafer; as well as A storage unit stores the product process recipe in association with the virtual process recipe; and Before starting the heat treatment of the product wafer, when selecting a product process recipe for performing the heat treatment, the dummy process recipe is prohibited from being selected. Before starting the heat treatment on the product wafer, when the product process recipe is selected, the heat treatment on the dummy wafer is performed according to the dummy process recipe associated with the product process recipe.

6. The heat treatment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the input unit, when creating the dummy process recipe, flash heating using a flash lamp is prohibited.

7. The heat treatment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the input unit, when creating the dummy process recipe, only nitrogen gas can be specified as the processing gas.

8. The heat treatment device according to claim 5, characterized in that: In the input unit, when the dummy process recipe is created, a wafer thermometer for measuring the temperature of the dummy wafer or a susceptor thermometer for measuring the temperature of a susceptor on which the dummy wafer is mounted may be specified as the temperature control thermometer.

Images