JP5469890B2 - Heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating light onto a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate or the like (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”).

  Conventionally, a lamp annealing apparatus using a halogen lamp has been generally used in an ion activation process of a semiconductor wafer after ion implantation. In such a lamp annealing apparatus, ion activation of a semiconductor wafer is performed by heating (annealing) the semiconductor wafer to a temperature of about 1000 ° C. to 1100 ° C., for example. In such a heat treatment apparatus, the temperature of the substrate is raised at a rate of several hundred degrees per second by using the energy of light irradiated from the halogen lamp.

  On the other hand, in recent years, as semiconductor devices have been highly integrated, it is desired to reduce the junction depth as the gate length becomes shorter. However, even when ion activation of a semiconductor wafer is performed using the above-described lamp annealing apparatus that raises the temperature of the semiconductor wafer at a speed of several hundred degrees per second, ions such as boron and phosphorus implanted in the semiconductor wafer are heated. It was found that the phenomenon of deep diffusion occurs. When such a phenomenon occurs, there is a concern that the junction depth becomes deeper than required, which hinders good device formation.

  For this reason, the surface of the semiconductor wafer into which ions have been implanted by irradiating the surface of the semiconductor wafer with flash light using a xenon flash lamp (hereinafter simply referred to as “flash lamp” means xenon flash lamp). Has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1) in which the temperature is raised in a very short time (several milliseconds or less). The radiation spectral distribution of a xenon flash lamp ranges from the ultraviolet region to the near infrared region, has a shorter wavelength than the conventional halogen lamp, and almost coincides with the fundamental absorption band of a silicon semiconductor wafer. Therefore, when the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with flash light from the xenon flash lamp, the semiconductor wafer can be rapidly heated with little transmitted light. Further, it has been found that if the flash light is irradiated for a very short time of several milliseconds or less, only the vicinity of the surface of the semiconductor wafer can be selectively heated. For this reason, if the temperature is raised for a very short time by a xenon flash lamp, only the ion activation can be performed without diffusing ions deeply.

JP 2004-296625 A

  In a heat treatment apparatus using a flash lamp, flash light having extremely high energy is instantaneously applied to a semiconductor wafer, so that the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer rises rapidly in an instant. It is known that a very large thermal stress acts on the semiconductor wafer due to the rapid temperature increase in the vicinity of the wafer surface, and the semiconductor wafer breaks into pieces (Shattering). When this pulverization phenomenon occurs, if the chamber is opened after the processing, fine debris diffuses to the outside of the chamber and contaminates the peripheral device, and not only the inside of the chamber but also the peripheral device needs to be cleaned. Therefore, when a semiconductor wafer crushing phenomenon occurs during flash irradiation, it is important to reduce the recovery time of the apparatus by reliably detecting the crack and confining the fragments in the chamber. For this purpose, the presence or absence of a semiconductor wafer in the chamber may be confirmed after flash irradiation.

  However, in a heat treatment apparatus using a flash lamp as disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example, the distance between the flash lamp and the semiconductor wafer is very small in order to efficiently use the energy of flash light. There is a quartz window. Furthermore, the interval between adjacent flash lamps is very narrow in order to improve the uniformity of the emitted flash light. For this reason, it has been extremely difficult to separately install a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of a semiconductor wafer.

  Further, even if the sensor can be installed in the chamber, a hot plate for preheating the semiconductor wafer to about 500 ° C. is provided in the chamber in the heat treatment apparatus using a flash lamp as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In addition, the sensor itself is damaged because it receives intense flash light. As a result, in the prior art, even if a semiconductor wafer crushing phenomenon occurs during flash irradiation, it cannot be detected immediately and is recognized only after the chamber is opened.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus that can detect the presence or absence of a substrate in a chamber without opening the chamber.

In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 is a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and is formed of a chamber for accommodating the substrate, a light-transmitting material, A support pin for mounting and supporting the substrate at the tip in the chamber, a light irradiation means including a flash lamp for irradiating and heating the substrate accommodated in the chamber, and a tip from the base end of the support pin A light projecting means for injecting light toward the light, a light receiving means for receiving the light guided from the distal end of the support pin toward the proximal end, and a light amount of the light received by the light receiving means compared with a predetermined threshold value Comparing means for comparing when the substrate is loaded into the chamber and placed on the support pin, and after the light irradiation from the light irradiation means is performed, the comparison is performed. The line It is characterized in.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a holding portion that places the substrate on the placement surface and moves up and down relatively with respect to the support pin, and the holding When the part is lowered, the tip of the support pin protrudes from the placement surface, and when the holding part is raised, the placement surface is located above the tip of the support pin, and the light irradiation means Light is applied to the substrate held by the holding unit that has been raised above the tip of the support pin, and the comparison means causes the holding unit to descend so that the tip of the support pin protrudes from the mounting surface. It is characterized in that comparison is performed when

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, an optical fiber that guides light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the support pin, and a tip of the optical fiber. And pressing means for pressing against the base end of the support pin.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising an optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the support pin, and the support pin The base end of the optical fiber and the tip of the optical fiber are filled with a refractive liquid.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, and a chamber for accommodating the substrate, and the substrate placed on and supported at the tip in the chamber. A support pin, a rod-shaped guide member that is formed of a light-transmitting material and is disposed so that the tip thereof faces the substrate supported by the support pin, and the substrate accommodated in the chamber is irradiated with light and heated. A light irradiating means including a flash lamp, a light projecting means for entering light from the proximal end of the guide member toward the distal end, and a light receiving unit for receiving light guided from the distal end of the guide member toward the proximal end. And a comparing means for comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving means with a predetermined threshold, the comparing means when the substrate is carried into the chamber and placed on the support pin In Performs compare, and performs comparison after the light irradiation was performed from the light irradiation unit.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, an optical fiber that guides light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the guide member, and a tip of the optical fiber is connected to the guide member. And a pressing means for pressing against the base end.

  The invention of claim 7 is the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the guide member, and a proximal end of the guide member And the tip of the optical fiber is filled with a refractive liquid.

  The invention of claim 8 is the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the light-transmitting material is quartz.

  The invention of claim 9 is the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the translucent material is sapphire.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to detect the presence / absence of a substrate in the chamber without opening the chamber by detecting the level of the amount of received light that varies depending on whether or not the substrate is present on the support pins.

  In particular, according to the first and second aspects of the invention, since the support pins for placing and supporting the substrate are used as probes for light projection and reception, a new space for installing the detection sensor is provided. It is not necessary to provide in the chamber.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 3, since the tip of the optical fiber is pressed against the base end of the support pin, the optical fiber and the support pin always come into contact with each other, so that there is no gap, and light is transmitted smoothly between the two. Is called.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 4, since the space between the base end of the support pin and the tip of the optical fiber is filled with the refractive liquid, reflection at the interface due to the difference in refractive index does not occur. The light is smoothly transmitted between them.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 6, since the tip end of the optical fiber is pressed against the base end of the guide member, the optical fiber and the guide member always come into contact with each other so that there is no gap, and light transmission between the two is smooth. Done.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 7, since the gap between the proximal end of the guide member and the distal end of the optical fiber is filled with the refractive liquid, reflection at the interface due to the difference in refractive index does not occur, and the optical fiber and the guide member Is smoothly transmitted between the two.

It is a sectional side view which shows the structure of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the gas path of the heat processing apparatus of FIG. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of a holding | maintenance part. It is a top view which shows a hot plate. It is a sectional side view which shows the structure of the heat processing apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of a wafer detection mechanism. It is a figure which shows attachment of an optical cable. It is the figure which expanded the attachment mechanism of the optical cable. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the semiconductor wafer in the heat processing apparatus of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the other example of a structure of a wafer detection mechanism. It is the figure which filled the refractive liquid between the optical cable and the support pin. It is a sectional side view which shows the other structural example of the heat processing apparatus.

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

  First, the overall configuration of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be outlined. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a configuration of a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the present invention. The heat treatment apparatus 1 is a lamp annealing apparatus that irradiates a substantially circular semiconductor wafer W as a substrate with light and heats the semiconductor wafer W.

  The heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a substantially cylindrical chamber 6 that accommodates a semiconductor wafer W, and a lamp house 5 that houses a plurality of flash lamps FL. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a control unit 3 that controls each operation mechanism provided in the chamber 6 and the lamp house 5 to execute the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W.

  The chamber 6 is provided below the lamp house 5 and includes a chamber side 63 having a substantially cylindrical inner wall and a chamber bottom 62 covering the lower part of the chamber side 63. A space surrounded by the chamber side 63 and the chamber bottom 62 is defined as a heat treatment space 65. An upper opening 60 is formed above the heat treatment space 65, and a chamber window 61 is attached to the upper opening 60 to be closed.

  The chamber window 61 constituting the ceiling portion of the chamber 6 is a disk-shaped member made of quartz and functions as a quartz window that transmits the light emitted from the lamp house 5 to the heat treatment space 65. The chamber bottom 62 and the chamber side 63 constituting the main body of the chamber 6 are formed of, for example, a metal material having excellent strength and heat resistance such as stainless steel, and a ring on the upper side of the inner side surface of the chamber side 63. 631 is formed of an aluminum (Al) alloy or the like having durability superior to stainless steel against deterioration due to light irradiation.

  Further, in order to maintain the airtightness of the heat treatment space 65, the chamber window 61 and the chamber side portion 63 are sealed by an O-ring. That is, the O-ring is sandwiched between the lower surface peripheral portion of the chamber window 61 and the chamber side portion 63, the clamp ring 90 is brought into contact with the upper peripheral portion of the chamber window 61, and the clamp ring 90 is attached to the chamber side portion 63. The chamber window 61 is pressed against the O-ring by screwing.

  The chamber bottom 62 has a plurality (in this embodiment) for supporting the semiconductor wafer W from the lower surface (surface opposite to the side irradiated with light from the lamp house 5) through the holding portion 7. 3) support pins 70 are provided upright. The support pin 70 is made of, for example, quartz and is attached from the outside of the chamber 6. Further, the support pin 70 of the present embodiment also has a function as a light projecting / receiving probe for detecting the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6, which will be described in detail later.

The chamber side 63 has a transfer opening 66 for carrying in and out the semiconductor wafer W, and the transfer opening 66 can be opened and closed by a gate valve 185 that rotates about a shaft 662. In a portion of the chamber side 63 opposite to the transfer opening 66, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas, helium (He) gas, argon (Ar) gas, etc. Alternatively, an introduction path 81 for introducing oxygen (0 ₂ ) gas or the like is formed, one end of which is connected to an air supply mechanism (not shown) via a valve 82, and the other end is formed inside the chamber side portion 63. Connected to the gas introduction buffer 83. A discharge passage 86 for discharging the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is formed in the transfer opening 66 and is connected to an exhaust mechanism (not shown) through a valve 87.

  FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the chamber 6 cut along a horizontal plane at the position of the gas introduction buffer 83. As shown in FIG. 2, the gas introduction buffer 83 is formed over about ３ of the inner periphery of the chamber side 63 on the opposite side of the transfer opening 66 shown in FIG. Then, the processing gas guided to the gas introduction buffer 83 is supplied into the heat treatment space 65 from the plurality of gas supply holes 84.

  The heat treatment apparatus 1 also includes a substantially disk-shaped holding unit 7 that holds the semiconductor wafer W in a horizontal position in the chamber 6 and performs preheating of the semiconductor wafer W held before light irradiation, and a holding unit. And a holding unit elevating mechanism 4 that elevates 7 with respect to the chamber bottom 62 which is the bottom surface of the chamber 6. 1 includes a substantially cylindrical shaft 41, a moving plate 42, guide members 43 (three arranged around the shaft 41 in the present embodiment), a fixed plate 44, a ball screw 45, It has a nut 46 and a motor 40. A substantially circular lower opening 64 having a smaller diameter than the holding portion 7 is formed in the chamber bottom 62 which is the lower portion of the chamber 6, and the stainless steel shaft 41 is inserted through the lower opening 64 to hold the holding portion. 7 (strictly speaking, the hot plate 71 of the holding unit 7) is connected to the lower surface of the holding unit 7 to support it.

  A nut 46 that is screwed into the ball screw 45 is fixed to the moving plate 42. The moving plate 42 is slidably guided by a guide member 43 that is fixed to the chamber bottom 62 and extends downward, and is movable in the vertical direction. Further, the moving plate 42 is connected to the holding unit 7 via the shaft 41.

  The motor 40 is installed on a fixed plate 44 attached to the lower end of the guide member 43, and is connected to the ball screw 45 via the timing belt 401. When the holding part 7 is raised and lowered by the holding part raising / lowering mechanism 4, the motor 40 as the driving part rotates the ball screw 45 under the control of the control part 3, and the moving plate 42 to which the nut 46 is fixed follows the guide member 43. Move vertically. As a result, the shaft 41 fixed to the moving plate 42 moves along the vertical direction, and the holding unit 7 connected to the shaft 41 moves between the delivery position of the semiconductor wafer W shown in FIG. 1 and the semiconductor wafer W shown in FIG. Move up and down smoothly between the processing positions.

  On the upper surface of the moving plate 42, a mechanical stopper 451 having a substantially semi-cylindrical shape (a shape obtained by cutting the cylinder in half along the longitudinal direction) is provided so as to extend along the ball screw 45. If the upper limit of the mechanical stopper 451 is struck against the end plate 452 provided at the end of the ball screw 45, the moving plate 42 is prevented from rising abnormally. Thereby, the holding part 7 does not rise above a predetermined position below the chamber window 61, and the collision between the holding part 7 and the chamber window 61 is prevented.

  The holding unit lifting mechanism 4 has a manual lifting unit 49 that manually lifts and lowers the holding unit 7 when performing maintenance inside the chamber 6. The manual elevating part 49 has a handle 491 and a rotating shaft 492. By rotating the rotating shaft 492 via the handle 491, the ball screw 45 connected to the rotating shaft 492 is rotated via the timing belt 495 to hold the holding part. 7 can be moved up and down.

  A telescopic bellows 47 that surrounds the shaft 41 and extends downward is provided below the chamber bottom 62, and its upper end is connected to the lower surface of the chamber bottom 62. On the other hand, the lower end of the bellows 47 is attached to the bellows lower end plate 471. The bellows lower end plate 471 is attached by being screwed to the shaft 41 by a flange-shaped member 411. The bellows 47 is contracted when the holding portion 7 is raised with respect to the chamber bottom 62 by the holding portion lifting mechanism 4, and the bellows 47 is expanded when the holding portion 7 is lowered. When the holding unit 7 moves up and down, the airtight state in the heat treatment space 65 is maintained by the expansion and contraction of the bellows 47.

  FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the holding unit 7. The holding unit 7 is installed on a hot plate (heating plate) 71 that preheats the semiconductor wafer W (so-called assist heating), and an upper surface of the hot plate 71 (a surface on the side where the holding unit 7 holds the semiconductor wafer W). The susceptor 72 is provided. As described above, the shaft 41 that moves up and down the holding unit 7 is connected to the lower surface of the holding unit 7. The susceptor 72 is made of quartz (or may be aluminum nitride (AIN) or the like), and a pin 75 for preventing displacement of the semiconductor wafer W is provided on the upper surface thereof. The susceptor 72 is installed on the hot plate 71 with its lower surface in surface contact with the upper surface of the hot plate 71. Thus, the susceptor 72 diffuses the thermal energy from the hot plate 71 and transmits it to the semiconductor wafer W placed on the upper surface of the susceptor 72, and can be removed from the hot plate 71 and cleaned during maintenance.

  The hot plate 71 includes an upper plate 73 and a lower plate 74 made of stainless steel. A resistance heating wire 76 such as a nichrome wire for heating the hot plate 71 is disposed between the upper plate 73 and the lower plate 74, and is filled with a conductive nickel (Ni) solder and sealed. The end portions of the upper plate 73 and the lower plate 74 are bonded by brazing.

  FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the hot plate 71. As shown in FIG. 4, the hot plate 71 includes a disc-shaped zone 711 and an annular zone 712 that are concentrically arranged in a central portion of a region facing the held semiconductor wafer W, and a zone 712. There are four zones 713 to 716 obtained by equally dividing a peripheral substantially annular region into four equal parts in the circumferential direction, and a slight gap is formed between the zones. The hot plate 71 is provided with three through holes 77 through which the support pins 70 are inserted, every 120 ° on the circumference of the gap between the zone 711 and the zone 712.

  In each of the six zones 711 to 716, heaters are individually formed so that mutually independent resistance heating wires 76 circulate, and each zone is individually formed by a heater built in each zone. Heated. The semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 is heated by heaters built in the six zones 711 to 716. Each of the zones 711 to 716 is provided with a sensor 710 that measures the temperature of each zone using a thermocouple. Each sensor 710 passes through the inside of a substantially cylindrical shaft 41 and is connected to the control unit 3.

  When the hot plate 71 is heated, the resistance heating wire disposed in each zone is set so that the temperature of each of the six zones 711 to 716 measured by the sensor 710 becomes a predetermined temperature. The amount of power supplied to 76 is controlled by the control unit 3. The temperature control of each zone by the control unit 3 is performed by PID (Proportional, Integral, Derivative) control. In the hot plate 71, the temperature of each of the zones 711 to 716 is continuously measured until the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W (when plural semiconductor wafers W are continuously processed, the heat treatment of all the semiconductor wafers W) is completed. Then, the power supply amount to the resistance heating wire 76 disposed in each zone is individually controlled, that is, the temperature of the heater built in each zone is individually controlled, and the temperature of each zone becomes the set temperature. Maintained. The set temperature of each zone can be changed by an offset value set individually from the reference temperature.

  The resistance heating wires 76 respectively disposed in the six zones 711 to 716 are connected to a power supply source (not shown) via a power line passing through the inside of the shaft 41. On the way from the power supply source to each zone, the power lines from the power supply source are arranged so as to be electrically insulated from each other inside a stainless tube filled with an insulator such as magnesia (magnesium oxide). The The interior of the shaft 41 is open to the atmosphere.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the wafer detection mechanism. The support pin 70 of this embodiment is a rod-shaped member formed of quartz that is a light-transmitting material. That is, the support pins 70 function not only for placing the semiconductor wafer W but also as a light guide rod. The support pin 70 is erected on the chamber bottom 62 of the chamber 6. The semiconductor wafer W is placed and supported on the tip 70 a of the support pin 70 in the chamber 6.

  On the other hand, the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 is located outside the chamber 6 and is connected to the light projecting unit 11 and the light receiving unit 12 through the optical cable 16. The base end 70b is a polishing surface. One end of the optical cable 16 faces the base end 70b of the support pin 70, and the other end is branched into two cables 16a and 16b. Each of the cables 16a and 16b is formed by bundling a plurality (16 in the present embodiment) of optical fibers of quartz glass and coating them. Therefore, the one end of the optical cable 16 formed by joining the two cables 16a and 16b is a bundle of 32 optical fibers. Note that the number of optical fibers constituting the optical cable 16 is not limited to 32, and may be any number.

  The light projecting unit 11 connected to the cable 16a includes, for example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and emits visible light or infrared light. The light receiving unit 12 connected to the cable 16b is configured by, for example, a photodiode. The light projected from the light projecting unit 11 onto the cable 16a is incident from the proximal end 70b of the support pin 70, and guided inside the support pin 70 toward the distal end 70a. On the other hand, the light guided from the distal end 70a of the support pin 70 toward the proximal end 70b is received by the light receiving unit 12 through the cable 16b. That is, the optical cable 16 (including the branched cables 16 a and 16 b) guides light between the light projecting unit 11 and the light receiving unit 12 and the support pin 70.

  The light receiving unit 12 converts the received light into an electrical signal and outputs it to the amplifier 13. The amplifier 13 appropriately amplifies the electric signal and outputs it to the integrating circuit 14. The integration circuit 14 removes high-frequency noise from the electrical signal and transmits it to the comparator 15. The comparator 15 compares the voltage value of the transmitted electrical signal with a predetermined set voltage value. The comparison result by the comparator 15 may be transmitted to the control unit 3.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating attachment of the optical cable 16. A mounting block 171 is fixed to the outer surface of the chamber bottom 62 (the surface opposite to the heat treatment space 65) with screws 172. The support pin 70 is provided through the mounting block 171 and the chamber bottom 62. The through hole of the chamber bottom 62 is slightly larger than the support pin 70, and the support pin 70 is provided so as to pass through the through hole. On the other hand, the support pin 70 is attached to the attachment block 171 via an O-ring 173. That is, an O-ring 173 is sandwiched between the support pin 70 and the mounting block 171 at two locations, upper and lower, and the heat treatment space 65 and the external atmosphere are sealed by these O-rings 173 and the support pin 70 is free. Movement is restricted. An O-ring is also sandwiched and sealed between the chamber bottom 62 and the mounting block 171.

  A male screw 174 is fixed to the lower portion of the mounting block 171 so as to surround the through hole of the support pin 70. On the other hand, a female screw 161 is also fixed around the tip (one end) of the optical cable 16. By screwing the female screw 161 into the male screw 174, the distal end of the optical cable 16 is brought into contact with and pressed against the base end 70 b of the support pin 70. That is, the distal end of the optical cable 16 is pressed against the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 attached to the attachment block 171 via the O-ring 173.

  Further description of the procedure for attaching the optical cable 16 will be continued. Before the female screw 161 is attached to the attachment block 171, the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 is projected from the lower end of the attachment block 171 as shown in FIG. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7B, the support pin 70 is attached by the optical cable 16 by screwing the female screw 161 to the male screw 174 while pressing the distal end of the optical cable 16 against the base end 70 b of the support pin 70. Pushed into block 171. Then, as shown in FIG. 8, when the female screw 161 is completely screwed into the male screw 174, the tip of the optical cable 16 is pressed against the base end 70b of the support pin 70 sandwiched by the O-ring 173. It becomes.

  Next, the lamp house 5 includes a light source composed of a plurality of (30 in this embodiment) xenon flash lamps FL inside the housing 51, and a reflector 52 provided so as to cover the light source, It is configured with. A lamp light emission window 53 is attached to the bottom of the casing 51 of the lamp house 5. The lamp light radiation window 53 constituting the floor of the lamp house 5 is a plate-like member made of quartz. By installing the lamp house 5 above the chamber 6, the lamp light emission window 53 faces the chamber window 61. The lamp house 5 heats the semiconductor wafer W by irradiating the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 in the chamber 6 with light from the flash lamp FL through the lamp light emission window 53 and the chamber window 61.

  Each of the plurality of flash lamps FL is a rod-shaped lamp having a long cylindrical shape, and the longitudinal direction of each of the flash lamps FL is along the main surface of the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 (that is, along the horizontal direction). They are arranged in a plane so as to be parallel to each other. Therefore, the plane formed by the arrangement of the flash lamps FL is also a horizontal plane.

  The xenon flash lamp FL has a rod-shaped glass tube (discharge tube) in which xenon gas is sealed and an anode and a cathode connected to a capacitor at both ends thereof, and an outer peripheral surface of the glass tube. And a triggered electrode. Since xenon gas is an electrical insulator, electricity does not flow into the glass tube under normal conditions even if electric charges are accumulated in the capacitor. However, when the insulation is broken by applying a high voltage to the trigger electrode, the electricity stored in the capacitor flows instantaneously in the glass tube, and light is emitted by excitation of atoms or molecules of xenon at that time. In such a xenon flash lamp FL, the electrostatic energy stored in the condenser in advance is converted into an extremely short light pulse of 0.1 to 10 milliseconds, which is extremely in comparison with a continuous light source. It has the feature that it can irradiate strong light.

  In addition, the reflector 52 is provided above the plurality of flash lamps FL so as to cover all of them. The basic function of the reflector 52 is to reflect flash light emitted from the plurality of flash lamps FL toward the holding unit 7. The reflector 52 is formed of an aluminum alloy plate, and the surface (the surface facing the flash lamp FL) is roughened by blasting to exhibit a satin pattern. The roughening process is performed when the surface of the reflector 52 is a perfect mirror surface, and a regular pattern is generated in the intensity of the reflected light from the plurality of flash lamps FL, so that the surface temperature distribution of the semiconductor wafer W is obtained. This is because the uniformity of the is reduced.

  Further, the control unit 3 controls the various operation mechanisms provided in the heat treatment apparatus 1. The configuration of the control unit 3 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 3 stores a CPU that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, control software, data, and the like. It has a magnetic disk. The operation of the wafer detection mechanism shown in FIG.

  In addition to the above configuration, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is used for various cooling purposes in order to prevent excessive temperature rise of the chamber 6 and the lamp house 5 due to the heat energy generated from the flash lamp FL and the hot plate 71 during the heat treatment of the semiconductor wafer W. It has the structure of For example, water-cooled tubes (not shown) are provided on the chamber side 63 and the chamber bottom 62 of the chamber 6. The lamp house 5 has an air cooling structure provided with a gas supply pipe 55 and an exhaust pipe 56 for exhausting heat by forming a gas flow therein (see FIG. 1). Air is also supplied to the gap between the chamber window 61 and the lamp light emission window 53 to cool the lamp house 5 and the chamber window 61.

  Next, a processing procedure of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be briefly described. Here, the semiconductor wafer W to be processed is a semiconductor substrate to which an impurity (ion) is added by an ion implantation method, and the activation of the added impurity is performed by a flash heating process by the heat treatment apparatus 1. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1. The processing procedure of the semiconductor wafer W shown in FIG. 9 is executed by the control unit 3 controlling each operation mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

  First, the holding unit 7 is lowered from the processing position shown in FIG. 5 to the delivery position shown in FIG. 1 (step S1). The “processing position” is the position of the holding unit 7 when the semiconductor wafer W is irradiated with light from the flash lamp FL, and is the position in the chamber 6 of the holding unit 7 shown in FIG. Further, the “delivery position” is the position of the holding unit 7 when the semiconductor wafer W is carried in and out of the chamber 6, and is the position of the holding unit 7 shown in FIG. The reference position of the holding unit 7 in the heat treatment apparatus 1 is the processing position. Before the processing, the holding unit 7 is located at the processing position, and this is lowered to the delivery position at the start of processing.

  The holding unit 7 is moved up and down with respect to the support pin 70 installed in the chamber 6. As shown in FIG. 1, when the holding unit 7 is lowered to the delivery position, the holding unit 7 comes close to the chamber bottom 62 and The tip 70a penetrates the holding part 7 and protrudes upward from the mounting surface of the holding part 7 (the upper surface of the susceptor 72). On the contrary, as shown in FIG. 5, when the holding unit 7 is raised to the processing position, the holding unit 7 comes close to the chamber window 61, and the mounting surface of the holding unit 7 is positioned above the tip 70 a of the support pin 70.

  Next, after the holding unit 7 is lowered to the delivery position, the valve 82 is opened and normal temperature nitrogen gas is introduced into the heat treatment space 65 of the chamber 6. At the same time, the valve 87 is opened and the gas in the heat treatment space 65 is exhausted (step S2). The nitrogen gas supplied to the chamber 6 flows from the gas introduction buffer 83 in the direction of the arrow AR4 shown in FIG. 2 in the heat treatment space 65, and is exhausted by utility exhaust through the exhaust path 86 and the valve 87. A part of the nitrogen gas supplied to the chamber 6 is also discharged from an outlet (not shown) provided inside the bellows 47.

  Subsequently, the gate valve 185 is opened to open the transfer opening 66, and the semiconductor wafer W is loaded into the chamber 6 through the transfer opening 66 by the transfer robot outside the apparatus and placed on the plurality of support pins 70. (Step S3). Note that the purge amount of nitrogen gas into the chamber 6 when the semiconductor wafer W is loaded is about 40 liters / minute. Further, in each step described below, nitrogen gas is continuously supplied and exhausted to the chamber 6, and the supply amount of the nitrogen gas is changed variously according to the processing process of the semiconductor wafer W.

  After the semiconductor wafer W is loaded into the chamber 6 and the transfer robot leaves the chamber 6, the transfer opening 66 is closed by the gate valve 185. In the present embodiment, the wafer placement determination is performed when the transfer opening 66 is closed (step S4). Specifically, light enters the base end 70b of the support pin 70 through the optical cable 16 from the light projecting unit 11 of the wafer detection mechanism shown in FIG. The light incident on the support pin 70 is guided from the proximal end 70b toward the distal end 70a.

  Here, when the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70, a large amount of light incident on the support pins 70 from the light projecting unit 11 via the optical cable 16 is reflected by the back surface of the semiconductor wafer W, The distal end 70a of the support pin 70 is directed to the proximal end 70b. On the other hand, when the semiconductor wafer W is not placed on the support pins 70, only a part of the light incident on the support pins 70 is reflected by the tip 70a and travels toward the base end 70b. That is, the amount of reflected light guided from the tip 70a of the support pin 70 to the base end 70b differs greatly between when the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pin 70 and when it is not.

  The reflected light directed from the distal end 70a to the proximal end 70b of the support pin 70 is received by the light receiving unit 12 through the optical cable 16 and converted into an electric signal, and enters the circuit of the wafer detection mechanism. The electric signal is amplified by the amplifier 13, and the high frequency noise is removed through the integrating circuit 14, and then transmitted to the comparator 15. The comparator 15 compares the voltage of the electrical signal with a predetermined set voltage value (threshold value). That is, the comparator 15 indirectly compares the amount of light received by the light receiving unit 12 with a threshold value.

  When the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70, the amount of reflected light received by the light receiving unit 12 is large, and the voltage level of the electrical signal transmitted to the comparator 15 is high. Conversely, when the semiconductor wafer W is not placed on the support pins 70, the amount of reflected light received by the light receiving unit 12 is small, and the voltage level of the electrical signal is also low. Therefore, the voltage value when the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pin 70 and the voltage value when the semiconductor wafer W is not set are obtained in advance by experiments or the like, and the average value thereof is set as the threshold value for the comparison. If so, the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W can be detected by the comparator 15. That is, when the voltage value of the electrical signal is higher than the set threshold value, it is determined that the reflected light is reflected by the semiconductor wafer W and the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70. be able to. On the other hand, when the voltage value of the electrical signal is lower than the set threshold value, the reflected light is reflected only by the tip 70a of the support pin 70, and the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pin 70. It can be judged that there is not.

  In the wafer placement determination in step S4, if it is determined that the voltage value of the electrical signal is lower than the threshold value as a result of the comparison by the comparator 15 and the semiconductor wafer W does not exist on the support pins 70, some conveyance trouble occurs. Therefore, the processing is immediately interrupted, and the heat treatment apparatus 1 is restored.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the voltage value of the electrical signal is higher than the threshold value and the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70 without any problem, the holding unit 7 is moved from the delivery position to the chamber window by the holding unit lifting mechanism 4. Ascend to the processing position close to 61 (step S5). In the process in which the holding unit 7 is lifted from the delivery position, the semiconductor wafer W is transferred from the support pins 70 to the susceptor 72 of the holding unit 7 and is placed and held on the upper surface of the susceptor 72. When the holding unit 7 is raised to the processing position, the semiconductor wafer W held by the susceptor 72 is also held at the processing position. Note that the control unit 3 determines the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W on the support pins 70 based on the comparison result in the comparator 15. If it is determined that there is no semiconductor wafer W, a warning is issued or the heat treatment apparatus 1 is stopped. If it is determined that, the processing after step S5 may be continued.

  Each of the six zones 711 to 716 of the hot plate 71 is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater (resistive heating wire 76) individually incorporated in each zone (between the upper plate 73 and the lower plate 74). ing. When the holding unit 7 rises to the processing position and the semiconductor wafer W comes into contact with the holding unit 7, the semiconductor wafer W is preheated by the heater built in the hot plate 71 and the temperature gradually rises (step S6). .

  Preheating for about 60 seconds is performed at this processing position, and the temperature of the semiconductor wafer W rises to a preset preheating temperature T1. The preheating temperature T1 is set to about 200 ° C. to 800 ° C., preferably about 350 ° C. to 550 ° C., in which impurities added to the semiconductor wafer W are not likely to diffuse due to heat. Further, the distance between the holding unit 7 and the chamber window 61 can be arbitrarily adjusted by controlling the rotation amount of the motor 40 of the holding unit lifting mechanism 4.

  After the preheating time of about 60 seconds elapses, flash light is irradiated from the flash lamp FL of the lamp house 5 toward the semiconductor wafer W under the control of the control unit 3 while the holding unit 7 is positioned at the processing position (step S7). In other words, the flash light is irradiated to the semiconductor wafer W held by the holding unit 7 that is raised above the tip 70 a of the support pin 70. At this time, a part of the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL goes directly to the holding part 7 in the chamber 6, and the other part is once reflected by the reflector 52 and then goes into the chamber 6. Flash heating of the semiconductor wafer W is performed by irradiation of the flash light. Since the flash heating is performed by flash irradiation from the flash lamp FL, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be increased in a short time.

  In other words, the flash light emitted from the flash lamp FL of the lamp house 5 is converted to a light pulse whose electrostatic energy stored in advance is extremely short, and the irradiation time is about 0.1 to 10 milliseconds. A short and strong flash. Then, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W flash-heated by flash irradiation from the flash lamp FL instantaneously rises to a processing temperature T2 of about 1000 ° C. to 1100 ° C., and the impurities added to the semiconductor wafer W are activated. After being done, the surface temperature drops rapidly. As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be raised and lowered in a very short time. Therefore, diffusion of impurities added to the semiconductor wafer W due to heat (this diffusion phenomenon is caused in the semiconductor wafer W). It is possible to activate the impurities while suppressing the impurity profile. Since the time required for activation of the added impurity is extremely short compared to the time required for thermal diffusion, activation is possible even for a short time when no diffusion of about 0.1 millisecond to 10 millisecond occurs. Is completed.

  In addition, by preheating the semiconductor wafer W by the holding unit 7 before the flash heating, the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer W can be quickly raised to the processing temperature T2 by flash irradiation from the flash lamp FL.

  After the flash heating is completed and the standby for about 10 seconds at the processing position, the holding unit 7 is lowered again to the delivery position shown in FIG. 1 by the holding unit lifting mechanism 4 (step S8). In the process in which the holding unit 7 is lowered from the processing position to the delivery position, the semiconductor wafer W is transferred from the holding unit 7 to the support pins 70 and supported by the support pins 70. However, when the semiconductor wafer W is cracked during the flash heating, the semiconductor wafer W is not supported by the support pins 70 even if the holding unit 7 is lowered to the delivery position.

  In the present embodiment, wafer crack determination is performed when the holding unit 7 is lowered to the delivery position after flash heating (step S9). The processing content of this wafer crack determination is the same as the wafer placement determination in step S4. That is, light is incident on the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 from the light projecting unit 11, and the reflected light guided from the distal end 70 a of the support pin 70 to the base end 70 b is received by the light receiving unit 12, and reflected light by the comparator 15. The amount of light and the threshold are compared.

  When the voltage value of the electric signal is lower than the threshold value as a result of comparison by the comparator 15 and it is determined that the semiconductor wafer W does not exist on the support pins 70, the semiconductor wafer W has been cracked during flash heating. Therefore, the process is immediately interrupted without opening the transfer opening 66, and the heat treatment apparatus 1 is restored.

  On the other hand, when the voltage value of the electric signal is higher than the threshold value and it is determined that the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70 without any problem, the transfer opening 66 closed by the gate valve 185 is opened. The semiconductor wafer W placed on the support pins 70 is unloaded by a transfer robot outside the apparatus (step S10), and the flash heating process of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1 is completed. As in the above step S4, the control unit 3 determines the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W on the support pins 70 based on the comparison result in the comparator 15, and if it is determined that there is no, a warning is issued or a heat treatment apparatus. 1 may be performed, and if it is determined that there is, the process of step S10 may be executed.

  As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, light is incident on the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 from the light projecting unit 11, and reflected light guided from the tip 70 a of the support pin 70 to the base end 70 b is received by the light receiving unit 12. The light is received and the amount of reflected light is compared with the threshold value by the comparator 15 to determine whether or not the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70. There is a clear difference in the amount of reflected light depending on whether or not the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70. If a threshold value is set between them, the chamber 6 is not opened (that is, the gate). The presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 can be reliably detected without opening the transfer opening 66 by the valve 185.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, in order to deliver the semiconductor wafer W, the quartz support pins 70 that are originally installed in the chamber 6 are also used as light projecting / receiving probes. For this reason, it is not necessary to provide a new space in the chamber 6 for installing the detection sensor.

  Further, if the support pin 70 is made of quartz, it is resistant to heat from the hot plate 71 of the holding unit 7 and is positioned below the holding unit 7 during flash heating. There is no possibility that the light receiving portion 12 is damaged by being incident from the tip 70a of the 70.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the distal end of the optical cable 16 configured by a bundle of optical fibers is pressed against the proximal end 70b of the support pin 70, the distal end of the optical cable 16 is always the proximal end 70b of the support pin 70. Will abut. If the tip end of the optical cable 16 and the base end 70b of the support pin 70 are slightly separated, an air layer is formed in the gap, and light is transmitted due to the difference in refractive index between quartz and air. May be disturbed. As in this embodiment, if the tip of the optical cable 16 is pressed against the base end 70b of the support pin 70 so that both are in contact with each other, there is no gap between the optical cable 16 and the support pin 70. The light transmission between them is performed smoothly without being hindered. As a result, the presence / absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 using the support pins 70 can be reliably detected.

  While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the electrical signal amplified by the amplifier 13 is subjected to comparison determination using a hardware configuration in which noise is removed by the integration circuit 14 and then compared with the threshold value by the comparator 15. Comparison determination by software using a computer may be performed. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another example of the configuration of the wafer detection mechanism. In the figure, the same elements as those in FIG. 6 are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  The wafer detection mechanism in FIG. 10 is different from that in FIG. 6 in that a computer 18 is connected to the amplifier 13 via an A / D converter 17. The analog electrical signal amplified by the amplifier 13 is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 17 and input to the computer 18. The computer 18 compares the level of the input digital signal with a predetermined threshold value by executing preinstalled software. Even if the comparison determination by software is performed as described above, the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 can be reliably detected without opening the chamber 6 as in the above embodiment.

  In particular, when the comparison determination by software is performed using the configuration shown in FIG. 10, the threshold setting can be easily changed. That is, the amount of reflected light may change when the support pin 70 is adjusted in maintenance of the heat treatment apparatus 1 or when the light projecting unit 11 is replaced. In addition, the amount of reflected light may change over time. In such a case, the threshold setting needs to be changed. However, in the wafer detection mechanism as shown in FIG. 10, since the comparison determination is performed by software using a computer, the threshold setting is changed very easily. It is possible to reduce work man-hours. Note that the control unit 3 of the heat treatment apparatus 1 may be used as the computer 18.

  In the above embodiment, the distal end of the optical cable 16 is pressed against the base end 70b of the support pin 70 so as to eliminate the gap between them. Instead, as shown in FIG. A space between the tip and the base end 70 b of the support pin 70 may be filled with the refractive liquid 165. The refractive liquid 165 is a liquid adjusted to have a predetermined refractive index. The refractive index of the refractive liquid 165 is preferably about the same as that of quartz. If the gap between the distal end of the optical cable 16 and the base end 70b of the support pin 70 is filled with the refracting liquid 165, reflection at the interface due to the difference in refractive index will not occur, and light between the optical cable 16 and the support pin 70 will be lost. Is smoothly carried out without being interrupted. As a result, the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 using the support pins 70 can be reliably detected as in the above embodiment. However, when the refractive liquid 165 is used, a step of applying the refractive liquid 165 is required. Therefore, it is preferable to use the above-described embodiment from the viewpoint of simplifying the mounting operation of the optical cable 16. Further, the refractive liquid 165 may be a refractive paste having a relatively high viscosity.

  In the above embodiment, the support pins 70 for delivering the semiconductor wafer W are used as light projecting / receiving probes. However, a dedicated light guide member may be installed in the chamber 6. FIG. 12 is a side sectional view showing another configuration example of the heat treatment apparatus.

  The heat treatment apparatus 1 a shown in FIG. 12 is different from the heat treatment apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 in that a light guide member 90 connected to the optical cable 16 of the wafer detection mechanism is erected on the chamber bottom 62 of the chamber 6. The remaining configuration in FIG. 12 is the same as that in FIG.

  The light guide member 90 is a rod-shaped member made of quartz, which is a translucent material, and is provided upright through the chamber bottom 62 of the chamber 6. The light guide member 90 is provided so that the tip thereof faces the semiconductor wafer W supported by the support pins 70 and the base end is located outside the chamber 6. The proximal end of the light guide member 90 is connected to the light projecting unit 11 and the light receiving unit 12 via the optical cable 16. As for the connection between the optical guide member 90 and the optical cable 16, the tip of the optical cable 16 may be pressed against the base end of the optical guide member 90 in the same manner as in FIGS. However, similarly to FIG. 11, the space between the proximal end of the light guide member 90 and the distal end of the optical cable 16 may be filled with the refractive liquid 165. When the semiconductor wafer W is placed on the support pins 70, the tip of the light guide member 90 may be in contact with the back surface of the semiconductor wafer W or may be close to the semiconductor wafer W with a slight gap. May be.

  The detection method of the semiconductor wafer W using the light guide member 90 and the processing procedure of the semiconductor wafer W in the heat treatment apparatus 1a are the same as those in the above embodiment. Even when such a dedicated light guide member 90 is used, the presence or absence of the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 can be reliably detected without opening the chamber 6 as in the above embodiment. Further, since there is no gap between the optical cable 16 and the light guide member 90 and the light transmission between the optical cable 16 and the light guide member 90 is performed smoothly, the semiconductor wafer W in the chamber 6 using the light guide member 90 is used. The presence / absence of the presence or absence can be reliably detected.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the translucent material which comprises the support pin 70 (or light guide member 90) was quartz, it may replace with this and a translucent material may be sapphire. Compared to quartz, sapphire has higher infrared light transmission, and when the light projecting unit 11 projects infrared light, it is preferable to use sapphire.

  Further, the support pins 70 connected to the wafer detection mechanism may be only one of the three support pins 70 erected on the chamber bottom 62, or may be two or three. .

  In the processing procedure of FIG. 9 of the above embodiment, the detection of the semiconductor wafer W is performed twice in steps S4 and S9. However, it may be performed only once according to the purpose. . Further, the semiconductor wafer W may be detected in a process other than the wafer placement determination (step S4) and the wafer crack determination (step S9) in FIG. However, it is desirable to detect the semiconductor wafer W when the holding unit 7 is lowered and the tip 70a of the support pin 70 protrudes from the mounting surface of the holding unit 7.

  In the above embodiment, the lamp house 5 is provided with 30 flash lamps FL. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of flash lamps FL can be any number. The flash lamp FL is not limited to a xenon flash lamp, and may be a krypton flash lamp.

  The substrate to be processed by the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is not limited to a semiconductor wafer, and may be a glass substrate used for a liquid crystal display device or the like.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,1a Heat processing apparatus 3 Control part 4 Holding part raising / lowering mechanism 5 Lamp house 6 Chamber 7 Holding part 11 Light emitting part 12 Light receiving part 13 Amplifier 14 Integration circuit 15 Comparator 16 Optical cable 17 A / D converter 18 Computer 61 Chamber window 65 Heat processing Space 70 Support pin 71 Hot plate 72 Susceptor 90 Light guide member 161 Female screw 165 Refraction liquid 171 Mounting block 173 O-ring 174 Male screw FL Flash lamp W Semiconductor wafer

Claims (9)

A heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light,
A chamber for housing the substrate;
A support pin that is formed of a translucent material and supports the substrate placed on the tip in the chamber; and
A light irradiation means comprising a flash lamp for irradiating and heating the substrate accommodated in the chamber;
A light projecting means for making light incident from the base end of the support pin toward the tip;
A light receiving means for receiving light guided from the distal end of the support pin toward the proximal end;
A comparison means for comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving means with a predetermined threshold;
Equipped with a,
The comparison means performs a comparison when a substrate is loaded into the chamber and placed on the support pin, and the comparison is performed after the light irradiation from the light irradiation means. apparatus. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
Further comprising a holding unit that mounts the substrate on the mounting surface and moves up and down relative to the support pins;
When the holding portion is lowered, the tip of the support pin protrudes from the placement surface, and when the holding portion is raised, the placement surface is located above the tip of the support pin,
The light irradiating means irradiates light onto the substrate held by the holding portion that has been raised above the tip of the support pin,
The comparison means performs a comparison when the holding portion is lowered and the tip of the support pin protrudes from the mounting surface. In the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the support pin;
A pressing means for pressing the distal end of the optical fiber against the proximal end of the support pin;
A heat treatment apparatus further comprising: In the heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
An optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the support pin;
A heat treatment apparatus, wherein a space between a base end of the support pin and a tip of the optical fiber is filled with a refractive liquid. A heat treatment apparatus for heating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light,
A chamber for housing the substrate;
A support pin for mounting and supporting the substrate at the tip in the chamber;
A rod-shaped guide member that is formed of a light-transmitting material and is arranged so that the tip faces the substrate supported by the support pins;
A light irradiation means comprising a flash lamp for irradiating and heating the substrate accommodated in the chamber;
A light projecting means for making light incident from the proximal end of the guide member toward the distal end;
A light receiving means for receiving light guided from the distal end of the guide member toward the proximal end;
A comparison means for comparing the amount of light received by the light receiving means with a predetermined threshold;
Equipped with a,
The comparison means performs a comparison when a substrate is loaded into the chamber and placed on the support pin, and the comparison is performed after the light irradiation from the light irradiation means. apparatus. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
An optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the guide member;
A pressing means for pressing the distal end of the optical fiber against the proximal end of the guide member;
A heat treatment apparatus further comprising: The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein
An optical fiber for guiding light between the light projecting means and the light receiving means and the guide member;
A heat treatment apparatus that fills a space between a proximal end of the guide member and a distal end of the optical fiber with a refractive liquid. In the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The heat treatment apparatus, wherein the translucent material is quartz. In the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
A heat treatment apparatus, wherein the translucent material is sapphire.

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