Heat treating apparatus and method

Abstract

A heat treating apparatus for heat treating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light includes a heat treating chamber for receiving the substrate, a heating plate for preheating the substrate through a thermal diffuser plate, xenon flashlamps for heating the substrate preheated by the heating plate, to a treating temperature by irradiating the substrate with flashes of light, and a decompression mechanism for decompressing the heat treating chamber when the xenon flashlamps heat the substrate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A heat treating apparatus for heat treating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, comprising: 
 a heat treating chamber for receiving the substrate;    assist heating means for preheating the substrate;    flash heating means for heating the substrate preheated by said assist heating means, to a treating temperature by irradiating the substrate with flashes of light; and    decompression means for decompressing said heat treating chamber when said flash heating means heats the substrate.    
     
     
         2 . A heat treating apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said flash heating means comprises xenon flashlamps.  
     
     
         3 . A heat treating apparatus as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said decompression means is arranged to decompress said heat treating chamber to {fraction (1/10)} to {fraction (1/1000)} atmospheric pressure.  
     
     
         4 . A heat treating apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said assist heating means is arranged to preheat the substrate to 200 to 600 degrees centigrade.  
     
     
         5 . A heat treating apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said flash heating means is arranged to heat the substrate to 1,000 to 1,100 degrees centigrade.  
     
     
         6 . A heat treating apparatus as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said flash heating means is arranged to heat the substrate to the treating temperature in 0.1 to 10 milliseconds.  
     
     
         7 . A heat treating method for heat treating a substrate by irradiating the substrate with light, comprising: 
 a substrate loading step for loading the substrate into a heat treating chamber;    a preheating step for preheating the substrate loaded into said heat treating chamber;    a decompressing step for decompressing said heat treating chamber;    a flash heating step for heating the substrate to a treating temperature by irradiating the substrate with flashes of light after the substrate in said heat treating chamber is preheated to a predetermined preheat temperature;    an opening step for opening said heat treating chamber to atmosphere; and    a substrate unloading step for unloading the substrate from said heat treating chamber.    
     
     
         8 . A heat treating method as defined in  claim 7 , wherein said flash heating step is executed to heat the substrate to the treating temperature by irradiating the substrate with flashes of light immediately after the substrate in said heat treating chamber is preheated to the predetermined preheat temperature.  
     
     
         9 . A heat treating method as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said decompressing step is executed to decompress said heat treating chamber to {fraction (1/10)} to {fraction (1/1000)} atmospheric pressure.  
     
     
         10 . A heat treating method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said preheating step is executed to preheat the substrate to 200 to 600 degrees centigrade.  
     
     
         11 . A heat treating method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said flash heating step is executed to heat the substrate to 1,000 to 1,100 degrees centigrade.  
     
     
         12 . A heat treating method as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said flash heating step is executed to heat the substrate to the treating temperature in 0.1 to 10 milliseconds.