Abstract: A leak determination method includes: a heating step of heating a semiconductor wafer in a chamber; a transport step of transporting the semiconductor wafer from the chamber after the heating step; a temperature measurement step of measuring an ambient temperature in the chamber; and a leak determination step of performing leak determination processing of the chamber. After the semiconductor wafer is transported from the chamber, waiting is continued until the ambient temperature decreases to a predetermined waiting specified temperature, and the leak determination processing is started when the ambient temperature reaches the waiting specified temperature.

Abstract: Heating treatment is performed on multiple dummy wafers to preheat in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like prior to the treatment of a semiconductor wafer to be treated. The first few ones of the multiple dummy wafers are heated to a first heating temperature by light irradiation from halogen lamps, and are thereafter irradiated with a flash of light. The subsequent few ones of the multiple dummy wafers are heated to a second heating temperature lower than the first heating temperature by light irradiation from the halogen lamps, and are thereafter irradiated with a flash of light. This stabilizes the temperature of the in-chamber structures in a shorter time with fewer dummy wafers because the dummy wafers are heated to the high temperature and thereafter heated to the low temperature.

Abstract: An edge radiation thermometer performs measurements before a semiconductor wafer is transported into a chamber. The edge radiation thermometer performs the measurements while the semiconductor wafer is supported by lift pins and while the semiconductor wafer is placed on a susceptor, after the semiconductor wafer is transported into the chamber. A controller calculates a reflectivity of the semiconductor wafer based on these measurement values. Then, the controller calculates an intensity of an ambient light receive by the edge radiation thermometer, based on the reflectivity and an intensity of synchrotron radiation radiated from a quartz window. Subsequently, the controller subtracts the intensity of the ambient light from an intensity of light received by of the edge radiation thermometer during heat treatment on the semiconductor wafer to calculate the temperature of the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: Heating treatment is performed on a semiconductor wafer in an ammonia atmosphere formed in a chamber by light irradiation from halogen lamps and flash lamps. For the formation of the ammonia atmosphere in the chamber, pressure in the chamber is once reduced. The pressure in the chamber is also reduced after the heating treatment of the semiconductor wafer. Light irradiation from the halogen lamps is performed to heat the atmosphere in the chamber before the pressure in the chamber is reduced by exhausting the atmosphere from the chamber. The heating of the atmosphere in the chamber before the pressure reduction activates the thermal motion of gas molecules in the atmosphere and decreases a gas density. As a result, the gas molecules in the chamber are discharged rapidly during the pressure reduction, so that the pressure in the chamber is reduced to a predetermined pressure in a short time.

Abstract: A combustion-supporting gas line, a flammable gas line, and an inert gas line are connected to a chamber performing a heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer. Nitrogen is sent from the inert gas line to the combustion-supporting gas line before supplying flammable gas into the chamber to replace gas in the combustion-supporting gas line with nitrogen. Nitrogen is sent from the inert gas line to the flammable gas line before supplying combustion-supporting gas into the chamber to replace gas in the flammable gas line with nitrogen. Common one inert gas line is provided in the combustion-supporting gas line and the flammable gas line, thus a space for arranging components relating to gas supply can be reduced.

Abstract: When pressure in a chamber is brought to atmospheric pressure and the chamber is filled with an inert gas atmosphere, the atmosphere in the chamber is sucked into an oxygen concentration analyzer through a sampling line such that oxygen concentration in the chamber is measured by the oxygen concentration analyzer. When the pressure in the chamber is reduced to less than atmospheric pressure, nitrogen gas is supplied to the oxygen concentration analyzer through an inert gas supply line simultaneously with suspending the measurement of oxygen concentration in the chamber. Even when the measurement of oxygen concentration in the chamber is suspended, reverse flow to the oxygen concentration analyzer from a gas exhaust pipe can be prevented, and the oxygen concentration analyzer can be prevented from being exposed to exhaust from the chamber. The configuration results in maintaining measurement accuracy of the oxygen concentration analyzer in a low oxygen concentration range.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is preheated with a halogen lamp, and then is heated by irradiation with a flash of light emitted from a flash lamp. The preheating with the halogen lamp is continued for a short time even after the flash lamp turns off. A radiation thermometer measures a front surface temperature and a back surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer. A temperature integrated value is calculated by integration of temperatures of the semiconductor wafer measured during a period from a start of the flash irradiation to an end of the heating of the semiconductor wafer. It is determined that the semiconductor wafer is cracked at the time of flash irradiation when the calculated temperature integrated value deviates from a preset range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is preheated with a halogen lamp, and then is heated by irradiation with a flash of light emitted from a flash lamp. The preheating with the halogen lamp is continued for a short time even after the flash lamp turns off. A radiation thermometer measures a front surface temperature and a back surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer. A temperature integrated value is calculated by integration of temperatures of the semiconductor wafer measured during a period from a start of the flash irradiation to an end of the heating of the semiconductor wafer. It is determined that the semiconductor wafer is cracked at the time of flash irradiation when the calculated temperature integrated value deviates from a preset range between an upper limit value and a lower limit value.

Abstract: A carrier containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a lot is transported into a heat treatment apparatus. Thereafter, a recipe specifying treatment procedures and treatment conditions is set for each of the semiconductor wafers. Next, a reflectance of each of the semiconductor wafers stored in the carrier is measured. Based on the set recipe and the measured reflectance of each semiconductor wafer, a predicted attainable temperature of each semiconductor wafer at the time of flash heating treatment is calculated, and the calculated predicted attainable temperature is displayed. This allows the setting of the treatment conditions with reference to the displayed predicted attainable temperature, to thereby easily achieve the setting of the heat treatment conditions.

Abstract: A front surface of a semiconductor wafer is rapidly heated by irradiation of a flash of light. Temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is measured at predetermined intervals after the irradiation of the flash of light, and is sequentially accumulated to acquire a temperature profile. From the temperature profile, an average value and a standard deviation are each calculated as a characteristic value. It is determined that the semiconductor wafer is cracked when an average value of the temperature profile deviates from the range of ±5? from a total average of temperature profiles of a plurality of semiconductor wafers or when a standard deviation of the temperature profile deviates from the range of 5? from the total average thereof of the plurality of semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: A combustion-supporting gas line, a flammable gas line, and an inert gas line are connected to a chamber performing a heat treatment on a semiconductor wafer. Nitrogen is sent from the inert gas line to the combustion-supporting gas line before supplying flammable gas into the chamber to replace gas in the combustion-supporting gas line with nitrogen. Nitrogen is sent from the inert gas line to the flammable gas line before supplying combustion-supporting gas into the chamber to replace gas in the flammable gas line with nitrogen. Common one inert gas line is provided in the combustion-supporting gas line and the flammable gas line, thus a space for arranging components relating to gas supply can be reduced.

Abstract: When a carrier storing a plurality of dummy wafers therein is transported into a heat treatment apparatus, the carrier is registered as a dummy carrier exclusive to the dummy wafers. A dummy database in which a treatment history of each of the dummy wafers is associated with the carrier is held in a storage part. The treatment history of each of the dummy wafers registered in the dummy database is displayed on a display part of the heat treatment apparatus. An operator of the heat treatment apparatus views the displayed information to thereby appropriately grasp and manage the treatment history of each of the dummy wafers.

Abstract: Heating treatment is performed on multiple dummy wafers to preheat in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like prior to the treatment of a semiconductor wafer to be treated. The first few ones of the multiple dummy wafers are heated to a first heating temperature by light irradiation from halogen lamps, and are thereafter irradiated with a flash of light. The subsequent few ones of the multiple dummy wafers are heated to a second heating temperature lower than the first heating temperature by light irradiation from the halogen lamps, and are thereafter irradiated with a flash of light. This stabilizes the temperature of the in-chamber structures in a shorter time with fewer dummy wafers because the dummy wafers are heated to the high temperature and thereafter heated to the low temperature.

Abstract: A front surface of a semiconductor wafer is rapidly heated by irradiation of a flash of light. Temperature of the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is measured at predetermined intervals after the irradiation of the flash of light, and is sequentially accumulated to acquire a temperature profile. From the temperature profile, an average value and a standard deviation are each calculated as a characteristic value. It is determined that the semiconductor wafer is cracked when an average value of the temperature profile deviates from the range of ±5? from a total average of temperature profiles of a plurality of semiconductor wafers or when a standard deviation of the temperature profile deviates from the range of 5? from the total average thereof of the plurality of semiconductor wafers.

Abstract: Before supplying ammonia, which is a flammable gas, into a chamber, the chamber is evacuated to eliminate residual gas from the chamber, and then nitrogen is fed into a combustion-supporting gas line to cause oxygen, which is a combustion-supporting gas, remaining in the combustion-supporting gas line to flow out. After supplying ammonia into the chamber, the chamber is evacuated to eliminate the ammonia from the chamber, and then nitrogen is fed into a flammable gas line to cause the ammonia remaining in the flammable gas line to flow out. Oxygen or ammonia and nitrogen are alternately eliminated on the downstream side of an exhaust part, and it is therefore possible to prevent the flammable gas and the combustion-supporting gas from being mixed with each other.

Abstract: The semiconductor wafer is preheated by halogen lamps and then heated by a flash of light irradiation from flash lamps. A length of a light emission waveform of a flash of light applied from the flash lamps can be adjusted as appropriate. A data collection cycle (sampling interval) of a radiation thermometer that measures a surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer is made variable, and the longer the light emission waveform of the flash of light, the longer the data collection cycle. Even when a rising and falling time of the surface temperature of the semiconductor wafer changes due to the length of the light emission waveform of a flash of light, a temperature change can be included in a temperature profile with a constant number of data points until the surface temperature rises, goes through a maximum reaching temperature, and falls.

Abstract: A preceding wafer is transported from a chamber of a heat treatment apparatus after processing on the preceding wafer is completed. A temperature within the chamber at a time when the preceding wafer is transported from the chamber is defined as a transportation temperature, and a difference between a measurement temperature within the chamber measured after the preceding wafer is transported from the chamber and the transportation temperature is calculated as a decreasing temperature. The calculated decreasing temperature and a predetermined threshold value are compared with each other. When the decreasing temperature is larger than the threshold value, dummy processing of preheating an in-chamber structure such as a susceptor by light irradiation from halogen lamps and flash lamps is executed. In contrast, when the decreasing temperature is equal to or smaller than the threshold value, the dummy processing is not executed but processing on a subsequent substrate is started.

Abstract: A first mass flow controller is provided in an inert gas pipe for feeding nitrogen gas. A second mass flow controller is provided in a reactive gas pipe for feeding ammonia. A joint pipe communicatively connects a joint portion of the inert gas pipe and the reactive gas pipe to a chamber for treating a semiconductor wafer. The joint pipe is provided with a mass flowmeter. A detector detects gas leakage by comparing a total value of flow rates of nitrogen controlled by the first mass flow controller and of ammonia controlled by the second mass flow controller with a measurement value of a flow rate of a treatment gas, obtained by the mass flowmeter.

Abstract: Dummy running is carried out which performs preheating treatment using halogen lamps and flash heating treatment using flash lamps on a dummy wafer to control the temperature of in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like. In this process, a wear-and-tear value is calculated by adding up the amounts of electric power inputted to the halogen lamps or the like each time the preheating treatment or the flash heating treatment is performed. The wear-and-tear value is an indicator indicating the degree of deterioration of the dummy wafer. If the wear-and-tear value of the dummy wafer is not less than a predetermined threshold value, an alarm is issued. This allows an operator of a heat treatment apparatus to recognize that the deterioration of the dummy wafer reaches a limit value and to reliably grasp the dummy wafer suffering advanced deterioration.

Abstract: Dummy running is carried out which performs preheating treatment using halogen lamps and flash heating treatment using flash lamps on a dummy wafer to control the temperature of in-chamber structures including a susceptor and the like. In this process, a preheating counter or a flash heating counter is incremented each time the preheating treatment or the flash heating treatment is performed. An alarm is issued, if the preheating counter or the flash heating counter that is a wear-and-tear value of the dummy wafer is not less than a predetermined threshold value. This allows an operator of a heat treatment apparatus to recognize that the deterioration of the dummy wafer reaches a limit value, thereby preventing the erroneous treatment of a dummy wafer suffering advanced deterioration.