Heat treatment susceptor and heat treatment apparatus

Abstract

A plurality of substrate support pins are provided upright on a holding plate so as to contact a position on which no stress is exerted in a lower surface of a semiconductor wafer when an upper surface of the semiconductor wafer is irradiated with flash light emitted from a flash lamp and thus reaches a maximum temperature. When the application of the flash light causes the upper surface of the semiconductor wafer to warp such that the upper surface becomes raised, stress concentration does not occur in the contact position of the lower surface of the semiconductor wafer that contacts the plurality of substrate support pins. The semiconductor wafer can be prevented from breaking during the application of the flash light.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A heat treatment susceptor that holds a substrate irradiated with flash light emitted from a flash lamp for heat treatment of the substrate, comprising:
 a holding plate having a planar holding surface; and   a plurality of support pins that are provided upright on the holding surface and contact a lower surface of the substrate at upper ends to support the substrate,   wherein the plurality of support pins are provided upright so as to contact a position on which no stress is exerted in the lower surface of the substrate when an upper surface of the substrate is irradiated with flash light emitted from the flash lamp and thus reaches a maximum temperature.   
     
     
         2 . The heat treatment susceptor according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the substrate has a circular plate-like shape, and   the plurality of support pins are provided upright on the holding surface so as to contact a circle that is concentric with an outer circumferential circle of the substrate and has a diameter of 90% of the diameter of the substrate.   
     
     
         3 . The heat treatment susceptor according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of support pins comprise 12 support pins located every 30 degrees along the circumference of the concentric circle. 
     
     
         4 . A heat treatment apparatus that heats a substrate by applying flash light to the substrate, comprising:
 a chamber that houses a substrate;   the heat treatment susceptor according to  claim 1 ; and   a flash lamp that applies flash light to the substrate held by the heat treatment susceptor.