Thermal processing apparatus for introducing gas between a target object and a cooling unit for cooling the target object

A thermal processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed, the object having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, the thermal processing apparatus comprising:

• a process camber in which said object is subject to a thermal treatment;
• a heat source heating said object from a side of said first surface;
• a cooling arrangement cooling said object from a side of said second surface;
• and
• a moving mechanism moving at least one of said object and said cooling arrangement relative to each other.

A thermal processing method for applying a thermal treatment to an object to be processed, the object having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, the thermal processing method comprising the steps of:

• heating said first surface of said object by a heat source so as to apply the thermal treatment to said object;
• after completion of the thermal treatment, cooling said second surface of said object by a cooling arrangement positioned on a side of said second surface with respect to said object;
• and
• introducing a gas into a space between said object and said cooling arrangement so as to promote heat transfer between said object and said cooling arrangement.

A thermal processing method for applying a thermal treatment to an object to be processed, the object having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, the thermal processing method comprising the steps of:

• heating said first surface of said object by a heat source so as to apply the thermal treatment to said object;
• after completion of the thermal treatment, moving at least one of said object and a bottom part of said process chamber so as to reduce a distance between said object and said bottom part, said bottom part facing said second surface of said object;
• and
• cooling said object by cooling said bottom part of said process chamber.

A thermal processing method for applying a thermal treatment to an object to be processed, the object having a first surface and a second surface opposite to said first surface, the thermal processing method comprising the steps of:

• moving at least one of said object and a bottom part of a process chamber in which said object is subjected to the thermal treatment so that said second surface of said object is separated from said bottom part of said process chamber by a first distance, said bottom part facing said second surface of said object;
• heating said first surface of said object by a heat source so as to apply the thermal treatment to said object, said heat source being arranged on a side of said first surface with respect to said object;
• after completion of the thermal treatment, moving at least one of said object and said bottom part so as to change said first distance to a second distance smaller than said first distance;
• and
• cooling said object by cooling said bottom part of said process chamber.