Method and device for preventing oxidation on substrate surface

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of and an apparatus for preventing a substrate from being oxidized to suppress the production of a natural oxide film in an ordinary air atmosphere rather than a vacuum or inactive gas atmosphere. The present invention is characterized in that a substrate is stored in a closed space surrounded by a light-shielding member to suppress the growth of a natural oxide film on the substrate. In the space, it is preferable to store the substrate while removing a gaseous contaminant or both a gaseous contaminant and a particulate substance. Since a semiconductor substrate is stored in the space surrounded by the light-shielding member, no light is applied to the surface of the semiconductor substrate, thus suppressing the generation of a natural oxide film. The method is capable of suppressing the generation of a natural oxide film easily at a low cost without using a vacuum or inactive gas atmosphere because the process can be performed within air.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.