Thermal processing apparatus

Abstract

A thermal processing apparatus for applying thermal processing to a substrate having a processed film thereon has a discharger for discharging process gas from a processing chamber and a ceiling plate provided between the substrate and the discharger, having apertures at different aperture ratios in accordance with distances from the center of the ceiling plate. The apparatus may have dischargers, provided over concentric circles of the substrate, for discharging process gas from the processing chamber and discharging-amount adjusters each for adjusting a discharging amount of the corresponding discharger. The apparatus may have gas suppliers, provided over the concentric circles of the substrate, for supplying process gas into the processing chamber and supply-amount adjusters each for adjusting a supply amount of the corresponding supplier. Instead of the dischargers and the suppliers, the apparatus may have supply and discharging units for supplying and discharging process gas into and from the processing chamber, a switch for switching the supply and discharging units between the supplying and discharging of the process gas and supply-amount adjusters each for adjusting a supply amount of the corresponding supply and discharging unit; and discharging-amount adjusters each for adjusting a discharging amount of the corresponding supply and discharging unit.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.