Photoirradiation thermal processing apparatus and thermal processing susceptor employed therefor

A thermal processing apparatus irradiating a substrate with light thereby heating said substrate, comprising:

• a light source having a plurality of lamps;
• a chamber, provided under said light source, comprising a chamber window transmitting light emitted from said light source on its upper portion;
• and
• a holding element substantially horizontally holding said substrate in said chamber, wherein
• said holding element has a thermal processing susceptor comprising:
• a flat receiving surface having a region larger than the planar size of said substrate, and
• a tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said receiving surface for specifying said receiving surface, and
• the lower end of said tapered surface is concatenated to said peripheral edge of said receiving surface and said tapered surface is formed to upwardly broaden while the gradient of said tapered surface with respect to said receiving surface is at least 5° and less than 30°.

A thermal processing susceptor holding a substrate subjected to thermal processing, comprising:

• a flat receiving surface having a region larger than the planar size of said substrate;
• a first tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said receiving surface for specifying said receiving surface;
• and
• a second tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said first tapered surface, wherein
• the lower end of said first tapered surface is concatenated to said peripheral edge of said receiving surface and the lower end of said second tapered surface is concatenated to the upper end of said first tapered surface while said first tapered surface is formed to upwardly broaden, an opening specified by the upper end of said second tapered surface is wider than said receiving surface, and the gradient of said second tapered surface with respect to said receiving surface is larger than the gradient of said first tapered surface.

A thermal processing apparatus irradiating a substrate with light thereby heating said substrate, comprising:

• a light source having a plurality of lamps;
• a chamber, provided under said light source, comprising a chamber window transmitting light emitted from said light source on its upper portion;
• and
• a holding element substantially horizontally holding said substrate in said chamber, wherein
• said holding element has a thermal processing susceptor comprising:
• a flat receiving surface having a region larger than the planar size of said substrate,
• a first tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said receiving surface for specifying said receiving surface, and
• a second tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said first tapered surface, and
• the lower end of said first tapered surface is concatenated to said peripheral edge of said receiving surface and the lower end of said second tapered surface is concatenated to the upper end of said first tapered surface while said first tapered surface is formed to upwardly broaden, an opening specified by the upper end of said second tapered surface is wider than said receiving surface, and the gradient of said second tapered surface with respect to said receiving surface is larger than the gradient of said first tapered surface.

A thermal processing susceptor receiving a substrate subjected to thermal processing, comprising:

• a flat receiving surface having a region larger than the planar size of said substrate;
• and
• a tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said receiving surface for specifying said receiving surface, wherein
• the lower end of said tapered surface is concatenated to said peripheral edge of said receiving surface while said tapered surface is formed to upwardly broaden, and
• said tapered surface has such a gradient that an end of said substrate slides up along said tapered surface when said substrate thermally expands while said end is in contact with said tapered surface.

A thermal processing susceptor receiving a substrate subjected to thermal processing, comprising:

• a flat receiving surface having a region larger than the planar size of said substrate;
• and
• a tapered surface annularly enclosing the peripheral edge of said receiving surface for specifying said receiving surface, wherein
• the lower end of said tapered surface is concatenated to said peripheral edge of said receiving surface while said tapered surface is formed to upwardly broaden, and
• said tapered surface has such a gradient that an end of said substrate slides up along said tapered surface without restricting thermal expansion of said substrate when said substrate received on said receiving surface thermally expands and said end comes into contact with said tapered surface.