Process for preventing gas leaks in an atmospheric thermal processing chamber

A process for preventing atmospheric gases from leaking into a thermal processing chamber during the processing of semiconductor wafers, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing a thermal processing chamber for heat treating semiconductor wafers, said thermal processing chamber including a gas inlet and a gas outlet, said gas outlet being in communication with a pressure control device;
• placing a semiconductor wafer in said thermal processing chamber;
• subjecting said semiconductor wafer to light energy for heating said wafer;
• continuously flowing a gas through said thermal processing chamber, said gas entering said gas inlet and exiting said gas outlet;
• and
• controlling said pressure control device for maintaining a pressure within said thermal processing chamber that is greater than the pressure of the atmosphere outside said thermal processing chamber, said pressure within said chamber being from about 0.5 mm Hg to about 5 mm Hg greater than said atmospheric pressure.

A process for preventing gases from escaping from a thermal processing chamber, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing a thermal processing chamber for heat treating and semiconductor wafers, said thermal processing chamber including a gas inlet and a gas outlet;
• placing a semiconductor wafer in said thermal processing chamber;
• subjecting said semiconductor wafer to light energy for heating said wafer;
• continuously flowing a gas through said thermal processing chamber, said gas entering said gas inlet and exiting said gas outlet;
• and
• maintaining a pressure within said thermal processing chamber that is less than the pressure of the atmosphere outside said chamber for preventing said gas flowing through said chamber from leaking out of said chamber, said pressure within said thermal processing chamber being maintained in an amount of from about 0.5 mm Hg to about 5 mm Hg less than said atmospheric pressure.

A process for preventing gases from escaping from a thermal processing chamber, said process comprising the steps of:

• providing a thermal processing chamber for heat treating semiconductor wafers, said thermal processing chamber including a gas inlet and a gas outlet, said gas outlet being in communication with a pressure control device;
• placing a semiconductor wafer in said thermal processing chamber;
• subjecting said semiconductor wafer to light energy for heating said wafer;
• continuously flowing a gas through said thermal processing chamber, said gas entering said gas inlet and exiting said gas outlet;
• controlling said pressure control device for maintaining a pressure within said thermal processing chamber that is less than the pressure of the atmosphere outside said thermal processing chamber, said pressure within said chamber being from about 0.5 mm Hg to about 5 mm Hg less than said atmospheric pressure.