PURPOSE: To reduce the occupying time of a growth chamber to less than a half and reduce a processing time for one wafer substantially by a method wherein, the wafer is taken out when its temperature is high and conveyed onto a cooling stage.
CONSTITUTION: A preheating apparatus 18 is provided in the middle part of a conveying chamber 7. When a wafer 1 is put on the heating stage 14 of the preheating apparatus 18 with a wafer tray 2, infrared lamps 13 are lit and preheating is carried out to elevate the temperature of the unprocessed wafer from a room temperature To to a required temperature Ta. An annealer 19 cools the temperature of the wafer after a thin film is formed from its high temperature Tc to the room temperature To. At that time, the infrared heater 13 protect the wafer 1 from being chilled by a cooling stage 15. The stages 14 and 15 can be moved vertically. When the stages 14 and 15 are at the elevated position, a conveying arm 8 is replaced by a wafer tray 2. In the time other than the time for replacement, the stages 4 and 15 are at the lowest position. With this constitution, the occupying time of a growth chamber 5 and, moreover, as the preheated clean tray 2 is conveyed into the growth chamber 5, a high purity film can be formed.
NISHIKAWA KIMITO
MORI KAZUO
