METHOD AND DEVICE FOR THE THERMAL TREATMENT OF SUBSTRATES AND HOLDING UNIT FOR SUBSTRATES

The invention relates to a method and to a device for the thermal treatment of substrates, in particular semiconductor wafers, and to a holding unit for substrates. In the method, in a process unit having a process chamber and having a plurality of radiation sources, one or more substrates are held in a box having a lower part and having a cover, wherein the lower part and the cover form a holdingspace for the substrate therebetween. Furthermore, the following steps are performed in the method: loading the box and the substrate into the process chamber and closing the process chamber; purgingthe holding space of the box with a purging gas and/or a process gas before the box and the substrate contained therein are heated to a desired process temperature in order to establish a desired atmosphere inside the box; and heating the box and the substrate contained therein to the desired process temperature by means of thermal radiation emitted by the radiation sources. The holding unit forsubstrates is designed to s