WAFER BOAT AND METHOD FOR TREATMENT OF SUBSTRATE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for treatment of a substrate in which no scratch is made on a surface of the substrate when it is heat-treated while an inner region thereof is still supported. SOLUTION: A substrate holder 15 for a vertical furnace is configured to support a substrate 10 in a slot at inner portions of the substrate, rather than solely at the edges. The substrate holder allows sufficient clearance above substantially the entire top surface of the substrate that a substrate deflection or bow, induced by thermal stresses during loading and unloading of the substrate holder into and out of the furnace, can be accommodated without the substrate touching a support member 30 of the substrate holder, for a given amount of free space in a wafer slot, in the relationship with maximum loading and/or unloading temperatures for avoiding scratching. Consequently, the scratching of the substrate is prevented under the given loading/unloading temperatures. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO