Apparatus and methods for heating a substrate in a pressurized environment
inside of a thermal processing system. The substrate is placed in a
gaseous environment inside a processing chamber of the thermal processing
system. The substrate is supported in the gaseous environment. The gas
pressure inside the processing chamber is increased above atmospheric
pressure, which increases the temperature of the gaseous environment.
Heat is transferred from the pressurized gaseous environment to the
substrate for thermally processing a layer on the substrate.