In manufacturing semiconductor devices, a substrate processing apparatus configured to process semiconductor wafers serving as workpieces, such as a vertical heat treatment apparatus, is used. A holder configured to hold a plurality of wafers in a shelf form is disposed in the vertical heat treatment apparatus, and a film is formed on the wafers by, for example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processing and an oxidation processing.
When a wafer is processed in a substrate processing apparatus, an in-plane film thickness of the wafer after film formation may lack uniformity. Therefore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 6-318551 discloses a method of forming a film while changing a temperature in order to enhance uniformity of an in-plane film thickness of a wafer. When the film is formed while changing the temperature, the temperature distribution on the wafer may be controlled, thereby improving uniformity of film thickness distribution. That is, better thickness distribution is obtained when an appropriate setting temperature profile is used.