To provide a heat treatment apparatus and a method therefor capable of improving the yield of products by managing temperature in a rising(heating) process and a cooling(cooling/temperature control) process of a workpiece and uniforming the in-plane temperature distribution of the workpiece.

At least a wafer W is mounted on a mounting stage 22 heated to a specified temperature, the wafer W is separated from the mounting stage 22 and put close to or brought into contact with a workpiece temperature controlling means 23 of the specified temperature, and the wafer W is mounted on the mounting stage 22 and put close to or brought into contact with the workpiece temperature controlling means 23.