JP7685002B2 - Heat Treatment Equipment - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a heat treatment device.

2. Description of the Related Art There are heat treatment devices that heat a workpiece to form a film or the like on the surface of the workpiece or to treat the surface of the workpiece.
For example, a heat treatment apparatus has been proposed that has a chamber in which a workpiece is held and a plurality of heaters provided inside the chamber. The plurality of heaters are rod-shaped and extend in one direction above and below the workpiece. If the plurality of heaters are provided above and below the workpiece, the workpiece can be heated from above and below. Therefore, the workpiece can be heated efficiently.

However, heat from a workpiece is more likely to escape from the peripheral side to the outside than from the center of the workpiece. Therefore, if the workpiece is simply heated from above and below, the temperature of the peripheral region of the workpiece will be lower than the temperature of the central region of the workpiece. If the difference in temperature between the peripheral region of the workpiece and the central region of the workpiece becomes large, there is a risk that the quality of the film or treatment layer formed on the surface of the workpiece will deteriorate.

In addition, if the heater breaks down, it is replaced. When replacing the heater, the heater is pulled out of the chamber and another heater is inserted into the chamber. This requires a maintenance space longer than the length of the heater on the side of the heat treatment device (chamber) in the direction in which the heater extends. If the maintenance space becomes larger, the actual space occupied by the heat treatment device also becomes larger.

Therefore, there was a need to develop a heat treatment device that could reduce temperature variation across the surface of the workpiece and reduce the maintenance space.

JP 2019-184229 A

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a heat treatment device that can reduce temperature variation within the surface of a workpiece and reduce the maintenance space.

A heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment includes a chamber having a heating region therein for heat-treating a workpiece, at least one first heater provided on a first side of the chamber and extending in a first direction inside the chamber, at least one second heater provided on the first side and positioned in line with the first heater in a second direction intersecting the first direction and shorter than the first heater, at least one third heater provided on a second side opposite the first side of the chamber and extending in the first direction inside the chamber, and at least one fourth heater provided on the second side and positioned in line with the third heater in the second direction and shorter than the third heater, wherein the length of insertion of the first heater and the third heater into the chamber is less than half the distance between the first side and the second side.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a heat treatment device is provided that can reduce temperature variation within the surface of a workpiece and reduce the maintenance space.

1 is a schematic front view illustrating a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heat treatment device in FIG. 1 taken along line AA. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a chamber and a cassette rack. 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams for illustrating support of a heater by a supporting portion. 10A to 10C are schematic diagrams for illustrating support of a heater by a supporting portion. 4 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a holding portion. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram for illustrating the arrangement of heaters. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for illustrating the tip position of a heater. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for illustrating a cassette. 10A to 10C are schematic views illustrating support of a heater by a support portion according to another embodiment.

Below, an embodiment will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. Note that in each drawing, similar components are given the same reference numerals and detailed description will be omitted as appropriate. Also, in each drawing, the X direction (corresponding to an example of the first direction), the Y direction (corresponding to an example of the second direction), and the Z direction represent three directions that are mutually perpendicular. For example, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions. For example, the Z direction is the up-down direction (vertical direction).

In the following, as an example, a heat treatment device is described that heats a workpiece in an atmosphere that is reduced in pressure below atmospheric pressure to form an organic film on the surface of the workpiece. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a heat treatment device that heats a workpiece to form an inorganic film or the like on the surface of the workpiece, or to treat the surface of the workpiece.

The workpiece before heating may, for example, have a substrate and a solution applied to the surface of the substrate, or may be a substrate only. In the following, as an example, a case where the workpiece before heating has a substrate and a solution applied to the surface of the substrate will be described.

The workpiece 100 before being heat-treated by the heat treatment device 1 according to this embodiment has a substrate and a solution applied to the surface of the substrate. The substrate is, for example, a glass substrate or a semiconductor wafer. However, the substrate is not limited to the examples given. The solution contains, for example, an organic material and a solvent. There are no particular limitations on the organic material as long as it can be dissolved by the solvent. The solution can be, for example, a varnish containing polyamic acid. However, the solution is not limited to the examples given. The solution may also be a liquid that has been pre-baked to a semi-hardened state (non-flowing state).

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view illustrating a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.
In FIG. 1, in order to avoid complication, only one cassette 50 is illustrated.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the heat treatment apparatus 1 taken along line AA in FIG.
In FIG. 2, the cassette 50 is omitted in order to avoid complication.
FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the chamber 10 and the cassette rack 60. As shown in FIG.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the heat treatment device 1 includes, for example, a chamber 10, an exhaust section 20, a heating section 30, a cooling section 40, a cassette 50, a cassette rack 60, and a controller 70.

The controller 70 includes, for example, a calculation unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The controller 70 is, for example, a computer. The controller 70 controls the operation of each element provided in the heat treatment device 1 based on, for example, a control program stored in the storage unit.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the chamber 10 is box-shaped. The chamber 10 has an airtight structure capable of maintaining an atmosphere at a reduced pressure below atmospheric pressure. There are no particular limitations on the external shape of the chamber 10. The external shape of the chamber 10 can be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylinder. The chamber 10 is formed from a metal such as stainless steel.

For example, openings are provided at both ends of the chamber 10 in the Y direction. A flange 11 is provided at one end of the chamber 10 in the Y direction. A seal material 12 such as an O-ring is provided on the flange 11. An opening/closing door 13 is provided on the side of the chamber 10 where the flange 11 is provided. When the opening/closing door 13 is closed, the opening of the chamber 10 is closed by the seal material 12 so as to be airtight. When the opening/closing door 13 is opened, the workpiece 100 can be loaded or unloaded into the cassette 50 through the opening of the chamber 10.

That is, the chamber 10 has a heating area therein for heat-treating the workpiece 100. The cassette 50 provided inside the chamber 10 defines the heating area for heating the workpiece 100. The workpiece 100 is stored inside the cassette 50.

A flange 14 is provided at the other end of the chamber 10 in the Y direction. A seal material 12 is provided on the flange 14. A lid 15 is provided on the side of the chamber 10 where the flange 14 is provided. For example, the lid 15 is detachably attached to the flange 14 using a fastening member such as a screw. When the lid 15 is attached, the opening of the chamber 10 is closed by the seal material 12 so as to be airtight. If a removable lid 15 is provided, maintenance of the heat treatment device 1 from the side where the flange 14 is provided is easy. In addition, when the lid 15 is opened for maintenance, the cassette 50 can be carried into the chamber 10 through the opening of the chamber 10. Or, the cassette 50 can be carried out to the outside of the chamber 10 through the opening of the chamber 10.

A cooling device (not shown) can be provided on the outer wall of the chamber 10. The cooling device can be, for example, a water jacket. If a cooling device is provided, the temperature of the outer wall of the chamber 10 can be prevented from rising above a predetermined temperature.

The exhaust unit 20 evacuates the inside of the chamber 10 .
1, the exhaust unit 20 has a first exhaust unit 21 and a second exhaust unit 22. The first exhaust unit 21 and the second exhaust unit 22 are connected to an exhaust port 16 provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 10.

The first exhaust unit 21 includes an exhaust pump 21a and a pressure control unit 21b.
The exhaust pump 21a may be an exhaust pump that performs rough exhaust from atmospheric pressure to a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the exhaust pump 21a has a larger exhaust volume than the exhaust pump 22a described later. The exhaust pump 21a may be, for example, a dry vacuum pump.

The pressure control unit 21b is provided between the exhaust port 16 and the exhaust pump 21a. The pressure control unit 21b controls the internal pressure of the chamber 10 to a predetermined pressure based on the output of a vacuum gauge (not shown) that detects the internal pressure of the chamber 10. The pressure control unit 21b can be, for example, an APC (Auto Pressure Controller).

The second exhaust unit 22 includes an exhaust pump 22a and a pressure control unit 22b.
The exhaust pump 22a exhausts the air to a lower predetermined pressure after the rough exhaust by the exhaust pump 21a. The exhaust pump 22a has an exhaust capacity capable of exhausting the air to a molecular flow region of a high vacuum. For example, the exhaust pump 22a may be a turbo molecular pump (TMP).

The pressure control unit 22b is provided between the exhaust port 16 and the exhaust pump 22a. The pressure control unit 22b controls the internal pressure of the chamber 10 to a predetermined pressure based on the output of a vacuum gauge (not shown) that detects the internal pressure of the chamber 10. The pressure control unit 22b can be, for example, an APC.

If the pressure in the internal space of chamber 10 is reduced, the amount of heat released to the outside of chamber 10 can be reduced. This improves the heating efficiency and heat storage efficiency, and allows the power applied to heater 33 (corresponding to an example of the first heater and the third heater) and heater 36 (corresponding to an example of the second heater and the fourth heater) described below to be reduced. If the power applied to heaters 33 and 36 can be reduced, the load on heaters 33 and 36 can be prevented from becoming too high. This allows the life of heaters 33 and 36 to be extended.

The heating unit 30 includes, for example, a first heating unit 31 and a second heating unit 32. The first heating unit 31 and the second heating unit 32 are provided inside the chamber 10.
The first heating unit 31 is provided above the cassette 50 .
The second heating unit 32 is provided below the cassette 50. The second heating unit 32 faces the first heating unit 31.

As described above, the workpiece 100 is stored inside the cassette 50. Therefore, the first heating unit 31 heats the front surface (top surface) of the workpiece 100 stored inside the cassette 50. The second heating unit 32 heats the back surface (bottom surface) of the workpiece 100 stored inside the cassette 50.

As shown in FIG. 1, when multiple cassettes 50 are arranged in the Z direction (vertical direction) inside the chamber 10, the second heating section 32 provided below the upper cassette 50 can be the first heating section 31 provided above the lower cassette 50. In other words, the first heating section 31 and the second heating section 32 provided between the cassettes 50 can be used as one unit.

For convenience, when focusing on one cassette 50, the upper side as viewed from the cassette 50 is designated as the first heating section 31 and the lower side as the second heating section 32, but heating sections 30 can be provided on both the top and bottom of all cassettes 50.

In this case, the back surface of the workpiece 100 stored inside the upper cassette 50 is heated by the shared first heating unit 31 or second heating unit 32. The front surface of the workpiece 100 stored inside the lower cassette 50 is heated by the shared first heating unit 31 or second heating unit 32.
In this way, it is possible to reduce the number of first heating sections 31 or second heating sections 32. This makes it possible to reduce power consumption, reduce manufacturing costs, and save space.

The first heating section 31 and the second heating section 32 each have, for example, a heater 33, a support section 34, a holding section 35, and a heater 36.

At least one heater 33 is provided. The ends of the heater 33 (the ends held by the holding part 35 described later) are provided on the side 10a (corresponding to an example of a first side) of the chamber 10 and the side 10b (corresponding to an example of a second side) opposite the side 10a. The heater 33 extends in the X direction inside the chamber 10. The heater 33 provided on the side 10a of the chamber 10 and the heater 33 provided on the side 10b of the chamber 10 work together to heat the central region and the peripheral region of the heating region.

1 and 2, when multiple heaters 33 are provided, for example, the multiple heaters 33 may extend in the X direction and be aligned in the Y direction. The multiple heaters 33 may extend in the Y direction and be aligned in the X direction. That is, the multiple heaters 33 are aligned in a direction intersecting the central axis of the heaters 33. However, an openable/closable door 13 and a lid 15 are provided at the end of the chamber 10 in the Y direction. Therefore, it is preferable that the multiple heaters 33 extend in the X direction and be aligned in the Y direction. In this way, the openable/closable door 13 and the lid 15 can be easily opened and closed, and the multiple heaters 33 can be easily attached and removed.

The heaters 33 may be arranged at equal intervals, or the intervals may be changed depending on the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100. For example, heat from the workpiece 100 is more likely to escape to the outside from the end side of the workpiece 100, but is less likely to escape to the outside from the center side of the workpiece 100. Therefore, the intervals between the heaters 33 provided on the end side of the workpiece 100 can be narrower than the intervals between the heaters 33 provided on the center side of the workpiece 100.

The specifications, number, spacing, etc. of the heaters 33 provided in the second heating section 32 may be the same as or different from the specifications, number, spacing, etc. of the heaters 33 provided in the first heating section 31. The specifications, number, spacing, etc. of the heaters 33 can be changed as appropriate depending on the composition of the solution to be heated (heating temperature of the solution), the dimensions (planar dimensions) of the workpiece 100 when viewed from the Z direction, etc. The specifications, number, spacing, etc. of the heaters 33 can be appropriately determined by performing simulations, experiments, etc.

The heater 33 is rod-shaped and extends in one direction. There are no particular limitations on the heater 33 as long as it is rod-shaped. The heater 33 may be, for example, a sheath heater, a ceramic heater, a cartridge heater, or the like. The heater 33 may have, for example, a quartz cover.
In this specification, the term "rod-shaped heater" includes heaters covered with a quartz cover. There is no limitation on the external shape of the "rod-shaped heater", and it can be, for example, a cylindrical shape or a prismatic shape.

The heater 33 is not limited to the above-mentioned type as long as it can heat the workpiece 100 in an atmosphere that is reduced in pressure below atmospheric pressure. In other words, the heater 33 may be any type that extends in one direction and is capable of releasing thermal energy by radiation.

Here, if the heater 33 breaks down, the heater 33 is replaced. When replacing the heater 33, the heater 33 is pulled out of the chamber 10, and another heater 33 is inserted into the chamber 10. Therefore, a maintenance space longer than the length of the heater 33 is required on the side of the heat treatment device 1 (chamber 10) in the direction in which the heater 33 extends. Note that the length of the heater is the length of the rod-shaped portion of the heater (excluding the wiring) in the direction in which the heater extends. No items or devices that would interfere with maintenance can be placed in the maintenance space.

For example, if the heater 33 extends continuously between the opposing side surfaces of the chamber 10, the length of the heater 33 will be long. If the length of the heater 33 is long, the maintenance space will be large, and the actual space occupied by the heat treatment device 1 will be large. Furthermore, if a plurality of heat treatment devices 1 are arranged side by side, the distance between the heat treatment devices 1 will be large, and there is a risk that the number of heat treatment devices 1 that can be arranged will be reduced.
As shown in FIG. 2, the length of the heater 36 is shorter than the length of the heater 33, so that the length of the heater 36 has almost no effect on the size of the maintenance space.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the length L of the heater 33 inserted into the chamber 10 can be set to half or less of the distance W between the side surface 10a of the chamber 10 and the side surface 10b opposite to the side surface 10a in the direction in which the heater 33 extends (for example, the X direction). In this way, the length required to pull out the heater 33 from the chamber 10 can be shortened, so that the maintenance space can be reduced. In addition, by providing a pair of heaters 33 facing each other, it is possible to obtain a heating effect similar to that of a heater that extends continuously above or below the cassette 50. Note that when the heater 33 is turned on/off, the heater 33 expands and contracts in a direction along the central axis. Therefore, when a pair of heaters 33 facing each other is provided, a predetermined gap can be provided between the tips of the heaters 33. For example, a gap having a dimension such that the tips of the heaters 33 do not come into contact with each other when the heaters 33 extend can be provided. In this way, it is possible to suppress the tips of the heaters 33 from coming into contact with each other when the heaters 33 extend, thereby preventing particles from being generated.

2 illustrates a pair of heaters 33 facing each other, but in the direction in which the heaters 33 are arranged (e.g., the Y direction), the position of the heater 33 provided on the side 10a of the chamber 10 may be different from the position of the heater 33 provided on the side 10b of the chamber 10. For example, when viewed from the Z direction, multiple heaters 33 can be arranged in a staggered pattern. Furthermore, the length of the heater 33 provided on the side 10a of the chamber 10 may be the same as or different from the length of the heater 33 provided on the side 10b of the chamber 10.

As mentioned above, the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 is affected by the dimensions (planar dimensions) of the workpiece 100 when viewed from the Z direction, the heating temperature of the workpiece 100, and the like. Therefore, it is preferable to appropriately determine the length, arrangement, number, and tip position of the heater 33 by conducting experiments and simulations so that the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 is small.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support 34 supports the tip side of the heater 33 (the end side opposite to the side of the side surfaces 10a and 10b of the chamber 10).
4 and 5 are schematic views for illustrating the support of the heater 33 by the support portion 34. In FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the support portion 34 has a mounting plate 34a, a plate 34b, and a holding portion 34c.

The mounting plate 34a is plate-shaped. The mounting plate 34a is attached to, for example, a beam 64 provided on the cassette rack 60 using a fastening member such as a screw.

Plate 34b is plate-shaped and extends toward heater 33. One end of plate 34b is connected to mounting plate 34a. Mounting plate 34a and plate 34b can be formed integrally, for example, by bending a plate material.

The holding portion 34c is band-shaped and holds the heater 33 using a fastening member such as a screw. The end of the plate 34b opposite the mounting plate 34a is connected to the holding portion 34c using a fastening member such as a screw.

The support portion 34 (mounting plate 34a, plate 34b, and holding portion 34c) is made of a material that is heat resistant, does not easily generate particles, and is elastically deformable. The support portion 34 can be made, for example, from a stainless steel plate material with a thickness of about 0.5 mm.

When the heater 33 expands and contracts in a direction along the central axis when the heater 33 is turned on and off, a bending stress acts on the plate 34b via the holding portion 34c. The plate 34b is made of an elastically deformable material and functions as a leaf spring. That is, the plate 34b is connected to the holding portion 34c and elastically deforms in a direction along the central axis of the heater 33 in response to the expansion and contraction of the heater 33.

If the plate 34b elastically deforms in a direction along the central axis of the heater 33, it is possible to prevent friction between the support part 34 (holding part 34c) and the heater 33 even if the heater 33 expands or contracts. This makes it possible to prevent the generation of particles.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the holder 35 holds the vicinity of the end of the heater 33 outside the chamber 10 .
FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the holding portion 35. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6, the holding part 35 can be attached to the side surfaces 10a and 10b of the chamber 10 using, for example, a fastening member such as a screw. The holding part 35 detachably holds the vicinity of the end of the heater 33 on the terminal 33a side (the other end opposite to the one end of the heater 33 supported by the support part 34 inside the chamber 10). The holding part 35 has, for example, a split clamping mechanism that clamps the inserted heater 33. When the holding part 35 holds the vicinity of the end of the heater 33 on the terminal 33a side, the terminal 33a of the heater 33 is exposed outside the chamber 10. That is, the other end of the heater 33 is provided outside the chamber 10 by penetrating the side surfaces 10a and 10b of the chamber 10.

If the terminal 33a of the heater 33 is exposed to the outside of the chamber 10, maintenance of the heater 33 is easy. In addition, when power is applied to the heater 33, the occurrence of vacuum discharge at the terminal 33a of the heater 33 can be suppressed.

Here, the heater 33 is provided to heat the entire area of the cassette 50 in which the workpiece 100 is stored. That is, the heater 33 heats the central area and the peripheral area of the heating area in which the workpiece 100 is heat-treated. For example, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in the direction in which the heater 33 extends, the tip of the heater 33 (the end on the support part 34 side) is located near the center of the cassette 50. The heater 33 is provided on each of the opposing side surfaces 10a, 10b of the chamber 10, so that if the tip of the heater 33 (the end on the support part 34 side) is located near the center of the cassette 50, the entire area of the cassette 50 can be heated.

However, heat from the workpiece 100 is likely to escape from the peripheral side of the workpiece 100 to the outside, but is difficult to escape from the center of the workpiece 100 to the outside. Therefore, even if the central region and peripheral region of the workpiece 100 are heated by the heater 33, the temperature of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 will be lower than the temperature of the central region of the workpiece 100. If the difference in temperature between the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 and the central region of the workpiece 100 becomes large, there is a risk that the quality of the film or treatment layer formed on the surface of the workpiece 100 will deteriorate.

The heat treatment device 1 is provided with a heater 36 that heats the peripheral area of the heating area where the workpiece 100 is heat-treated. As shown in FIG. 2, the heater 36 is provided on the side surfaces 10a and 10b of the chamber 10. The heater 36 is located in the Y direction of the heater 33. The heater 36 heats the vicinity of the peripheral area of the cassette 50 in which the workpiece 100 is stored. That is, the tip of the heater 36 (the end on the heating area side) is provided near the peripheral area of the heating area. At least one heater 36 can be provided. The heater 36 can be provided in at least one of the first heating section 31 and the second heating section 32.

The heater 36 is rod-shaped and extends in one direction. There are no particular limitations on the heater 36, so long as it is rod-shaped. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the tip (the end on the heating area side) of the heater 36 can be supported by a support part 34. As shown in Figure 6, the end of the heater 36 opposite the tip (the end on the terminal 36a side) can be held by a holding part 35. Other than its length, the heater 36 can be similar to, for example, the heater 33.

As described above, heater 33 heats the central region and peripheral region of the heating area. Heater 36 heats the peripheral region of the heating area. Therefore, the length of heater 36 is shorter than the length of heater 33. In this case, if the power density of heater 36 is set to be the same as the power density of heater 33, it becomes easy to make the surface temperatures of heaters 33, 36 approximately the same and to make the life spans of heaters 33, 36 approximately the same.

For example, if multiple heaters 33 are arranged in the Y direction, at least one heater 36 can be provided between heaters 33 in the Y direction. In this case, heater 36 may be parallel to heater 33 or inclined relative to heater 33. In addition, the position of heater 36 in the Z direction may be the same as the position of heater 33 or may be different.

Also, as shown in FIG. 2, a pair of heaters 36 can be provided facing each other in the direction in which the heaters 36 extend.

Here, heat in the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 is likely to escape from the edge side of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 to the outside, but is difficult to escape from the center side of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 to the outside. Therefore, the temperature of the edge region of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 is likely to be lower than the temperature of the center region of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100. In other words, even if the heater 36 is provided to reduce the difference in temperature between the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 and the center region of the workpiece 100, temperature variations may occur within the surface of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100.

When temperature variations occur within the surface of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100, at least one of the arrangement, number, and tip position of the heaters 36 can be changed. For example, at least one heater 36 can be provided between the heaters 33. That is, there are cases where no heater 36 is provided between the heaters 33. For example, at least one of the upper and lower central regions of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 can be provided with a portion where no heater 36 is provided, or with a small number of heaters 36. Alternatively, portions with a large number of heaters 36 can be provided at both ends in the Y direction.

It is also possible to provide a heater 36 between heaters 33 on one side of the direction in which heater 33 extends, and not provide a heater 36 on the other side. For example, when viewed from the Z direction, multiple heaters 36 can be arranged in a staggered pattern.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the arrangement of the heater 36. As shown in FIG.
7, in the Z direction, the heater 36 can be provided at the same position as the heater 33, or at a different position. For example, in the Z direction, the heater 36 can be provided at the same position as the cassette 50. Also, for example, in the Z direction, a heater 36 provided at the same position as the heater 33 and a heater 36 provided at the same position as the cassette 50 can be provided together. Also, in the Z direction, the heater 36 provided at the same position as the cassette 50 can extend in a direction (for example, Y direction) intersecting the direction in which the heater 33 extends (for example, X direction).

As shown in FIG. 7 , the tip of the heater 36 (the end on the heating area side) is provided near the periphery of the cassette 50 .
For example, when viewed from the Z direction, the position of the tip of the heater 36 may be a position outside the periphery of the cassette 50, may be a position overlapping with the periphery of the cassette 50, or may be a position inside the periphery of the cassette 50. In this case, the heater 36 heats the peripheral region of the heating region (near the periphery of the cassette 50). Therefore, when viewed from the Z direction, it is preferable that the position of the tip of the heater 36 is a position overlapping with the periphery of the cassette 50 or a position inside the periphery of the cassette 50. In this way, the vicinity of the periphery of the workpiece 100 stored in the cassette 50 can be efficiently heated.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating the tip position of the heater 36.
In FIG. 8, in order to avoid complication, the heater 33 is omitted and only the heater 36 is illustrated.
For example, when a plurality of heaters 36 are arranged in the Y direction, the tip positions of the plurality of heaters 36 may be the same or different in the direction in which the heaters 36 extend (for example, the X direction) as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, the tip positions of the plurality of heaters 36 can be appropriately changed so that the temperature variation in the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 is reduced.

For example, as described above, the heat of the workpiece 100 is likely to escape from the end of the workpiece 100 to the outside, but is difficult to escape from the center of the workpiece 100 to the outside. Therefore, the tip position of the heater 36 can be made to be closer to the inside of the cassette 50 (workpiece 100) as it approaches the end of the cassette 50 (workpiece 100). That is, in a row of heaters 36 arranged in the Y direction, the position of the tip (end on the heating area side) of the heater 32 provided at the end of the row can be provided inside the heating area than the position of the tip (end on the heating area side) of the heater 36 provided at the center of the row. In this way, the heating range at the end of the peripheral area of the workpiece 100 can be increased. Alternatively, the heating range at the center of the peripheral area of the workpiece 100 can be reduced. Therefore, the temperature variation in the peripheral area of the workpiece 100 can be reduced.
The temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 is affected by the dimensions (planar dimensions) of the workpiece 100 when viewed from the Z direction, the heating temperature of the workpiece 100, etc. Therefore, it is preferable to appropriately determine the arrangement, number, and tip positions of the heaters 36 by conducting experiments and simulations so that the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 is small.

The cooling unit 40 cooperates with a cooling unit 57 provided in the cassette 50, which will be described later, to supply cooling gas to the cassette 50. The cooling gas supplied to the cassette 50 is supplied to the workpiece 100 stored inside the cassette 50. The cooling gas supplied to the cassette 50 is also supplied to the heat equalizing plates (upper heat equalizing plate 52, lower heat equalizing plate 53, side heat equalizing plate 54, side heat equalizing plate 55) of the cassette 50.

The cooling gas is supplied to the workpiece 100, which is in a high temperature state, so that the workpiece 100 is directly cooled. The cooling gas supplied to the workpiece 100 is also supplied to the heat equalizing plate of the cassette 50, so that the cassette 50 is also cooled. By cooling the cassette 50, the transfer of heat from the cassette 50 to the workpiece 100 can be suppressed. Therefore, the workpiece 100 is also indirectly cooled by the cassette 50.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the cooling unit 40 has, for example, a joint 41, a gas source 42, and a gas control unit 43. The joint 41, the gas source 42, and the gas control unit 43 are connected by a pipe 44.

The joint 41 is detachably connected to, for example, a joint (not shown) of a cooling unit 57 provided in the cassette 50 .
The gas source 42 supplies cooling gas to the cooling section 57 of the cassette 50 via the gas control section 43 and the joint 41. The gas source 42 may be, for example, a high-pressure gas cylinder, factory piping, or the like.
There are no particular limitations on the cooling gas as long as it is a gas that does not easily react with the heated workpiece 100. Examples of the cooling gas include nitrogen gas and rare gas. The temperature of the cooling gas can be, for example, room temperature (e.g., 25° C.) or lower.

The gas control unit 43 is provided between the joint 41 and the gas source 42. The gas control unit 43 can, for example, supply the cooling gas, stop the supply, and control at least one of the flow rate and flow rate of the cooling gas.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette 50 is detachably mounted on a pair of receiving members 62 of a cassette rack 60 provided inside the chamber 10. The cassette 50 is detachably mounted between the first heating unit 31 and the second heating unit 32.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the cassette 50. As shown in FIG.
9, the cassette 50 has a box shape and has a heating area therein where the workpiece 100 is heated. That is, the cassette 50 defines the heating area. There is no particular limitation on the external shape of the cassette 50. The external shape of the cassette 50 may be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped.

The cassette 50 has, for example, a cassette frame 51, an upper heat equalizer plate 52, a lower heat equalizer plate 53, a side heat equalizer plate 54, a side heat equalizer plate 55, a work support section 56, a cooling section 57, and a cassette support section 58. Note that in FIG. 9, the cooling section 57 is omitted to avoid complication (see FIG. 1 for the cooling section 57).

The cassette frame 51 defines a heating region for heating the workpiece 100. There is no particular limitation on the external shape of the cassette frame 51. The external shape of the cassette frame 51 is, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped.
The upper heat equalizing plate 52 has a plate shape and is provided on the upper part of the cassette frame 51. At least one upper heat equalizing plate 52 can be provided. Seven upper heat equalizing plates 52 are provided in the cassette 50 illustrated in FIG.

The lower heat equalizing plate 53 has a plate shape and is provided at the bottom of the cassette frame 51. The lower heat equalizing plate 53 faces the upper heat equalizing plate 52. At least one lower heat equalizing plate 53 can be provided. The number and planar shape of the lower heat equalizing plates 53 can be the same as the number and planar shape of the upper heat equalizing plates 52, or can be different.

The side heat equalizing plate 54 has a plate shape. A pair of side heat equalizing plates 54 can be provided. One side heat equalizing plate 54 is provided, for example, on one of the opposing sides of the cassette frame 51.

The workpiece 100 is carried into the cassette 50 through an opening provided in the side of the cassette frame 51. The workpiece 100 is also carried out from the cassette 50 through an opening provided in the side of the cassette frame 51. Therefore, one of the sides of the cassette frame 51 on which the pair of side heat equalizing plates 54 are provided is open.

The opening of the cassette frame 51 is opened and closed by , for example, a side heat equalizer plate 54 having an opening , which can be opened and closed. Alternatively, for example, the side heat equalizer plate 54 can be provided on the opening door 13 of the chamber 10 described above, so that the opening of the cassette frame 51 is closed by the side heat equalizer plate 54 when the opening door 13 is closed.

The side heat equalizing plates 55 are plate-shaped and are provided in a pair inside the cassette frame 51. The pair of side heat equalizing plates 55 face each other and extend between the pair of side heat equalizing plates 54 (if there is only one side heat equalizing plate 54, between the side heat equalizing plate 54 on the lid 15 side and the opening on the opening/closing door 13 side). One of the pair of side heat equalizing plates 55 is provided near one side of the cassette frame 51. The other of the pair of side heat equalizing plates 55 is provided near the other side of the cassette frame 51.

The space surrounded by the upper heat equalizer plate 52, the lower heat equalizer plate 53, the side heat equalizer plate 54, and the side heat equalizer plate 55 becomes the heating area for heating the workpiece 100. The heating area inside the cassette 50 and the internal space of the chamber 10 are connected, for example, via gaps between the heat equalizer plates (gaps between the cassette beams and the heat equalizer plates that exist between the heat equalizer plates). Therefore, when the pressure in the internal space of the chamber 10 is reduced, the pressure in the internal space of the cassette 50 is also reduced.

The heat radiated from the heaters 33, 36 is incident on the upper heat equalizing plate 52 and the lower heat equalizing plate 53. The heat incident on the upper heat equalizing plate 52 and the lower heat equalizing plate 53 is radiated toward the workpiece 100 while propagating inside them in the planar direction. This further suppresses temperature variations from occurring within the surface of the workpiece 100.

Multiple workpiece support parts 56 are provided inside the cassette 50. The multiple workpiece support parts 56 support the back surface of the workpiece 100 in the heating area where the workpiece 100 is heated. The workpiece support parts 56 can be rod-shaped.

The cooling section 57 supplies the cooling gas supplied from the cooling section 40 described above to the workpiece 100 in the cassette 50. The cooling section 57 can be provided, for example, on the side of the cassette frame 51.

The cassette support parts 58 are provided on the side surface of the cassette frame 51 that intersects with the side surface on which the side heat equalizing plate 54 is provided. A pair of cassette support parts 58 are provided. The cassette support parts 58 protrude outward from the side surface of the cassette frame 51 and extend in a direction perpendicular to the side surface on which the side heat equalizing plate 54 is provided.
The cassette support portions 58 are provided on each of a pair of opposing side surfaces of the cassette 50. The cassette support portions 58 are supported by receiving members 62 of a cassette rack 60, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cassette rack 60 is provided inside the chamber 10. The cassette rack 60 holds the heater 33, the heater 36, and the cassette 50 in predetermined positions inside the chamber 10.

The cassette rack 60 includes, for example, a frame 61 , a receiving member 62 , and a reflecting plate 63 .
The frame 61 has, for example, a framework structure. There is no particular limitation on the external shape of the frame 61. The external shape of the frame 61 can be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped or a cylinder.

At least a pair of receiving members 62 are provided inside the frame 61. The pair of receiving members 62 support the cassette support portion 58 of the cassette 50 inside the chamber 10. In the Z direction, the pair of receiving members 62 are provided between the first heating portion 31 and the second heating portion 32. One cassette 50 is placed on the pair of receiving members 62. Therefore, a pair of receiving members 62 is provided for each cassette 50. For example, if 14 cassettes 50 can be stored inside the frame 61, 14 pairs of receiving members 62 are provided inside the frame 61.

The reflector 63 reflects the incident heat towards the cassette 50. The reflector 63 can improve the heat storage in the internal space (heated area) of the cassette 50. The reflector 63 is plate-shaped and is provided on the outer periphery of the frame 61. To avoid complication, the reflector 63 is not shown in Figures 1 and 2. Also, Figure 3 shows only the reflector 63 attached to the side of the frame 61 where the receiving member 62 is attached.

Here, as described above, heat in the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 is likely to escape from the edge side of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 to the outside, but is difficult to escape from the center side of the peripheral region of the workpiece 100 to the outside. In this case, as described above, the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 can be reduced by adjusting the spacing of the heaters 33, the arrangement, number, and tip position of the heaters 36, etc. However, once such a physical configuration is set, it is difficult to change. Therefore, in the heating section 30 (first heating section 31, second heating section 32) described above, the multiple heaters 33, 36 may be divided into multiple regions and further controlled.

For example, the heaters 33, 36 can be controlled in three separate regions: two regions near both ends of the workpiece 100 and one region in the center of the workpiece 100. In this case, the set temperature of the two regions near both ends, where heat is likely to escape to the outside, can be set higher than the set temperature of the one central region.
In this way, the temperature variation within the surface of the workpiece 100 can be further reduced.

FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating support of the heater 36 by a support portion 134 according to another embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 10, the support portion 134 has a pair of brackets 134a and a roller pin 134b.

The pair of brackets 134a can be provided facing each other with a predetermined gap between them. The pair of brackets 134a are attached to, for example, beams 64 provided on the cassette rack 60 using fastening members such as screws. Each of the pair of brackets 134a is provided with a hole 134a1 extending in the direction in which the heater 36 extends (for example, the X direction).
The roller pin 134b is rotatably provided in a hole 134a1 of the pair of brackets 134a. The heater 36 is provided on the roller pin 134b. That is, the heater 36 is supported by the roller pin 134b.

The support part 134 having the roller pin 134b has the same effect as the support part 34 described above. That is, when the heater 36 expands and contracts in a direction along the central axis, the roller pin 134b rotates and moves inside the hole 134a1 of the bracket 134a. This makes it possible to prevent friction from occurring between the roller pin 134b and the heater 36, and between the roller pin 134b and the inner wall of the hole 134a1. If friction does not occur between these, it is possible to prevent the generation of particles.

Although the support portion 134 that supports the heater 36 has been illustrated, the support portion 134 can also support the heater 33. In addition, the support portions 34, 37, and 134 can also be used in appropriate combination.

Although the embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these descriptions.
Any modifications to the above-described embodiments made by those skilled in the art are also encompassed within the scope of the present invention as long as they incorporate the features of the present invention.
For example, the shape, dimensions, arrangement, etc. of the heat treatment device 1 are not limited to those exemplified, and can be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the elements of each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined to the greatest extent possible, and such combinations are also included within the scope of the present invention as long as they include the features of the present invention.

1 Heat treatment device, 10 Chamber, 20 Exhaust section, 30 Heating section, 33 Heater, 34 Support section, 35 Holding section, 36 Heater, 50 Cassette, 60 Cassette rack, 100 Workpiece, 134 Support section

Claims (6)

A chamber having a heating region therein for heat-treating a workpiece;
at least one first heater disposed on a first side of the chamber and extending in a first direction through an interior of the chamber;
at least one second heater provided on the first side surface , positioned to be aligned with the first heater in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and shorter than the first heater;
at least one third heater provided on a second side surface of the chamber opposite to the first side surface and extending through the interior of the chamber in the first direction;
at least one fourth heater provided on the second side surface , aligned with the third heater in the second direction, and shorter than the third heater;
Equipped with
A heat treatment apparatus, wherein the length of the first heater and the third heater inserted into the chamber is equal to or less than half the distance between the first side surface and the second side surface. the first heater and the third heater heat a central region and a peripheral region of the heating region;
2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second heater and the fourth heater heat a peripheral region of the heating region. The heat treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ends of the second heater and the fourth heater on the side of the heating area are provided near the periphery of the heating area. the first heater and the third heater are provided in a plurality of units aligned in the second direction,
At least one second heater is provided between the first heaters in the second direction; and
3 . The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the fourth heaters is provided between the third heaters in the second direction. the second heater and the fourth heater are provided in a plurality of units and aligned in the second direction;
In the row of the second heaters arranged in the second direction, an end portion of the second heater provided at an end of the row on the side of the heating region is located more inwardly than an end portion of the second heater provided at a center of the row on the side of the heating region,
3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in a row of the fourth heaters arranged in the second direction, the position of the end portion of the fourth heater arranged at the end of the row on the side of the heating region is located more inward than the position of the end portion of the fourth heater arranged at the center of the row on the side of the heating region. The heat treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a cassette disposed inside the chamber and defining the heating region.

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