Abstract: A heat treatment boat houses a plurality of semiconductor wafers in a manner separated at intervals for heat-treating the wafers in a heat treatment furnace. The heat treatment boat includes a bottom plate, a first support rod erected on the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate, a second support rod and a third support rod both erected on the bottom plate so as to make an central angle of 105.degree. to 120.degree. with the first support rod with respect to the center of the respective wafer supported by the rods, and a top plate provided opposed to the bottom plate for holding the rods. The stresses applied to the wafers housed in the heat treatment boat are distributed equivalently to three contacting points with the rods and become the minimum.

Abstract: A heat treating unit for semiconductor processing is adapted to conduct normal pressure high temperature processing and low pressure thermal processing using corrosive gases. The unit includes an inner tube for receiving a boat which carries objects to be processed, an outer tube concentrically disposed outside the inner tube, a cylindrical manifold which has a gas feed port and an exhaust port, and a cap which tightly closes an opening of the manifold. The inner tube, outer tube and manifold are formed of quartz which is heat resistant and corrosion resistant, and these three components are integrally joined together by melting. The interior surface of the cap is provided with a protecting layer which is heat resistant and corrosion resistant. A connection between the cap and the manifold includes a high temperature heat resistant seal in which O-rings are cooled by a cooling system.

Abstract: An exhaust system for use with a high temperature furnace used to perform oxidation and/or annealing operations of the type used in semiconductor fabrication. The exhaust system is designed to permit the furnace to be used with a controlled environment chamber surrounding the entry to the process chamber of the furnace. The exhaust system allows a relatively high velocity flow of exhaust gas from the process chamber through the exhaust system to occur when a positive pressure (e.g., annealing) operations are performed. Such high velocity flow prevents (a) backstreaming and (b) the accumulation of non-uniform concentrations of exhaust gases in the exhaust system, thereby permitting the accurate monitoring of the concentration of a selected gas in the exhaust system. Based on such monitoring, the opening of the door to the process chamber of the furnace may be prevented when the concentration of the selected gas exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: A heat processing apparatus for subjecting heat processing to a wafer by heating includes a reaction tube for containing the wafers, a heating element provided around the reaction tube, for heating an inside of the reaction tube, a plurality of heat radiating members provided concentrically around the heating element with an airtight space between the heating element and an innermost one of the heat radiating members and airtight spaces between the heat radiating members, and a pressure-reducing device for reducing the pressure of these airtight spaces. In this heat processing apparatus, the pressures of the airtight spaces are reduced by the pressure-reducing means at least when the temperature of the inside of the reaction tube is increased.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus comprising a holder, a hollow cylindrical cover, a flat plate, and a processing chamber. The holder holds disk-shaped objects, each having an orientation flat portion at circumference. The objects are arranged coaxially and spaced at predetermined intervals, with the orientation flat portions aligned with one another. The cover has gas ports and surrounds the objects held by the holder and is spaced from a circumference of each object by a predetermined distance. The flat plate is mounted on an inner surface of the cover and opposes the orientation flat portions of the objects. In the processing chamber, the objects held by the holder are processed by using a process gas.

Abstract: While the interior of a reaction vessel is being deaerated by a first vacuum pump, an inert gas is supplied from an upstream side (reaction gas bottle side) of a flow rate control unit (MFC) to a reaction gas supply pipe. Thus, a reaction gas is substituted with the inert gas. A passageway downstream of the MFC is closed and the interior of the pipe is deaerated from the upstream side through a bypass pipe so that a predetermined degree of vacuum is obtained. Thus, the gas substituting efficiency can be improved. The interior of the reaction vessel and the interior of the reaction gas supply pipe are quickly deaerated without an influence of resistance of the MFC. The inert gas substitution process and the deaerating process are repeated for 10 cycles or more.

Abstract: A circulation duct with a blow fan and a shutter is provided to form gas flows in a transfer chamber below a heat treatment furnace, and a dust removing filter unit is provided in a blowout port of the circulation gas passage. Three, for example, gas supply pipes with a number of blowout holes are provided on the front side of the filter unit at set heights, and a clean air source is connected to the proximal end of the air supply pipes through an opening/closing valve. Clean gas is fed into the transfer chamber from the clean air source from the start of an unloading of the wafers to the time of the dismounting of the wafers from a wafer boat with the circulation of gas flows in the circulation gas passage stopped. A filter material of the dust removing filter is PTFE, which can reduce the amount of impurities scattered from the dust removing filter that attach on the wafers.

Abstract: An improved kiln car comprises a car with a load box with a base that can be separated into parts that can be reconfigured to form a discharge and then rotated to reform the base but with the load-bearing side on the underside so as to present a clean side to the next load of green items to be fired and to counter the cumulative effects of distortion as the load bearing base makes repeated passes through the kiln.

Abstract: A treatment system is disclosed, which has a treatment apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment for a planar workpiece contained in a carrier, and a first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing the carrier. The treatment apparatus has an air-tight second carrier storage chamber. An inert gas supply pipe and an exhaust pipe are connected to each of the treatment apparatus, the first carrier storage chamber, and the second carrier storage chamber. An open/close valve and an open/close device are connected to each of the inert gas supply pipes and the exhaust pipes.

Abstract: A forced cooling apparatus for a heat treatment apparatus comprising a heat treatment furnace having a process tube with one end open at an furnace opening and another end closed at an furnace top portion; and a heater portion which covers the process tube, and wherein cooling of the heat treatment furnace is performed by forced cooling by flowing air into a gap formed between the heater portion and the process tube and which extends to the furnace top portion.

Abstract: A heat shielding member is provided on an object-to-be-processed holder for loading/unloading an object to be processed to/from a thermal processing position. The heat shielding member can cover a space below the processing position. As a result, leakage of radiation heat from the processing position can be blocked, and an optimum temperature gradient at the processing position can be maintained. Accordingly the entire surface of the object to be processed can be efficiently thermally processed at uniform temperatures, and throughputs in the fabrication steps can be improved.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a plurality of circular wafers including a tubular heater, a boat and a plurality of heat transfer bodies. The tubular heater has a heating space inside and radiates heat within the heating space. The boat is loaded inside the heating space of the tubular heater and holds the wafers in parallel. Heat transfer bodies are located between the wafers.

Abstract: A reduction in the air tightness of a reaction chamber of an apparatus due to thermal degradation of a vacuum seal at the connection seal between the reaction chamber and a manifold is prevented. Contamination of the inside of the chamber from particles produced from heating members of the apparatus is reduced. The wall of the reaction chamber extends to a location sufficiently spaced from the lower end of the heater surrounding the reaction chamber. An exhaust port is provided in the wall to exhaust the reaction chamber.

Abstract: A heating device used for a gas phase growing mechanism or a heat treatment mechanism comprising a tubular reactor made of a heat resistant and chemically inert material incorporating a support having a plurality of works set and arranged thereon to be put to gas phase growing or heat treatment, a cylindrical main heating furnace body disposed so as to surround the outer circumferential surface of the tubular reactor 1 at the entire length thereof, and a pair of auxiliary heating furnace bodies each closing both longitudinal opening ends of the cylindrical main heating body, whereby the cylindrical main heating furnace body and the pair of auxiliary heating furnace bodies constitute a heating furnace for confining the tubular reactor therein.

Abstract: A heat treatment boat for mounting a number of disc-shaped objects to be treated at a vertical interval for heat treatment thereof in a vertical heat treatment furnace comprises arcuate or ring-shaped support members provided on support rods at a vertical interval for supporting the objects to be treated in surface contact with the undersides of peripheral parts of the objects to be treated. The heat treatment boat is disposed on a ring-shaped intermediate member of high radiant heat absorption disposed on a heat insulating cylinder. The heat treatment boat comprises support rods which are planted on an annular support member circumferentially in accordance with a contour of the objects to be treated and whose upper ends are secured to an annular fixation member. The heat treatment boat of such constitution can reduce occurrences of slips in the disc-shaped objects when heat treated.

Abstract: A heat treatment boat for mounting a number of disc-shaped objects to be treated at a vertical interval for heat treatment thereof in a vertical heat treatment furnace comprises arcuate or ring-shaped support members provided on support rods at a vertical interval for supporting the objects to be treated in surface contact with the undersides of peripheral parts of the objects to be treated. The heat treatment boat is disposed on a ring-shaped intermediate member of high radiant heat absorption disposed on a heat insulating cylinder. The heat treatment boat comprises support rods which are planted on an annular support member circumferentially in accordance with a contour of the objects to be treated and whose upper ends are secured to an annular fixation member. The heat treatment boat of such constitution can reduce occurrences of slips in the disc-shaped objects when heat treated.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a vertical heat treatment apparatus having a heat insulator, which has sufficient heat insulation, heat retention and high load pressure bearing properties to cope with increased size dimensions and number of layers of wafer workpieces and can be particularly advantageously used as a semiconductor and TFT substrate heat treatment apparatus. The apparatus features the use of a heat insulator casing 40 supporting a substrate holder 3 on its top and receiving a heat insulator 50 having numerous inner microspaces in its lower space, and defining a substrate holder or boat insulator receiving space A and a heat insulator receiving space B such that these spaces are hermetically sealed with respect to each other by the heat insulator casing.

Abstract: A probe apparatus comprises a housing, a probing mechanism arranged in the housing and including a supporting table for supporting an object having electrodes and movably arranged to locate the object at a measurement position, and probes which is brought into contact with the respective electrodes of the object supported by the supporting table, a load/unload mechanism arranged in the housing, for loading/unloading the object in/from the supporting table, and a downflow forming unit for forming a downflow of clean air flowing from an upper position to a lower position of the housing in every region inside the housing.

Abstract: A heat treating device including a pressure detecting unit for outputting an output signal when a pressure in a heat processing furnace becomes a set value, an air release pipe having a first valve and a check valve, a differential pressure gauge shut off by a second valve in terms of pressure from the interior of the heat processing furnace, and an air feed pipe having a third valve. One ends of each of the air release pipe and the air feed pipe is connected respectively to the heat processing furnace and the other ends opened in air. In such arrangement, after processing gases are evacuated from the heat processing furnace, an inert gas is fed. Then when an internal pressure of the furnace becomes near an air pressure, the first valve is opened in response to the output signal of the pressure detecting unit to make the internal pressure of the heat processing furnace a little higher than the air pressure.

Abstract: This invention relates to a combustion device for feeding hydrogen gas and oxygen gas into a combustion vessel, while heating the same, to generate water vapor. The combustion device comprises a hydrogen gas injection nozzle for feeding hydrogen gas into the combustion vessel, and an oxygen gas injection nozzles for feeding oxygen gas into the combustion vessel. The oxygen nozzles are projected further upward in the combustion vessel beyond the forward end of the hydrogen gas injection nozzle, and opened at a plurality of positions, whereby to diffuse oxygen widely around. The combustion device of this structure can feed a large amount of hydrogen gas for the combustion, whereby a large amount of water vapor can be generated without enlarging the combustion vessel, and troubles, such as the devitrification of the forward ends of the nozzles, abnormal heating in the combustion vessel.

Abstract: A multi-process bake/chill station for processing semiconductor wafers, comprising an insulated housing with an open bottom of approximately the same diameter as the wafer, a heated bake plate within the housing having a number of vertical gas flow passages through the plate, a plenum between the bake plate and the housing communicating with the gas flow passages, vent openings in the housing communicating with the plenum, a shroud for confining the wafer when it is in close proximity to the bake plate, a chill plate below the bake plate, and a lift for moving the wafer between the bake plate and the chill plate.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermal processing method wherein a cylindrical process tube that has at one end an entrance/exit is provided at the other end thereof with a heat source, and thermal processing is performed on a workpiece which has been brought in from the entrance/exit of the process tube to a prescribed position therein. This thermal processing method and an apparatus therefor is characterized in that, when the workpiece is moved to the prescribed position, it is first moved to a proximity position that is closer to the heat source than the prescribed position, then it is returned therefrom to the prescribed position.

Abstract: A carrier is provided as a part of a conveyor in an installation for burning away or deflagration of explosives. The carrier includes a base plate and a vat of scale and temperature-proof or resistant material mounted on the base plate for containing the explosives. The installation for the deflagration includes a deflagration reactor through which the carriers passes one after another in assembly-line operation through an entry zone and an exit zone. The invention is characterized in that the vat is mounted in spaced relation from the base plate by pillar-like supports which are distributed symmetrically on the area of the vat bottom; and in that a vertically upright bulkhead wall is arranged at least at one face of the base plate. The width and height dimensions of the bulkhead wall are such that they close the entry zone and the exit in substantially air tight manner toward the outside.

Abstract: An exhaust system for use with a high temperature furnace used to perform oxidation and/or annealing operations of the type used in semiconductor fabrication. The exhaust system is designed to permit the furnace to be used with a controlled environment chamber surrounding the entry to the process chamber of the furnace. The exhaust system allows a relatively high velocity flow of exhaust gas from the process chamber through the exhaust system to occur when a positive pressure (e.g., annealing) operations are performed. Such high velocity flow prevents (a) backstreaming and (b) the accumulation of non-uniform concentrations of exhaust gases in the exhaust system, thereby permitting the accurate monitoring of the concentration of a selected gas in the exhaust system. Based on such monitoring, the opening of the door to the process chamber of the furnace may be prevented when the concentration of the selected gas exceeds a predetermined level.

Abstract: This invention relates to a vertical heat treating device of a two-boat system including below a vertical reaction furnace a first waiting position where a treated boat waits, and second waiting position where a boat to be next treated waits. The device comprises boat transferring device for transfer wafers at the first and the second waiting positions and at the vertical reaction furnace. The boat transferring device can be displaced in a two-dimensional plane at least including rotation and radial displacement from the rotation center. A heat shielding member is also provided for hindering thermal influence between the first and the second waiting positions so that the first and the second waiting positions can be positioned as near each other as possible to minimize a space occupied by the boat transferring device, whereby the vertical heat treating device can be made smaller-sized.

Abstract: Installation for producing steel by melting scrap comprising an electric furnace (2') supplied with individual batches of scrap sequentially charged into the furnace after preheating in a preheating chamber (4) forming a batch container open at both ends and having a releasable bottom. The preheating chamber is mounted on a transporting device for movement between a first, preheating position, in which it is connected to a hot gas circulating circuit, and a second position in which it empties the batch of preheated scrap into the furnace. The lower portion of the side wall of the preheating chamber (4) forms a skirt (43) with a wide downwardly directed opening, and the chamber (4) is combined, in the preheating position, with a movable device (54) for sealably engaging the lower end (42) of the skirt (43) with a matching stationary base plate (3), whereby the skirt is sealed in the preheating position.

Abstract: A treatment system is disclosed, which has a treatment apparatus for performing a predetermined treatment for a planar workpiece contained in a carrier, and an first air-tight carrier storage chamber for storing the carrier. The treatment apparatus may also have an air-tight second carrier storage chamber. An inert gas supply and an exhaust means are connected to each of the treatment apparatus, the first carrier storage chamber, and the second carrier storage chamber. A valve device is provided for the inert gas supply and exhaust means.

Abstract: A loader device for an automatic space treatment furnace having a longitudinal axis and means for driving the furnace in guided translation along said longitudinal axis. The loader device is disposed in the vicinity of the furnace and comprises both a cartridge-carrying carousel fitted with a set of cartridge holders removably receiving sealed closed cartridges each designed to contain a sample for treatment in said space furnace, the cartridges being disposed in the carousel parallel to its axis of rotation, and a control mechanism for imparting indexed rotary drive to the cartridge holders. The carousel is itself mounted relative to the furnace in such a manner that its axis of rotation forms a predetermined angle a relative to the longitudinal axis of the furnace, and each cartridge holder of the carousel co-operates with a tilting mechanism to enable each cartridge to take up a working position in which the axis of the cartridge is tilted through said predetermined angle .alpha.

Abstract: In a semiconductor wafer heat-treating apparatus, there is provided a piping connection device on a gas inlet pipe leading to the heat-treating apparatus and a gas outlet pipe derived from the heat-treating apparatus. The piping connection device has a spherical convex connecting element, and a concave connecting element having a concave spherical surface into which the spherical element is snugly fitted. A pair of presser plates are placed on the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements and clamped by bolts so as to press confronting sealing surfaces of the convex and concave connecting elements against each other. Because the outer surfaces of the two connecting elements to be engaged with the pair of presser plates are spherically fashioned, the connection surfaces can present a satisfactory sealing condition without subjecting the pair of the pipes connected by the piping connection device to excessive biasing forces even though the two pipes are angled to each other.

Abstract: A forced cooling apparatus for a heat treatment apparatus comprising a heat treatment furnace having a process tube with one end open at an furnace opening and another end closed at an furnace top portion; and a heater portion which covers the process tube, and wherein cooling of the heat treatment furnace is performed by forced cooling by flowing air into a gap formed between the heater portion and the process tube and which extends to the furnace top portion.

Abstract: An oxidation/diffusion processing apparatus includes a processing vessel, arranged such that a longitudinal direction is vertical, for storing a plurality of target objects to be processed, a heater arranged around the processing vessel, for heating the interior of the processing vessel, a process gas supply mechanism for supplying a process gas from the lower portion of the processing vessel into the processing vessel, and an exhaust mechanism for exhausting a processed exhaust gas from the upper portion of the processing vessel. The process gas is supplied to the target objects heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater to perform oxidation/diffusion processing to the target objects.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus comprises a heat-treating portion which performs a required heat treating to a plural number of objects to be treated mounted on a heat-treating boat, a vacuum exhaust system which creates a vacuum inside the heat-treating portion, a load lock chamber which is connected so as to be freely openable and closable with respect to the heat-treating portion, which is filled therein with an inert gas and which is for transporting an object to be treated into and out of the heat-treating portion, and a residual treating gas exhaust system which is connected to the load lock chamber.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer boat used in a vertical CVD apparatus includes four columns fixed to upper and lower support plates. Each of the columns has a plurality of first grooves arranged at regular intervals in the vertical direction so as to place wafers in substantially parallel to each other, and a plurality of second grooves formed alternately with the first grooves. A plate ring is provided for each of the second grooves so as to improve the uniformity of thickness of a film to be formed on each wafer. Each ring has an outer diameter larger than that of a wafer, and an inner diameter smaller than that of the wafer. Each ring is placed such that there is a clearance for transferring each wafer between each ring and each wafer in the vertical direction.

Abstract: A contaminant trap for a high temperature, vertical furnace of the type used in semiconductor fabrication processing. The trap is designed to reduce particulate deposition within the process chamber, thereby decreasing the likelihood of by-product contamination of the wafers. The trap includes a housing having at least one sidewall, a bottom wall and a top wall which together define an inner compartment. The housing is attached to the exhaust port of the process chamber such that exhaust by-products in the process chamber may not be evacuated through the exhaust port around the housing. The housing has an input opening in the sidewall through which exhaust by-products pass from the process chamber into the inner compartment. An output opening extends through the sidewall near the top wall through which exhaust by-products are subsequently removed from the interior compartment of the housing.

Abstract: A high temperature bottom-loading research furnace is provided having a lifting mechanism comprising a V-shaped wheels and corresponding guide members for raising and lowering the furnace oven door. The lifting mechanism facilitates precise opening and closing of the door which, along with other mechanical features, reduces the heat loss from the furnace and, accordingly, reduces the amount of energy needed to operate the furnace.

Abstract: A wafers transferring method in the heat treatment apparatus of the vertical type comprising providing a boat loading/unloading chamber under a process tube, providing an elevator in the boat loading/unloading chamber, providing a wafer loading/unloading chamber communicated with the boat loading/unloading chamber, providing a robot in the wafer loading/unloading chamber, mounting a boat on the elevator, loading wafers one by one into the boat from the bottom to the top by the robot, while lowering the boat every pitch, heat-processing the wafers in the boat in the process tube, and unloading the wafers one by one from the boat from the top to the bottom by the robot, while lifting the boat every pitch.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus has a reaction furnace, gas-introducing mechanism, a gas-exhausting mechanism, and temperature-sensing means. The reaction furnace is made up of a reaction tube and a heating mechanism. The reaction tube contains a plurality of objects which are to be treated and which are arranged at predetermined intervals. The heating mechanism is arranged outside of the reaction tube. The gas-introducing means introduces a gas into the reaction tube, and the gas-exhausting mechanism exhausts the gas from the reaction tube. The temperature-sensing mechanism includes a guide pipe which passes through the side wall of the reaction tube and which extends along the inner wall of the reaction tube in the longitudinal direction of the reaction tube. One end of the guide pipe is closed and is located inside the reaction tube, while the other end thereof is open and is located outside of the reaction tube. A bendable temperature-measuring device is inserted in the guide pipe.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus includes a process tube for heat treatment of an object to be heat treated, and a load lock chamber linked to the process tube and for housing the object to be heat treated and maintaining either a vacuum or maintaining an arbitrary inert gas atmosphere, and with the load lock chamber being provided with an elevator for raising the object to be heat treated on a loading mechanism and into the process tube, and a nozzle unit provided with a plural number of gas emission openings in an inner wall of the load lock chamber on a side opposing the elevator, and to uniformly emit gas to the object to be heat treated and which is on the loading mechanism. By such a configuration, it is possible to emit gas uniformly to the object for heat treatment and which is on the loading mechanism for the object for heat treatment.

Abstract: A heat-treating apparatus comprises a heat portion which performs a required heat treating to a plural number of objects to be treated mounted on a heat-treating boat, a vacuum exhaust system which creates a vacuum inside the heat-treating portion, a load lock chamber which is connected so as to be freely openable and closable with respect to the heat-treating portion, which is filled therein with an inert gas and which is for transporting an object to be treated into and out of the heat-treating portion, and a residual treating gas exhaust system which is connected to the load lock chamber.

Abstract: The subject invention encompasses a thermal processing furnace having an elongated cylindrical processing chamber surrounding a tower assembly capable of receiving one or more articles to be processed. A pedestal assembly supports the tower assembly and contains a quartz door thereon which is axially translatable relative to the processing chamber into an inserted position where the tower assembly is inserted into the processing chamber. A quartz flange located along the perimeter of an opening at the end of the processing chamber contacts the quartz door forming a quartz seal therewith when the pedestal assembly is moved into the inserted position. A scavenger cavity is located at the end of the chamber having the opening therein and is in fluid flow relationship with the contact area between the quartz flange and the quartz door forming a quartz seal. Gas from within the processing chamber which may leak through the quartz seal is captured by the scavenger cavity and evacuated by an evacuation means.

Abstract: A forced cooling apparatus for a heat treatment apparatus comprising a heat treatment furnace having a process tube with one end open at an furnace opening and another end closed at an furnace top portion; and a heater, portion which covers the process tube, and wherein cooling of the heat treatment furnace is performed by forced cooling by flowing air into a gap formed between the heater portion and the process tube and which extends to the furnace top portion.

Abstract: A furnace for the heat treatment of individual parts, in particular metal sheeting, which has a transport apparatus for conveying the parts to be treated through the furnace. This transport apparatus has two groups of longitudinal beams for supporting the parts, the beams lying alternatively adjacent one another in spaced relationship and at least one beam group of which being movable forwardly into a higher position than the other beam group along a partial stretch of the transport route and subsequently being movable back into its initial position into a lower position than this other beam group. A support structure supporting the beam and movable therewith is provided beneath each longitudinal beam, the support structure having at least one side surface extending continuously over the entire length of the supporting structure and facing the support structure of the adjacent longitudinal beam.

Abstract: A vertical resistive combustion furnace having a vertically oriented combustion zone in which first and second coaxially aligned tubes depend. The first tube is open at one end and closed at the other. The second tube is open at one end and partially closed at the other end and is mounted within and spaced from the first tube with the space between the coaxial tubes defining a passage for combustion products produced from a sample of material to be analyzed, disposed in said second tube. The combustion products pass upwardly in the channel through the combustion zone of the furnace so that the combustion products are hot when they exit the furnace for analysis.

Abstract: A vertical heating apparatus comprises a casing having an opening through which a plurality of transport members receiving articles to be processed are loaded in and unloaded from the casing, a heat treating furnace provided in an upper portion of the casing, a transport member storing portion provided in the casing at a side space of the heat treating furnace, for receiving the transport members, a processing member for transporting the articles to be processed in the heat treating furnace, a transferring mechanism for transferring the articles to be processed and received by the transport members to the processing member, and a vertically moving mechanism provided below the heat treating furnace in the casing, for loading and unloading the articles to be processed and received by the processing member in and from the heat treating furnace.

Abstract: A vertical type of heat-treating apparatus is provided with a housing that has an opening portion for the carrying in of an object to be processed to the front surface, a heat-treating furnace for performing the required heat-treatment to the object to be processed and which is provided inside the housing, a standby space for the standby of the objects to be processed and carried into the heat-treating apparatus which is provided underneath the heat-treating furnace, a cleaning air introduction opening provided to a lower portion of the housing, a feed path separated from the standby space and connected to the cleaning air introduction opening, a recirculation path which makes one portion of cleaning gas passed the standby space to flow once again to the standby space, and an air exhaust opening for the exhaust to outside the housing of cleaning air which passes through the standby space.

Abstract: A standard atmosphere furnace constructed of a steel casing formed as a cylinder with fibrous insulation attached is operated as a vacuum furnace. A plurality of radiant, fuel-fired ceramic heat tubes positioned in a centered but circumferentially spaced arrangement provides heat input to the furnace to permit it to operate at high, vacuum associated temperatures. The ceramic tubes are vacuum sealed to the furnace case by an elastomer seal/water jacket arrangement which uses an outboard clamp arrangement to establish a ceramic-to-metal contact to permit thermal cooling and prevent tube-flange movement so that the integrity of the elastomer seal can be maintained. In addition, an articulated joint connector is provided so that the tube can be supported in a pivotable manner permitting thermal movement while reducing tube stress to prolonged tube life.

Abstract: A vertical heat treatment apparatus includes a casing, a vertical heat treatment furnace provided in the casing, a substrate holding unit mounted in the casing for holding substrates to be heat-treated in the vertical heat treatment furnace, a loading/unloading unit having a wafer boat for supporting the substrates, the loading/unloading unit being adapted to put the substrates in and take the same out of the vertical heat treatment furnace, and a transportation robot for moving the substrates between the substrate holding unit and the wafer boat. The vertical heat treatment apparatus further includes a clean air supplying unit for supplying clean air sideways to the wafers supported by the wafer boat when the loading/unloading unit is at an unloading position, a and duct for introducing air from the outside of the apparatus. The clean air supplying unit is provided with an air filter disposed opposed to the wafer boat.

Abstract: A heat processing apparatus of the vertical type includes a box which has a process tube in the upper half thereof and a space in the lower half thereof. A cap for the process tube can be moved up and down between an upper position where the cap closes the process tube while holding a wafer boat on it and a lower position in the space where it opens the process tube. Clean air is supplied into the space through a dust removing filter located on one side of the space and exhausted from the space through the other side of the space. The air thus exhausted is collected by a gas processing system, which serves to remove harmful components from the air thus collected. A scavenger is arranged enclosing the open bottom of the process tube. Gas remaining in the process tube after the heat process is sucked by the scavenger and collected by another gas processing system.

Abstract: A heat processing apparatus comprises a heating furnace, a process tube located in the heating furnace and having an open bottom, a manifold connected to the open bottom of the process tube, a sealing member sandwiched between the process tube and the manifold to air-tightly seal the process tube, a fixing member for fixing the process tube to the manifold, a heat transmitting member made of metal and sandwiched between the fixing member and the process tube to radiate heat at that area of the process tube, which is opposed to the fixing member, to the fixing member by heat conduction, and a heat exchange conduit arranged in the fixing member and having a passage through which heat exchanging medium flows to cool the fixing member by heat exchange.

Abstract: An apparatus for heat-treating substrates includes a plurality of heat-treating units arranged in vertical stages, and at least one hollow column for supporting the heat-treating units. Each heat-treating unit has an exhaust line communicating with the column to exhaust gases from the heat-treating units through the column by suction.