Vertical heat processing apparatus and heat processing method using the vertical heat processing apparatus

• Main Authors: HISHIYA KATSUYUKI, NITADORI HIROMI
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.08.2008
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; BLASTING; DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS,IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KINDOF FURNACE; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FURNACES; FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HEATING; KILNS; LIGHTING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS; OVENS; RETORTS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; WEAPONS

The present invention is a vertical heat processing apparatus comprising: a heat processing furnace having a furnace opening; a lid member for closing the furnace opening of the heat processing furnace; a first substrate holder and a second substrate holder, each of which is capable of holding a plurality of substrates in a tier-like manner and of being alternately placed on the lid member through a heat retention tube; an elevating mechanism that vertically moves the lid member to load one of the substrate holders into the heat processing furnace, and to unload the one of the substrate holders from the heat processing furnace; a holder table configured to be placed thereon the other of the substrate holders for transfer of the substrates, when the one of the substrate holders is in the heat processing furnace; and a holder conveying mechanism configured to convey the respective substrate holders between the holder table and the heat retention tube; wherein the holder table is provided with a holder gripping mechanism for gripping the substrate holder to prevent turnover thereof.