SUBSTRATE TRANSPORT ASSEMBLY FOR RAPID THERMAL PROCESSING SYSTEM

• Main Authors: FAIR, JAMES, E, HARRIS, FRITZ, B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 13.01.2000
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BLASTING; CHEMISTRY; CONVEYING; DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS,IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KINDOF FURNACE; DRYING; DRYING SOLID MATERIALS OR OBJECTS BY REMOVING LIQUID THEREFROM; FURNACES; FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS, OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; GLASS; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL; HEATING; KILNS; LIGHTING; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS; OVENS; PACKING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICS; PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS; RETORTS; SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS; STORING; TESTING; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING ORTIPPING; TRANSPORTING; WEAPONS

A rapid thermal processing system for flat panel displays includes a processing chamber having a loading/unloading zone and a processing zone, a heating assembly for heating a substrate (52) in the processing zone, and a transport assembly for transporting the substrate (52) through the processing chamber. The transport assembly includes a feed conveyor (50) for transporting the substrate (52) from the loading/unloading zone through the processing zone and a substrate return assembly for transporting the substrate (52) from the feed conveyor (50) to the loading/unloading zone after the substrate (52) is transported through the processing zone. The substrate return assembly may include a return conveyor (56), and a substrate reverser (54) for transferring the substrate (52) from the feed conveyor (50) to the return conveyor (56). L'invention concerne un système de traitement thermique rapide pour afficheurs à écran plat, comprenant une chambre de traitement comportant une zone de chargement/déchargement et une zone de traitement, un ensemble de chauffage destiné à chauffer un substrat (52) dans la zone de traitement, et un ensemble de transport servant à véhiculer le substrat (52) à travers la chambre de traitement. L'ensemble de transport comprend un convoyeur (50) d'alimentation destiné à transporter le substrat (52) de la zone de chargement/déchargement à travers la zone de traitement, et un ensemble de retour destiné à transporter le substrat (52) du convoyeur (50) d'alimentation à la zone de chargement/déchargement après passage du substrat (52) par la zone de traitement. L'ensemble de retour de substrat peut comporter un convoyeur (56) de retour, et un inverseur (54) de substrat permettant de transférer le substrat (52) du convoyeur (50) d'alimentation au convoyeur (56) de retour.