JP2022119169A - Heat treatment device and heat treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a heat treatment device capable of reducing maintenance due to a solid body adhered to an inner wall of a chamber.SOLUTION: A heat treatment device is equipped with a chamber that can maintain an atmosphere of reduced pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure, an exhaust portion that exhausts the inside of the chamber through an exhaust port provided in the chamber, a supporting portion that is provided in the chamber and can support work, a first heating portion that is provided in the chamber and can heat the work, a deposition preventive plate that is detachably provided on an inner wall of the chamber, and a second heating portion that can heat the deposition preventive plate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

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

2. Description of the Related Art There is a heat treatment apparatus that includes a chamber capable of maintaining an atmosphere pressure-reduced below atmospheric pressure, and a heater that heats a workpiece provided inside the chamber. Such a heat treatment apparatus heats the workpiece to form a film or the like on the surface of the workpiece or to treat the surface of the workpiece.

Here, when the work is heated, substances contained on the surface of the work may be vaporized. This vaporized substance may solidify and adhere to the inner wall of the chamber, which has a lower temperature than the heated workpiece. If the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber is peeled off from the inner wall of the chamber, it may become particles and adhere to the surface of the workpiece.

Therefore, maintenance to remove the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber is required periodically or as needed. Heat treatment of workpieces cannot be performed during maintenance. Therefore, if the maintenance time is long or the frequency of maintenance is increased, the productivity will be greatly reduced.
Therefore, a technique has been proposed in which the chamber is heated to prevent the vaporized substance from solidifying and adhering to the inner wall of the chamber. (See Patent Document 1, for example)

However, in this technique, it is necessary to constantly heat the chamber during production of the work. In other words, it is necessary to heat the chamber even when performing processes that do not require heating of the workpiece. This process corresponds to, for example, a process of loading and unloading a workpiece to/from a heat treatment apparatus. Therefore, the amount of electric power required to produce the work increases.
In addition, when the chamber is heated, it may become difficult for the operator to approach the heat treatment apparatus, or elements and devices around the heat treatment apparatus may be heated.
Therefore, it has been desired to develop a heat treatment apparatus capable of reducing the maintenance required due to the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber.

JP 2018-169050 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of reducing maintenance due to solids adhering to the inner wall of the chamber.

A heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment includes a chamber capable of maintaining an atmosphere reduced below atmospheric pressure, an exhaust section capable of exhausting the interior of the chamber through an exhaust port provided in the chamber, and the chamber a support section provided inside the chamber capable of supporting a work; a first heating section provided inside the chamber capable of heating the work; A plate and a second heating unit capable of heating the anti-adhesion plate are provided.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus capable of reducing maintenance due to solid matter adhering to the inner wall of the chamber.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment; FIG. 5 is a graph for illustrating the work processing process;

Hereinafter, embodiments will be illustrated with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing, the same reference numerals are given to the same constituent elements, and detailed description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

In the following, as an example, a heat treatment apparatus that heats a workpiece in an atmosphere that is reduced below atmospheric pressure to form an organic film on the surface of the workpiece will be described. However, the invention is not so limited. For example, the present invention can be applied to a heat treatment apparatus that heats a workpiece in an atmosphere that is reduced below atmospheric pressure to form an inorganic film or the like on the surface of the workpiece. Alternatively, the present invention can be applied to a heat treatment apparatus that heats a work in an atmosphere that is reduced below atmospheric pressure to treat the surface of the work.
Moreover, the work before heating may have, for example, a substrate and a solution provided on the upper surface of the substrate, or may be only the substrate. In the following, as an example, a case where the workpiece before heating has a substrate and a solution provided on the upper surface of the substrate and containing an organic material and a solvent will be described. The solution also includes a semi-cured state (a state in which it does not flow) due to calcination of the solution.

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view for illustrating a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.
Note that the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction in FIG. 1 represent three directions orthogonal to each other. The vertical direction in this specification can be the Z direction.

The workpiece 100 before heating has a substrate and a solution provided on the upper surface of the substrate.
The substrate can be, for example, a glass substrate, a semiconductor wafer, or the like. However, the substrate is not limited to those illustrated.
A solution includes, for example, an organic material and a solvent. The organic material is not particularly limited as long as it can be dissolved by a solvent. The solution can be, for example, a varnish containing polyamic acid. However, the solution is not limited to the exemplified one.
A substance that vaporizes when the workpiece 100 coated with a solution containing an organic material and a solvent is heated is called a “vaporized substance”. Also, a solid derived from a vaporized substance is referred to as "a solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber" or "a solid formed from a vaporized substance".

As shown in FIG. 1, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is provided with, for example, a chamber 10, an exhaust section 20, a processing section 30, a cooling section 40, an adhesion prevention section 50, a re-vaporization substance discharge section 60, and a controller 70. there is

The chamber 10 has an airtight structure capable of maintaining an atmosphere pressure-reduced below atmospheric pressure. The chamber 10 has a box shape. The external shape of the chamber 10 is not particularly limited. The external shape of the chamber 10 can be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. The chamber 10 can be made of metal such as stainless steel, for example.

One end of the chamber 10 is open in the Y direction. The opening of the chamber 10 is provided, for example, for loading and unloading the workpiece 100 . The opening of the chamber 10 can be opened and closed by an open/close door (not shown). The opening/closing door is pressed against the chamber 10 by a driving device (not shown). As a result, the open/close door closes the opening of the chamber 10 in an airtight manner. The opening/closing door is separated from the chamber 10 by a driving device (not shown). As a result, the workpiece 100 can be loaded or unloaded through the opening of the chamber 10 .

Also, the other end of the chamber 10 can be opened in the Y direction. The opening at the other end of the chamber 10 can be opened and closed by a lid (not shown). The lid can be screwed to the other end of the chamber 10, for example via a seal such as an O-ring. If the other end of the chamber 10 is open, for example, work such as maintenance can be performed from the other end of the chamber 10 .

A cooling part 11 can be provided on the outer wall of the chamber 10 . A cooling water supply unit (not shown) is connected to the cooling unit 11 . The cooling unit 11 can be, for example, a water jacket. If the cooling part 11 is provided, it is possible to suppress the outer wall temperature of the chamber 10 from becoming higher than a predetermined temperature.

The exhaust part 20 exhausts the inside of the chamber 10 . The exhaust section 20 has, for example, a first exhaust section 21 , a second exhaust section 22 and a third exhaust section 23 .
The first exhaust part 21 is connected to, for example, an exhaust port 12 provided on the ceiling surface of the chamber 10 . The first exhaust part 21 exhausts the inside of the chamber 10 through the exhaust port 12 provided in the chamber 10 .

The first exhaust section 21 has, for example, an exhaust pump 21a and a pressure control section 21b.
The exhaust pump 21a can be an exhaust pump that performs rough evacuation from atmospheric pressure to a predetermined pressure. Therefore, the exhaust pump 21a has a larger displacement than the later-described exhaust pump 22a. The exhaust pump 21a can be, for example, a dry vacuum pump.

The pressure control section 21b is provided between the exhaust port 12 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 section 22 is connected to, for example, an exhaust port 13 provided on the ceiling surface of the chamber 10 . The second exhaust part 22 exhausts the inside of the chamber 10 through the exhaust port 13 provided in the chamber 10 .

The second exhaust section 22 has, for example, an exhaust pump 22a and a pressure control section 22b.
After the rough evacuation by the exhaust pump 21a, the exhaust pump 22a evacuates to a predetermined lower pressure. The evacuation pump 22a has, for example, an evacuation capability capable of evacuating to a high-vacuum molecular flow region. For example, the exhaust pump 22a can be a turbo molecular pump (TMP) or the like.

The pressure control section 22b is provided between the exhaust port 13 and the exhaust pump 22a. The pressure controller 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.

The third exhaust section 23 is connected between the exhaust port 12 and the pressure control section 21 b of the first exhaust section 21 . The third exhaust section 23 is connected to the factory exhaust system. The third exhaust part 23 can be, for example, a pipe made of stainless steel. The third exhaust section is provided with a valve 25 between the exhaust port 12 and the factory exhaust system. A third exhaust may have a blower, such as a fan, between the valve 25 and the factory exhaust system. If the third exhaust section has an air blower, it becomes possible to forcibly exhaust the gas inside the chamber 10 .

In addition, although the case where the exhaust port 12 and the exhaust port 13 are provided in the ceiling surface of the chamber 10 was illustrated above, it is not limited to this. The exhaust port 12 and the exhaust port 13 can be provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 10, for example. If the exhaust port 12 and the exhaust port 13 are provided on the ceiling surface or the bottom surface of the chamber 10 , an air current can be formed inside the chamber 10 toward the ceiling surface or the bottom surface of the chamber 10 . If such an airflow is formed, vaporized substances including organic materials can be easily discharged to the outside of the chamber 10 along with the airflow. Therefore, it is possible to suppress adhesion of foreign matter resulting from the vaporized substance to the workpiece 100 .

The processing section 30 has, for example, a frame 31 , a heating section 32 (corresponding to an example of a first heating section), a support section 33 , a soaking section 34 , a soaking plate support section 35 , and a cover 36 .
Inside the processing unit 30, a processing region 30a and a processing region 30b are provided. The processing areas 30a and 30b are spaces in which the workpiece 100 is processed. The workpiece 100 is supported by the support portion 33 inside the processing areas 30a and 30b. The processing area 30b is provided above the processing area 30a. In addition, although the case where two processing areas are provided is illustrated, it is not limited to this. Only one processing area may be provided, or more than two processing areas may be provided. In the present embodiment, as an example, a case where two processing areas are provided inside the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be described. However, a case where one processing area and three or more processing areas are provided inside the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be similarly considered.

The processing regions 30 a and 30 b are provided between the heating units 32 . The processing areas 30a and 30b are surrounded by a soaking section 34 (an upper soaking plate 34a, a lower soaking plate 34b, a side soaking plate 34c, and a side soaking plate 34d).

As will be described later, the upper heat equalizer plate 34 a and the lower heat equalizer plate 34 b are formed by supporting a plurality of plate-like members by a plurality of heat equalizer support portions 35 . Therefore, the processing region 30a and the internal space of the chamber 10 are connected through gaps provided between the upper heat equalizer plates 34a and between the lower heat equalizer plates 34b. Therefore, when the pressure in the space between the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the processing section 30 is reduced, the pressure in the space inside the processing region 30a is also reduced. Since the processing region 30b has the same structure as the processing region 30a, the description thereof is omitted.

If the pressure in the space between the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the processing section 30 is reduced, the heat released from the processing regions 30a and 30b to the outside can be suppressed. That is, heating efficiency and heat storage efficiency can be improved. Therefore, the electric power applied to the heater 32a, which will be described later, can be reduced. Moreover, if the power applied to the heater 32a can be reduced, the temperature of the heater 32a can be suppressed from exceeding a predetermined temperature. As a result, the life of the heater 32a can be lengthened.

Moreover, since the heat storage efficiency is improved, the temperature of the processing regions 30a and 30b can be raised quickly. Therefore, it is possible to cope with processing that requires a rapid temperature rise. In addition, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the outer wall of the chamber 10 from increasing. Therefore, the cooling unit 11 can be simplified.

The frame 31 has a role of fixing the heating section 32 , the supporting section 33 , the soaking section 34 , the soaking plate supporting section 35 and the cover 36 inside the chamber 10 . Further, the frame 31 has a role of making the inner space of the chamber 10 into a double structure of the chamber 10 and the processing section 30 . The frame 31 has a frame structure made of elongated plate material, shaped steel, or the like. The external shape of the frame 31 is not particularly limited. The external shape of the frame 31 can be, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. The frame 31 can be fixed to the chamber 10 via heat insulating material. The frame 31 can be made of a material with good thermal conductivity. The frame 31 can be made of metal such as stainless steel, for example.

A plurality of heating units 32 are provided. The heating units 32 can be provided below the processing regions 30a and 30b and above the processing regions 30a and 30b. The heating section 32 provided below the processing regions 30a and 30b serves as a lower heating section. The heating section 32 provided above the processing regions 30a and 30b serves as an upper heating section. The lower heating section faces the upper heating section. When a plurality of processing areas are vertically stacked, the upper heating section provided in the lower processing area can also serve as the lower heating section provided in the upper processing area.

The heating unit 32 is provided inside the chamber 10 and heats the workpiece 100 .
For example, the lower surface (back surface) of the workpiece 100 supported by the processing area 30a is heated by the heating unit 32 provided below the processing area 30a. The upper surface (surface) of the workpiece 100 supported by the processing area 30a is heated by the heating unit 32 shared by the processing areas 30a and 30b.

The lower surface (back surface) of the workpiece 100 supported by the processing area 30b is heated by the heating unit 32 shared by the processing areas 30a and 30b. The upper surface (surface) of the workpiece 100 supported by the processing area 30b is heated by the heating unit 32 provided above the processing area 30b.
In this way, the number of heating units 32 can be reduced. As a result, power consumption can be reduced, manufacturing costs can be reduced, and space can be saved.

Each of the plurality of heating units 32 has at least one heater 32a and a pair of holders 32b. In addition, below, the case where several heater 32a is provided is demonstrated. The heater 32a has a bar shape and extends in the Y direction between the pair of holders 32b. A plurality of heaters 32a can be arranged side by side in the X direction. A plurality of heaters 32a can be provided at regular intervals, for example. The heater 32a can be, for example, a sheathed heater, a far-infrared heater, a far-infrared lamp, a ceramic heater, a cartridge heater, or the like. Also, various heaters can be covered with a quartz cover.

In this specification, the term "rod-shaped heater" includes various heaters covered with a quartz cover. Moreover, the cross-sectional shape of the "rod-shaped" heater is not limited. The cross-sectional shape of the "rod-shaped" heater includes, for example, a columnar shape and a prismatic shape.
Also, the heater 32a is not limited to the illustrated one. The heater 32a may be any heater that can heat the workpiece 100 in an atmosphere that is reduced in pressure below atmospheric pressure. That is, the heater 32a may be any device that utilizes heat energy by radiation.

The specifications, number, spacing, etc. of the plurality of heaters 32a in the heating unit 32 can be appropriately determined according to the composition of the solution to be heated (the temperature at which the solution is heated), the size of the workpiece 100, and the like. The specifications, number, intervals, etc. of the plurality of heaters 32a can be appropriately determined by performing simulations, experiments, and the like.

The space in which the plurality of heaters 32a are provided is surrounded by a holder 32b, an upper heat soaking plate 34a, a lower heat soaking plate 34b, a side heat soaking plate 34c, and a side heat soaking plate 34d. A gap is provided between the upper heat equalizing plates 34a and between the lower heat equalizing plates 34b. However, the gap mentioned above is small. Therefore, the space in which the plurality of heaters 32a are provided becomes a substantially closed space. Therefore, by supplying a cooling gas from the cooling unit 40, which will be described later, to the space in which the plurality of heaters 32a are provided, the plurality of heaters 32a, the upper heat soaking plate 34a, the lower heat soaking plate 34b, and the side heat soaking plate 34c are cooled. , and the side heat equalizer plate 34d.

Here, when the vaporized substance comes into contact with an object whose temperature is lower than the temperature of the heated workpiece 100, the vaporized substance loses heat to the contacting object. Therefore, the vaporized substance is easily cooled and solidified. However, the upper heat soaking plate 34 a and the lower heat soaking plate 34 b are heated by the heating section 32 . Therefore, the vaporized substance can be prevented from adhering to the upper heat soaking plate 34a and the lower heat soaking plate 34b. Further, as described above, an airflow is formed inside the chamber 10 toward the ceiling surface (or the bottom surface) of the chamber 10 . Therefore, the vaporized substance is discharged out of the chamber 10 along with this airflow.
Therefore, it is possible to suppress adhesion of the vaporized substance to the workpiece 100 . Further, the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can heat the work 100 from both sides of the work 100 by the heating unit 32 . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of low-temperature portions in the processing section 30 . Therefore, adhesion of vaporized substances to the workpiece 100 can be further suppressed. In addition, since the work 100 is heated by the heating unit 32 from both sides of the work 100, the work 100 can be easily heated.

A pair of holders 32b extend in the X direction (for example, the longitudinal direction of the processing regions 30a and 30b). The pair of holders 32b are opposed to each other in the Y direction. One holder 32b is fixed to the end of the frame 31 on the opening side. The other holder 32b is fixed to the end of the frame 31 opposite to the opening side. The pair of holders 32b can be fixed to the frame 31 using, for example, fastening members such as screws. A pair of holders 32b hold non-heat generating portions near the ends of the heater 32a. The pair of holders 32b can be formed, for example, from an elongated metal plate or shaped steel. Materials for the pair of holders 32b are not particularly limited, but materials having heat resistance and corrosion resistance are preferable. The material of the pair of holders 32b can be, for example, stainless steel.

The support portion 33 is provided inside the chamber 10 and supports the workpiece 100 . For example, the support section 33 supports the workpiece 100 between the upper heating section and the lower heating section. A plurality of support portions 33 can be provided. A plurality of support portions 33 are provided below the processing region 30a and below the processing region 30b. The plurality of support portions 33 can be rod-shaped bodies.

One end (upper end) of the plurality of support portions 33 contacts the lower surface (back surface) of the workpiece 100 . Therefore, the shape of one end of each of the plurality of support portions 33 is preferably hemispherical. If the shape of one end of the plurality of support portions 33 is hemispherical, it is possible to suppress damage to the lower surface of the workpiece 100 . Also, the contact area between the lower surface of the workpiece 100 and the plurality of support portions 33 can be reduced. Therefore, the heat transferred from the workpiece 100 to the plurality of support portions 33 can be reduced.

The workpiece 100 is heated by radiant thermal energy in an atmosphere that is reduced in pressure below atmospheric pressure. Therefore, the distance from the upper heating section to the upper surface of the work 100 and the distance from the lower heating section to the lower surface of the work 100 are distances that allow the heat energy by radiation to reach the work 100 .

The other ends (lower ends) of the plurality of support portions 33 can be fixed to, for example, a plurality of rod-shaped members or plate-shaped members that are bridged between the pair of frames 31 . In this case, it is preferable that the plurality of support portions 33 be detachably provided on a rod-shaped member or the like. In this way, work such as maintenance is facilitated.

The number, arrangement, intervals, etc., of the plurality of support portions 33 can be appropriately changed according to the size and rigidity (deflection) of the workpiece 100 .
The material of the plurality of support portions 33 is not particularly limited, but a material having heat resistance and corrosion resistance is preferable. The material of the plurality of support portions 33 can be, for example, stainless steel.

The heat soaking section 34 has a plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a, a plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b, a plurality of side heat soaking plates 34c, and a plurality of side heat soaking plates 34d. The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a, the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b, the plurality of side heat soaking plates 34c, and the plurality of side heat soaking plates 34d are plate-shaped.

The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a are provided on the lower heating section side (workpiece 100 side) in the upper heating section. The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a are separated from the plurality of heaters 32a. That is, gaps are provided between the upper surfaces of the plurality of upper heat equalizing plates 34a and the lower surfaces of the plurality of heaters 32a. The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a are arranged side by side in the X direction. A gap is provided between the plurality of upper heat equalizing plates 34a. If the gap is provided, the dimensional difference due to thermal expansion can be absorbed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the upper heat equalizing plates 34a from interfering with each other and causing deformation. Moreover, as described above, the pressure in the spaces of the processing regions 30a and 30b can be reduced through this gap.

The plurality of lower heat equalizing plates 34b are provided on the upper heating section side (workpiece 100 side) in the lower heating section. The plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b are separated from the plurality of heaters 32a. That is, gaps are provided between the lower surfaces of the plurality of lower heat equalizing plates 34b and the upper surfaces of the plurality of heaters 32a. A plurality of lower heat equalizing plates 34b are arranged side by side in the X direction. A gap is provided between the plurality of lower heat equalizing plates 34b. If the gap is provided, the dimensional difference due to thermal expansion can be absorbed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the lower heat equalizing plates 34b from interfering with each other and causing deformation. Moreover, the pressure in the space of the processing regions 30a and 30b can be reduced through this gap.

The side soaking plates 34c are provided on both sides of the processing regions 30a and 30b in the X direction. The side heat equalizing plate 34 c can be provided inside the cover 36 .
The side soaking plates 34d are provided on both sides of the processing regions 30a and 30b in the Y direction.

As described above, the plurality of heaters 32a are bar-shaped and arranged side by side at predetermined intervals. When the heater 32a is rod-shaped, heat is radiated radially from the central axis of the heater 32a. In this case, the shorter the distance between the center axis of the heater 32a and the heated portion, the higher the temperature of the heated portion. Therefore, when the workpiece 100 is held so as to face the plurality of heaters 32a, the area of the workpiece 100 located directly above or below the heaters 32a is either directly above or below the space between the plurality of heaters 32a. The temperature becomes higher than the area of the workpiece 100 located directly below. That is, when the workpiece 100 is directly heated using the plurality of rod-shaped heaters 32a, the temperature distribution varies within the surface of the heated workpiece 100. As shown in FIG.

Variations in temperature distribution within the surface of the workpiece 100 may degrade the quality of the formed organic film. For example, there is a possibility that bubbles will be generated in the part where the temperature is high, or the composition of the organic film will change in the part where the temperature is high.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with the plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b described above. Therefore, the heat radiated from the plurality of heaters 32a is incident on the plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b. The heat incident on the plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b is radiated toward the workpiece 100 while propagating in the plane direction inside them. As a result, it is possible to suppress variations in temperature distribution within the surface of the workpiece 100 . As a result, the quality of the formed organic film can be improved.

The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b propagate incident heat in the planar direction. Therefore, it is preferable that these materials have high thermal conductivity. The plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b can be made of, for example, aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or the like. Note that when a material that is easily oxidized such as aluminum or copper is used, a layer containing a material that is not easily oxidized is preferably provided on the surface.

A portion of the heat radiated from the plurality of upper heat equalizer plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat equalizer plates 34b is directed to the sides of the processing area. Therefore, the above-described side soaking plates 34c and 34d are provided on the sides of the processing area. The heat incident on the side heat soaking plates 34c and 34d propagates in the planar direction inside the side heat soaking plates 34c and 34d. At this time, part of the heat input to the side heat equalizing plates 34 c and 34 d is radiated toward the workpiece 100 . Therefore, the heating efficiency of the workpiece 100 can be improved.
The material of the side heat equalizer plates 34c, 34d can be the same as the material of the upper heat equalizer plate 34a and the lower heat equalizer plate 34b described above.

In the above, the case where the plurality of upper heat soaking plates 34a and the plurality of lower heat soaking plates 34b are arranged side by side in the X direction is exemplified. However, the upper heat soaking plate 34a and the lower heat soaking plate 34b are not limited to this. At least one of the upper heat equalizer plate 34a and the lower heat equalizer plate 34b can also be a single plate member.

A plurality of heat equalizer support portions 35 are arranged side by side in the X direction. The heat equalizer support part 35 can be provided directly under between the upper heat equalizer plates 34a in the X direction. The plurality of heat equalizer support portions 35 can be fixed to the pair of holders 32b using fastening members such as screws. A pair of heat equalizer support portions 35 detachably support both ends of the upper heat equalizer plate 34a. The plurality of heat equalizer support portions 35 that support the plurality of lower heat equalizer plates 34b can also have the same configuration.

If the upper and lower heat equalizer plates 34a and 34b are supported by the pair of heat equalizer support portions 35, the dimensional difference due to thermal expansion can be absorbed. Therefore, deformation of the upper heat soaking plate 34a and the lower heat soaking plate 34b can be suppressed.

The cover 36 is formed from a plurality of plate-like members. The cover 36 covers the top, bottom and side surfaces of the frame 31 . That is, the inside of the frame 31 is covered with the cover 36 . However, the cover 36 provided on the side of the opening/closing door that opens and closes the opening of the chamber 10 can be fixed to the opening/closing door, for example.
A cover 36 encloses the processing areas 30a, 30b. However, gaps are provided in the cover 36 at the boundary between the top surface and the side surface of the frame 31, the boundary surface between the side surface and the bottom surface of the frame 31, and near the opening/closing door. Specifically, a gap is provided between the plate-like member provided on the upper surface of the frame 31 and the plate-like member provided on the side surface of the frame 31 of the cover 36 . A gap is provided between the plate-shaped member provided on the side surface of the frame 31 and the plate-shaped member provided on the bottom surface of the frame 31 of the cover 36 . Between the plate-shaped members provided on the upper surface of the frame 31, the side surface of the frame 31, and the bottom surface of the frame 31 of the cover 36 and the plate-shaped members provided on the opening/closing door of the cover 36, A gap is provided.

Further, the plate-shaped member of the cover 36 provided on the upper surface and the bottom surface of the frame 31 is divided into a plurality of pieces. A gap is provided between the divided plate-like members. That is, the internal space of the processing section 30 (processing regions 30a and 30b) communicates with the internal space of the chamber 10 through these gaps. Therefore, the pressure in the processing regions 30a, 30b can be made to be the same as the pressure in the space between the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the cover 36. FIG. The cover 36 can be made of, for example, stainless steel.

Also, at least one heater 32a may be provided between the side heat soaking plate 34c and the cover 36 and spaced apart from the side heat soaking plate 34c and the cover 36. FIG.
Further, if at least one heater 32a is provided outside the side heat soaking plate 34c, the workpiece 100 can be heated via the side heat soaking plate 34c. Therefore, the heating efficiency of the workpiece 100 can be further improved. Further, if the heater 32a is provided outside the side heat soaking plate 34c, the side heat soaking plate 34c and the cover 36 are heated by the heater 32a provided outside the side heat soaking plate 34c. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vaporized substance from solidifying and adhering to the side heat soaking plate 34 c and the cover 36 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the maintenance due to the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 .

The cooling unit 40 supplies cooling gas to the region where the heating unit 32 is provided. In this case, the cooling unit 40 cools the soaking unit 34 surrounding the processing areas 30a and 30b with the cooling gas. The cooled soaking section 34 can indirectly cool the workpiece 100 in a high temperature state. In addition, the cooling unit 40 can supply cooling gas to the workpiece 100 to directly cool the workpiece 100 in a high temperature state. The cooling unit 40 can also cool the workpiece 100 indirectly and directly.

The cooling section 40 has a nozzle 41 , a gas source 42 and a gas control section 43 .
When indirectly cooling the workpiece 100, the nozzle 41 can be connected to a space provided with a plurality of heaters 32a, as shown in FIG. The nozzle 41 can be attached to, for example, the side heat equalizing plate 34c, the frame 31, or the like. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle 41 can be provided on one side of the processing section 30 in the X direction. Alternatively, nozzles 41 can be provided on both sides of the processing section 30 . Note that the number and arrangement of the nozzles 41 can be changed as appropriate. For example, a plurality of nozzles 41 can be arranged side by side.
When directly cooling the workpiece 100, the nozzles 41 can be provided in the processing regions 30a, 30b.

A gas source 42 supplies cooling gas to the nozzle 41 . The gas source 42 can be, for example, a high pressure gas cylinder, factory piping, or the like. Also, a plurality of gas sources 42 can be provided.

The cooling gas is preferably a gas that hardly reacts with the heated workpiece 100 . The cooling gas can be, for example, nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ), rare gas, or the like. The rare gas is, for example, argon gas or helium gas. If the cooling gas is nitrogen gas, the running cost can be reduced. When carbon dioxide is heated, it decomposes into carbon monoxide and oxygen. However, if the temperature of the workpiece 100 is 100° C. or less, decomposition of carbon dioxide gas is suppressed. Therefore, if the temperature of the workpiece 100 is 100° C. or lower, carbon dioxide gas can be used as the cooling gas. Since helium gas has a high thermal conductivity, the cooling time can be shortened by using helium gas as the cooling gas.
The temperature of the cooling gas can be, for example, room temperature (eg, 25° C.) or lower.

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

Moreover, the supply timing of the cooling gas can be set after the heat treatment for the workpiece 100 is completed. Note that the completion of the heat treatment can be after the temperature at which the organic film is formed is maintained for a predetermined period of time.
For example, the supply timing of the cooling gas can be immediately after the organic film is formed. Alternatively, the cooling gas can be supplied while the internal pressure of the chamber 10 is returning to the atmospheric pressure. Furthermore, the cooling gas can be supplied after the internal pressure of the chamber 10 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. In this case, the cooling gas may be used as a vent gas for returning the internal pressure of the chamber 10 to atmospheric pressure.

Immediately after the organic film is formed, the internal pressure of the chamber 10 is lower than the atmospheric pressure. In other words, there is little gas inside the chamber 10 . Therefore, when the cooling gas is supplied little by little inside the processing regions 30 a and 30 b , the pressure inside the processing regions 30 a and 30 b becomes higher than the pressure inside the chamber 10 . The cooling gas G is gradually supplied to the inside of the processing regions 30a and 30b until the pressure inside the chamber 10 reaches the same level as the atmospheric pressure. By doing so, it is possible to suppress scattering of the solidified vaporized substance present in the chamber 10 and the re-vaporized substance to be described later into the processing areas 30a and 30b. . Then, when the pressure in the chamber 10 becomes approximately the same as the atmospheric pressure, the supply amount of the cooling gas G is increased. By doing so, the workpiece 100 can be removed while suppressing the scattering of solidified vaporized substances present in the chamber 10 and re-vaporized substances inside the processing areas 30a and 30b. It can cool rapidly and evenly.

Further, if the supply timing of the cooling gas is set immediately after the organic film is formed or while the internal pressure of the chamber 10 is being returned to the atmospheric pressure, the cooling time and the time to return to the atmospheric pressure can be overlapped. That is, it is possible to substantially shorten the cooling time.

Further, if the supply timing of the cooling gas is in the middle of returning the internal pressure of the chamber 10 to the atmospheric pressure or after returning the internal pressure of the chamber 10 to the atmospheric pressure, there is gas inside the chamber 10 . Therefore, heat dissipation by convection can be utilized.

The adhesion-preventing part 50 cools the vaporized substance, solidifies the vaporized substance, and adheres the solidified vaporized substance to the adhesion-preventing part 50 itself. By doing so, it plays a role of preventing solidification of the vaporized substance from adhering to the inside of the chamber 10 . In addition, the adhesion-preventing portion 50 also has a function of re-evaporating the solidified vaporized substance adhering to the adhesion-preventing portion 50 within the chamber 10 . For example, it has a plurality of anti-adhesion plates 51, a plurality of spacers 52, and a plurality of heaters 53 (corresponding to an example of the second heating section).
The multiple anti-adhesion plates 51 are plate-shaped. The anti-adhesion plate 51 cools the vaporized substance to solidify, and the solidified vaporized substance adheres to the anti-adhesion plate 51 itself. By attaching the solidified vaporized substance to the adhesion prevention plate 51 , it has a role of preventing the solidified vaporized substance from adhering to the inside of the chamber 10 . Therefore, the plurality of anti-adhesion plates 51 are provided between the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the processing section 30 (cover 36). For example, the anti-adhesion plate 51 can be detachably attached to both inner walls of the chamber 10 in the X direction. In addition, the anti-adhesion plate 51 can be detachably attached to both inner walls of the chamber 10 in the Y direction. Also, the anti-adhesion plates 51 can be detachably attached to the inner walls on both sides of the chamber 10 in the Z direction. The planar shape of the multiple anti-adhesion plates 51 can be the same as the shape of the inner wall of the chamber 10 to which the anti-adhesion plates 51 are attached. The planar shape of the multiple attachment-preventing plates 51 can be, for example, a quadrangle. The anti-adhesion plate 51 also has the function of transferring heat to the solidified substance from the vaporized substance to vaporize it again. Therefore, it is preferable to form the plurality of anti-adhesion plates 51 from a material having high heat resistance, corrosion resistance, and thermal conductivity, for example. The multiple anti-adhesion plates 51 can be made of, for example, stainless steel.
In addition, the vaporized substance that has turned into a solid is re-vaporized by the adhesion-preventing portion 50 is referred to as a “re-vaporized substance”.

The plurality of spacers 52 serve to suppress heat transfer between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the chamber 10 . Therefore, the plurality of spacers 52 are provided between the plurality of anti-adhesion plates 51 and the inner wall of the chamber 10 . The plurality of spacers 52 are, for example, columnar or plate-like. The anti-adhesion plate 51 and the chamber 10 are separated by the height (thickness) of the spacer 52 . Therefore, a space is formed between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the inner wall of the chamber 10 . When heating the workpiece 100, the pressure inside the chamber 10 is reduced. Therefore, the space formed between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the inner wall of the chamber 10 becomes a decompressed space. Therefore, the transfer of heat between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the chamber 10 is suppressed by the vacuum insulation effect. As will be described later, in the cooling process, the deposition-preventing plate 51 re-evaporates the solidified vaporized substance. At this time, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is heated by the heater 53 . Therefore, it is preferable that the transfer of heat between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the chamber 10 is suppressed by the vacuum insulation effect. The plurality of spacers 52 have axially penetrating holes. The plurality of spacers 52 can be, for example, cylindrical or annular. For example, the anti-adhesion part 50 can be screwed to the inner wall of the chamber 10 via the spacer 52 .

The plurality of spacers 52 are preferably made of, for example, a material with high heat resistance and corrosion resistance and low thermal conductivity. The plurality of spacers 52 can be made of an inorganic material such as ceramics, for example. The screws for screwing the adhesion-inhibiting portion 50 to the inner wall of the chamber 10 via the spacers 52 are also preferably made of a material having high heat resistance and corrosion resistance and low thermal conductivity.

The heater 53 heats the anti-adhesion plate 51 . The heater 53 can be, for example, similar to the heater 32a described above. At least one heater 53 can be provided for one deposition prevention plate 51 . The heater 53 can be provided, for example, between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the inner wall of the chamber 10 . The heater 53 can be attached to, for example, a bracket (not shown) provided on at least one of the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the inner wall of the chamber 10 . The heater 53 may be in contact with the anti-adhesion plate 51 or may be separated from the anti-adhesion plate 51 . Moreover, in the case of the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the heater 53 can be provided separated from the inner wall of the chamber 10 . By doing so, it is possible to prevent the temperature of the wall surface of the chamber 10 from rising when the deposition preventing plate 51 is heated by the heater 53 . Also, a thermometer (not shown) can be provided on the adhesion-preventing plate 51 .

As described above, when the vaporized substance comes into contact with an object having a temperature lower than the temperature of the heated work 100, the vaporized substance cools and solidifies and adheres to the object. The temperature of the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the temperature of the anti-adhesion plate 51 are lower than the temperature of the heated workpiece 100 . Therefore, the vaporized substance easily adheres to the inner wall of the chamber 10 and the anti-adhesion plate 51 . However, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is provided between the processing section 30 where vaporized substances are generated and the inner wall of the chamber 10 . Therefore, even if the vaporized substance becomes a solid, most of it adheres to the anti-adhesion plate 51, and the amount of the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 can be reduced.

The re-vaporized substance discharge part 60 serves to facilitate the discharge of the re-vaporized substance to the outside of the chamber 10 . In addition, the re-vaporized substance discharge section 60 also has a function of preventing the re-vaporized substance from flowing into the processing section 30 . The re-vaporized substance discharge unit 60 supplies the gas G to the space between the processing unit 30 and the anti-adhesion plate 51 to form an airflow toward the exhaust ports 12 and 13 . The re-vaporized substance discharge section 60 has, for example, a plurality of nozzles 61 , a gas source 62 and a gas control section 63 .
A plurality of nozzles 61 supply gas G between the deposition-preventing plate 51 and the processing section 30 (the region where the work 100 is supported). The plurality of nozzles 61 can be provided on the side of the wall of the chamber 10 that faces the wall on which the outlets 12 and 13 are provided. A plurality of nozzles 61 may be provided on the bottom side of the chamber 10 if provided in the ceiling. For example, if exhaust ports 12 and 13 are provided at the bottom of chamber 10 , multiple nozzles 61 can be provided at the ceiling side of chamber 10 .

A plurality of nozzles 61 can be arranged side by side along the periphery of the processing section 30 when viewed from the Z direction. The number and intervals of the plurality of nozzles 61 can be appropriately changed according to the size of the processing section 30 and the like. The number and spacing of the plurality of nozzles 61 can be obtained by conducting experiments or simulations in advance, for example.

A gas source 62 supplies gas G to the nozzle 61 . Gas source 62 can be, for example, a high pressure gas cylinder, factory piping, or the like. Also, a plurality of gas sources 62 can be provided.

The gas G is preferably a gas that hardly reacts with the heated workpiece 100 . Gas G can be, for example, nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide gas (CO ₂ ), rare gas, or the like. The rare gas is, for example, argon gas or helium gas. As described above, if the temperature of the workpiece 100 is 100° C. or less, the decomposition of carbon dioxide is suppressed. Therefore, carbon dioxide gas can be used as the gas G if the temperature of the workpiece 100 is 100° C. or lower.
In this case, the gas G can be the same as the cooling gas described above, or it can be different. If the gas G is the same as the cooling gas, either the gas source 62 or the gas source 42 can be provided.

The temperature of the gas G can be, for example, room temperature (eg, 25° C.) or higher. Note that if the temperature of the gas G becomes too low with respect to the temperature of the re-vaporized substance, the re-vaporized substance may be cooled and solidified in the cooling step described later. Therefore, a heater or the like for controlling the temperature of the gas G may be further provided.

A gas control unit 63 is provided between the plurality of nozzles 61 and the gas source 62 . The gas control unit 63 can, for example, control at least one of the supply and stop of the gas G and the flow velocity and flow rate of the gas G.

The controller 70 includes, for example, an arithmetic unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage unit such as a memory. The controller 70 can be, for example, a computer or the like. The controller 70 controls the operation of each element provided in the heat treatment apparatus 1 based on the control program stored in the storage unit.

For example, the controller 70 controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 32a based on the values detected by thermometers (not shown) provided in the processing areas 30a and 30b. The controller 70 also controls the amount of electric power supplied to the heater 53 based on the detected value of a thermometer (not shown) provided on the anti-adhesion plate 51 .

For example, the controller 70 controls the amount of cooling gas supplied into the chamber 10, the gas G to control the amount of supply of

Next, the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be illustrated.
FIG. 2 is a graph for illustrating the process of processing the workpiece 100. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the organic film forming process includes a temperature raising process, a heat treatment process, and a cooling process.
First, an opening/closing door (not shown) is separated from one end of the chamber 10 and the workpiece 100 is carried into the inner space of the chamber 10 . When the workpiece 100 is carried into the internal space of the chamber 10, the internal space of the chamber 10 is decompressed to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust section 20. As shown in FIG.

When the internal space of the chamber 10 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure, power is applied to the heater 32a. Then, as shown in FIG. 2, the temperature of the workpiece 100 rises. A process in which the temperature of the workpiece 100 rises is called a temperature raising process. In this embodiment, the temperature raising process is performed twice (temperature raising processes (1) and (2)). The predetermined pressure may be any pressure at which the polyamic acid in the solution does not react with the oxygen remaining in the internal space of the chamber 10 . That is, the predetermined pressure may be any pressure that does not oxidize the polyamic acid in the solution. The predetermined pressure may be, for example, 1×10 ⁻² Pa to 100 Pa. In other words, it is not always necessary to exhaust air through the second exhaust section 22 . The heating unit 32 may start heating the workpiece 100 when the first exhaust unit 21 starts exhausting and the pressure in the internal space of the chamber 10 reaches a pressure within the range of 10 Pa to 100 Pa.

The storage unit of the controller 70 preliminarily stores a predetermined temperature in the heat treatment step after the temperature raising step and the time of the temperature raising step. Further, the calculation unit controls the temperature to reach a predetermined temperature within the time of the temperature raising process. Specifically, the controller 70 controls the amount of electric power supplied to the heater 32a based on the detected value of a thermometer (not shown) in the temperature raising step (1) and the temperature raising step (2).

After the temperature raising process, a heat treatment process is performed. The heat treatment step is a step of maintaining a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time. In this embodiment, a heat treatment step (1) and a heat treatment step (2) can be provided.

The heat treatment step (1) can be, for example, a step of heating the workpiece 100 at a first temperature for a predetermined period of time and discharging moisture, gas, and the like contained in the solution. The first temperature may be, for example, 100.degree. C. to 200.degree. The predetermined time may be, for example, 15 min to 60 min. In this embodiment, the heat treatment step (1) was maintained at 200° C. for 15 minutes.

The controller 70 monitors the temperature of the workpiece 100 using a thermometer (not shown) and controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 32a so that the workpiece 100 reaches the above temperature. By performing the heat treatment step (1), it is possible to prevent moisture and gas contained in the solution from being contained in the finished organic film.

The gas vaporized from the workpiece 100 in the heat treatment step ( 1 ) contains substances that solidify upon cooling and adhere to the interior of the chamber 10 . The vaporized substance floats in the chamber 10 toward the exhaust port 12 or the exhaust port 13 after being vaporized from the workpiece 100 . The vaporized substance collides with the anti-adhesion plate 51 while drifting in the chamber 10 .

The anti-adhesion plate 51 is not heated by the heater 53 during the time T1 from the start of the temperature raising step (1) to the completion of the heat treatment step (2). Heating by the heater 32a is performed from the start of the temperature raising step (1) to the completion of the heat treatment step (2). However, the interior of chamber 10 is a vacuum space. Therefore, there is little heat transfer by convection. Heat transfer by radiation is also blocked by the heat equalizing plates 34a to 34c and the cover 36. FIG. Therefore, the heat of the heater 32a is hardly transferred to the adhesion-preventing plate 51 .

Therefore, the temperature of the attachment-preventing plate 51 is the same as the third temperature described later during the time T1 from the start of the temperature raising step (1) to the completion of the heat treatment step (2). The temperature of the anti-adhesion plate 51 is, for example, 50.degree. C. to 120.degree. The temperature of the anti-adhesion plate 51 is lower than the temperature of the vaporized substance. Therefore, when the vaporized substance collides with the anti-adhesion plate 51, the vaporized substance is cooled. As a result, the vaporized substance solidifies and adheres to the anti-adhesion plate 51 .

Note that, depending on the components of the solution and the like, it is possible to set a plurality of first temperatures and perform the heat treatment step (1) a plurality of times. Alternatively, the heat treatment step (1) can be omitted. When the heat treatment step (1) is omitted, the heating step (1) proceeds to the heat treatment step (2). At this time, substances vaporized during the temperature raising step (1) are generated. However, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is not heated. Therefore, the vaporized substance solidifies and adheres to the anti-adhesion plate 51 .

The heat treatment step (2) is a step of maintaining the substrate (workpiece 100) coated with the solution at a predetermined pressure and temperature for a predetermined time to form an organic film. The second temperature may be the temperature at which imidization occurs. The second temperature may be, for example, 300° C. or higher. The predetermined time may be, for example, 15 min to 60 min. In this embodiment, in order to obtain an organic film with a high packing degree of molecular chains, the heat treatment step (2) was maintained at 500° C. for 15 minutes.

The controller 70 monitors the temperature of the workpiece 100 using a thermometer (not shown) and controls the amount of power supplied to the heater 32a so that the workpiece 100 reaches the above temperature.

The cooling step is a step of lowering the temperature of the workpiece 100 on which the organic film is formed. In this embodiment, it is performed after the heat treatment step (2). The workpiece 100 is cooled to a temperature at which it can be carried out. For example, if the temperature of the work 100 to be carried out is normal temperature, the work 100 can be carried out easily. However, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, the work 100 is continuously heat treated. Therefore, if the temperature of the work 100 is set to room temperature every time the work 100 is unloaded, the time for raising the temperature of the next work 100 will be long. That is, there is a possibility that productivity may decrease. The temperature of the unloaded workpiece 100 may be, for example, 50.degree. C. to 120.degree. Let this carry-out temperature be the third temperature.

The controller 70 closes the pressure control section 22b of the second exhaust section 22 . Then, the cooling unit 40 is controlled to supply the cooling gas to the region where the heating unit 32 is provided. By doing so, the temperature of the workpiece 100 is lowered indirectly and directly. The controller 70 controls the heater 53 of the adhesion-preventing section 50 and the re-vaporized substance discharging section 60 at the same time as controlling the cooling section 40 .

The controller 70 heats the anti-adhesion plate 51 by supplying power to the heater 53 . Based on the detected value of a thermometer (not shown) provided on the anti-adhesion plate 51, the controller 70 prevents the vaporized substance adhering to the anti-adhesion plate 51 until it reaches a temperature at which it becomes a solid again. The plate 51 is heated. Then, the temperature is maintained during time T2. In this embodiment, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is heated until the temperature of the anti-adhesion plate 51 reaches 200.degree. The heating time (time T2) of the anti-adhesion plate 51 is 15 to 30 minutes. In this embodiment, the heating time (time T2) of the anti-adhesion plate 51 was set to 20 minutes. By doing so, the vaporized substance adhering to the anti-adhesion plate 51 turns into a solid and desorbs from the anti-adhesion plate 51 as a gas.

Note that the temperature at which the vaporized substance turns into a solid changes depending on the type of the vaporized substance turned into a solid (for example, the type of organic material contained in the solution). Therefore, it is preferable to obtain the temperature for heating the attachment-preventing plate 51 by performing experiments or simulations in advance, for example.

In addition, the controller 70 supplies the gas G into the chamber 10 by controlling the re-vaporized substance discharging section 60 at the same time as controlling the cooling section 40 . The controller 70 compares detected values of a vacuum gauge (not shown) inside the chamber 10 and a vacuum gauge (not shown) inside the processing section 30 . Based on the result of the comparison, the controller 70 controls the supply amount of the gas G so that the pressure in the processing section 30 maintains a value higher than the pressure in the other areas in the chamber 10 . The gas G forms an airflow toward the exhaust ports 12 and 13 in the space between the processing section 30 and the anti-adhesion plate 51 . The gas G is preferably heated to about 100° C. by a heater or the like that controls the temperature of the gas G. By supplying the heated gas G into the chamber 10, it is possible to prevent the heating of the deposition-preventing plate 51 from being hindered.

The substance re-vaporized from the anti-adhesion plate 51 is discharged from the exhaust port 12 together with the airflow generated by the gas G.

After completing the heating of the deposition-preventing plate 51 , the controller 70 stops the supply of power to the heater 53 and the supply of the gas G into the chamber 10 . Then, the controller 70 closes the first pressure control section 21b and increases the supply amount of the cooling gas.

The controller 70 maintains the cooling gas supply until the values detected by thermometers (not shown) provided in the processing areas 30a and 30b reach the third temperature. The controller 70 opens the valve 25 of the third exhaust section 23 to constantly exhaust the cooling gas when the value detected by the vacuum gauge (not shown) that detects the pressure inside the chamber 10 becomes the same as the atmospheric pressure.
When the values detected by the thermometers (not shown) provided in the processing areas 30a and 30b reach the third temperature, the opening/closing door (not shown) is separated from one end of the chamber 10. FIG. Then, the heat-treated workpiece 100 is carried out from one end of the chamber 10 . After the work 100 is carried out, the next work 100 is carried into the chamber 10 . Then, the process of forming the organic film is repeated.
It should be noted that the temperature inside the chamber 10 is maintained at the third temperature when the work 100 is unloaded and loaded. The third temperature is lower than the temperature at which solidified vaporized substances do not adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 10 . Therefore, compared to the case where the temperature inside the chamber 10 is set to a temperature at which the vaporized substance does not adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 10, the amount of electric power required to produce the workpiece 100 can be reduced.

Here, when the work 100 is heated, the solution containing the organic material and the solvent is vaporized from the work 100 . The vaporized substance may solidify and adhere to the inner wall of the chamber 10 whose temperature is lower than that of the heated workpiece 100 . If the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 peels off from the inner wall of the chamber, it may become particles and adhere to the surface of the workpiece.

Therefore, maintenance to remove the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber is required periodically or as needed. Heat treatment of workpieces cannot be performed during maintenance. Therefore, if the maintenance time is long or the frequency of maintenance is increased, the productivity will be greatly reduced.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment includes a detachable anti-adhesion plate and a heater 53 capable of heating the anti-adhesion plate 51 on the inner wall of the chamber. Until (2), the anti-adhesion plate 51 is not heated, and the anti-adhesion plate 51 is heated in the cooling process.

By doing so, the vaporized substance generated between the temperature raising step (1) and the heat treatment step (2) becomes solid and adheres to the adhesion preventing plate 51 . As a result, it is possible to prevent solidification of the vaporized substance from adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 .

Further, in the cooling step, by heating the anti-adhesion plate 51 , the solid vaporized substance attached to the anti-adhesion plate 51 can be vaporized again from the anti-adhesion plate 51 . Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of times of maintenance due to the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 .

In addition, as described above, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is detachably attached to the inner wall of the chamber 10 . Therefore, even if the vaporized substance solidifies and remains on the surface of the deposition-preventing plate 51 , the deposition-preventing plate 51 to which the solidified vaporized substance adheres can be easily removed from the inner wall of the chamber 10 . can be done. Then, a new anti-adhesion plate 51 or an anti-adhesion plate 51 from which solid vaporized substances have been removed is attached to the inner wall of the chamber 10 . By doing so, the heat treatment of the workpiece 100 can be restarted.
In other words, if the anti-adhesion plate 51 is detachably provided on the inner wall of the chamber 10, the time and frequency of maintenance due to the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 can be reduced.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, when the processing time T1 from the temperature raising step (1) to the heat treatment step (2) is compared with the time T2 for heating the attachment-preventing plate 51, the anti-adhesion plate 51 is heated Time T2 is shorter. Therefore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is more necessary for the production of workpieces than the heat treatment apparatus that heats the chamber and suppresses the vaporized substance from solidifying and adhering to the inner wall of the chamber. can be reduced.

In addition, in the cooling step, the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment supplies cooling gas to the region in which the heating unit 32 is provided while heating the adhesion-preventing plate 51, and the first exhaust unit 21 The pressure inside the chamber 10 is reduced. By doing so, a small amount of cooling gas is supplied around the workpiece 100 . Therefore, the pressure in the processing regions 30 a and 30 b becomes higher than the pressure in other regions in the chamber 10 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent the re-vaporized substance from flowing into the processing section 30 from the adhesion-preventing plate 51 .

Further, the heat treatment apparatus 1 of this embodiment includes a re-vaporized substance discharge section 60 . If the re-vaporized substance discharge part 60 is provided, it is possible to form an air flow toward the exhaust ports 12 and 13 in the space between the processing part 30 and the attachment prevention plate 51 . Therefore, the re-vaporized substance in the space between the processing section 30 and the deposition prevention plate 51 can be led to the exhaust ports 12 and 13 by the airflow formed by the re-vaporized substance discharge section 60 . That is, the heater 53 promotes the discharge of the substance re-vaporized from the deposition-preventing plate 51 to the outside of the chamber 10 by the flow of the gas G directed from the nozzle 61 toward the exhaust ports 12 and 13 . Therefore, it is possible to suppress the re-vaporized substance from flowing into the processing section 30 from the adhesion-preventing plate 51 . That is, an air curtain is formed between the anti-adhesion plate 51 and the processing section 30 (the area where the work 100 is supported) by the airflow generated by the re-vaporized substance discharge section 60 .

The embodiments have been illustrated above. However, the invention is not limited to these descriptions.
Appropriate design changes made by those skilled in the art with respect to the above embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as they have the features of the present invention.
For example, the shape, dimensions, arrangement, etc. of the heat treatment apparatus 1 are not limited to those illustrated and can be changed as appropriate.
Moreover, each element provided in each of the above-described embodiments can be combined as much as possible, and a combination thereof is also included in the scope of the present invention as long as it includes the features of the present invention.

For example, during the temperature raising step (1) to the heat treatment step (2), the temperature of the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the inner wall (ceiling surface and bottom surface) of the chamber 10 in the Z direction is reduced by a substance that evaporates from the workpiece 100. The temperature may be higher than the vaporization temperature. In this way, the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the Z-direction inner wall of the chamber 10 does not absorb heat from the vaporized substance. Therefore, the vaporized substance between the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the inner wall of the chamber 10 in the Z direction and the processing section 30 is less likely to solidify. Therefore, the vaporized substance can flow out to the side surface of the chamber 10 in a gaseous state. In other words, more of the solid vaporized substance adheres to the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the side surface of the chamber 10 .

As described above, in the cooling process, the re-vaporized substance outlet 60 forms an airflow on the side of the chamber 10 . Therefore, the re-vaporized substance can be discharged to the outside of the chamber 10 along with the air current from the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the side surface of the chamber 10 .
Therefore, the re-vaporized substance is further prevented from flowing into the processing section 30, and the discharge of the re-vaporized substance to the outside of the chamber 10 is promoted. In addition, the amount of solidified vaporized substances adhering to the anti-adhesion plate 51 provided on the inner wall of the chamber 10 in the Z direction can be greatly reduced. Therefore, the number of exchanges of the anti-adhesion plate 51 described above can be greatly reduced. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the maintenance work due to the solid adhering to the inner wall of the chamber 10 .

For example, the anti-adhesion plate 51 may be provided with a cooling portion for cooling the anti-adhesion plate 51 . By doing so, even in the heat treatment step (2), the anti-adhesion plate 51 is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the temperature at which the solution containing the organic material and the solvent vaporizes from the workpiece 100 by the thermal energy of the radiation from the processing section 30. Even so, the deposition-preventing plate 51 can be cooled until the temperature of the deposition-preventing plate 51 becomes equal to or lower than the temperature at which the solution containing the organic material and the solvent evaporates. Therefore, in the heat treatment step (2), it is possible to make it easier for the vaporized substance to solidify to adhere to the adhesion-preventing plate 51 .

For example, a plurality of gas sources 62 and gas controllers 63 may be provided for each nozzle 61 . By doing in this way, the kind and temperature of gas G can be changed suitably.
For example, in the present embodiment, the controller 70 stopped supplying the gas G into the chamber 10 after the heating of the anti-adhesion plate 51 was completed. However, by providing a plurality of gas sources 62 and gas controllers 63 as described above, the room temperature gas G can be supplied into the chamber 10 . By doing so, it is possible to cool the inside of the chamber 10 in cooperation with the cooling gas. Therefore, the cooling process time can be shortened.

1 Heat Treatment Apparatus 10 Chamber 12 Exhaust Port 13 Exhaust Port 20 Exhaust Part 30 Treatment Part 30a Treatment Region 30b Treatment Region 32 Heating Part 32a Heater 40 Cooling Part 50 Adhesion Prevention Part 51 Prevention Plate attachment, 53 heater, 60 re-vaporized substance discharge part, 61 nozzle, 62 gas source, 63 gas control part, 70 controller, 100 work

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a heat treatment apparatus and a heat treatment method .

Claims (6)

a chamber capable of maintaining an atmosphere pressure-reduced below atmospheric pressure;
an exhaust unit capable of exhausting the interior of the chamber through an exhaust port provided in the chamber;
a support provided inside the chamber and capable of supporting a workpiece;
a first heating unit provided inside the chamber and capable of heating the workpiece;
an anti-adhesion plate detachably provided on the inner wall of the chamber;
a second heating unit capable of heating the anti-adhesion plate;
A heat treatment device with further comprising a cooling unit capable of supplying a cooling gas to the region where the first heating unit is provided;
2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second heating unit heats the anti-adhesion plate when the cooling unit supplies the cooling gas. 3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the heating of the attachment-preventing plate by the second heating unit is stopped while the workpiece is being heated by the first heating unit. further comprising a nozzle for supplying gas between the anti-adhesion plate and the area where the workpiece is supported;
The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the nozzle is provided on the side of the bottom surface of the chamber that faces the ceiling surface on which the exhaust port is provided. 5. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein an air curtain is formed between the anti-adhesion plate and the area where the workpiece is supported by the gas flow from the nozzle toward the exhaust port. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the work includes a substrate and a solution provided on the upper surface of the substrate and containing an organic material and a solvent.

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