JP4571350B2 - Interlock mechanism, interlock method, and heat treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an interlock mechanism, a method thereof, and a heat treatment apparatus adopting the interlock mechanism, and in particular, one apparatus is provided with a plurality of control circuits performing the same operation, and the apparatus can be used safely even when the control circuit itself fails. The present invention relates to an interlock mechanism capable of performing the same, a method thereof, and a heat treatment apparatus employing the same.
[0002]
[Prior art]
For example, in a heat treatment apparatus that performs heat treatment such as film deposition on an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer using a process gas, the process gas valve, the opening / closing of the apparatus door, etc. must be opened for safe and accurate processing. An interlock mechanism for monitoring is provided.
[0003]
Conventionally, as this type of interlock mechanism, a hard-wired interlock board or an interlock board using firmware has been provided.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the former is highly reliable in terms of safety, but has a problem that it takes a lot of design time to cope with changes in specifications. The latter has the problem of not being able to cope with malfunctions, although it can flexibly cope with specification changes.
[0005]
In addition, due to the configuration of the equipment, alarms that require interlocking conditions and valves that must be interlocked are scattered in each area, so wiring is complicated and increased in a centralized interlocking configuration. Or part of the change affects the entire interlock, and it is difficult to identify the cause of malfunction or the like.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional interlock mechanism, the method thereof, and the heat treatment apparatus adopting the same, and the object of the present invention is to flexibly cope with the specification change, and at the time of failure. The object is to provide a new and improved interlock mechanism with high safety, a method thereof, and a heat treatment apparatus employing the interlock mechanism.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problem, according to the present invention, there is provided an interlock mechanism including an interlock target and a control device that controls the operation of the interlock target. An interlock mechanism and an interlock using the interlock mechanism, characterized by performing an interlock operation on an interlock target when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of control sections do not match. A method is provided.
[0008]
The control device includes a drive control unit that drives an interlock target and an interlock control unit that controls the interlock operation of the drive control unit. The interlock control unit includes a plurality of child control units that perform the same operation. In addition, when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match, an interlock operation can be performed on the interlock target.
[0009]
Further, the drive control unit is provided with a plurality of child control units that perform the same operation, and configured to perform an interlock operation on the interlock target when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match. Can do.
[0010]
According to such a configuration, even an interlock control device using firmware can ensure safety by comparing the inputs and outputs of multiple control units that perform the same operation. Therefore, it is possible to flexibly respond to specification changes, and to provide an interlock mechanism and method that is highly safe in the event of a failure or malfunction.
[0011]
The interlock target can be a valve. According to such a configuration, it can be used for an interlock of a gas supply system of a film forming apparatus that performs a predetermined process using a processing gas after evacuating the inside of the container to a desired degree of vacuum. The interlock operation can be configured to cut off the power supply to the interlock target.
[0012]
Furthermore, a heat treatment apparatus such as a film forming apparatus employing the interlock mechanism and method can be provided. According to such a configuration, even if the interlock control mechanism itself that controls the interlock operation fails or malfunctions, it is possible to perform heat treatment with high safety that can ensure safety.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Exemplary embodiments of an interlock mechanism and an interlock method according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
[0014]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of a low pressure CVD apparatus which is an example of a heat treatment apparatus (film formation processing apparatus) to which an interlock mechanism and an interlock method according to the present invention are applied. A low-pressure CVD apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a reaction tube 4 made of substantially headed cylindrical quartz or the like that is vertically supported on a base 1 fixed in a horizontal direction, and a plurality of objects to be processed such as semiconductor wafers ( The main part is composed of a wafer boat 6 made of quartz or the like capable of holding a large number of wafers W in a horizontal state in a horizontal state and an elevating mechanism 7 for elevating and lowering the wafer boat 6.
[0015]
A gas introduction tube 12 is provided at the bottom of the reaction tube 4. A gas supply system 13 is connected to the gas introduction pipe 12 via a valve 14. These gas supply systems 13 are mainly composed of various gas sources, valves, and a flow rate controller (MFC) for supplying processing gas and cleaning gas into the reaction tube 4.
[0016]
In the illustrated example, pentaethoxy tantalum (Ta (OC ₂ H ₅ ) ₅ ) Gas supply unit 15 and oxygen (O ₂ ) Gas supply unit 16 is installed, and chlorine trifluoride (ClF) is used as an etching gas for cleaning. ₃ ) A gas supply unit 17 is installed, and nitrogen (N) is used as a dilution gas source or a purge gas source. ₂ ) A gas supply unit 18 is installed.
[0017]
Pentaethoxytantalum (Ta (OC ₂ H ₅ ) ₅ ) The gas supply unit 15 supplies the oxygen (O) via the valves 15a and 15b and the flow rate controller 15c. ₂ ) The gas supply unit 16 is supplied with chlorine trifluoride (ClF) via valves 16a and 16b and a flow rate controller 16c. ₃ ) The gas supply unit 17 is further supplied with nitrogen (N) via valves 17a and 17b and a flow rate controller 16c. ₂ The gas supply unit 18 communicates with the gas introduction pipe 12 via valves 18a and 18b and a flow rate controller 18c.
[0018]
During the film forming process and the dry cleaning process, it is possible to introduce a predetermined gas into the reaction tube 4 at a predetermined flow rate by adjusting each valve and a flow rate controller (MFC).
[0019]
Further, the gas introduced into the reaction tube 4 through the gas introduction tube 12 is discharged to a vacuum pump 20 such as a dry pump through an exhaust tube 19 provided at the lower end of the reaction tube 4.
[0020]
A sensor 21 such as an infrared counter is installed between the exhaust pipe 19 and the vacuum pump 20 for measuring the amount of reaction product discharged from the reaction pipe 4. The sensor 21 is used for ClF such as tantalum fluoride or tantalum chloride during dry cleaning. ₃ This is for monitoring the amount of the reaction product generated by etching of the tantalum oxide film.
[0021]
ClF discharged from the vacuum pump 20 ₃ The gas containing gas is exhausted after removing harmful and dangerous gas components by the exclusion device 23. The excluding device 23 accommodates a cylinder 24 containing a medicine for adsorbing or decomposing harmful and dangerous gases.
[0022]
The wafer boat 6 includes a lid body 26 via a heat retaining cylinder 25 under a holding section that holds the semiconductor wafers W in a multi-stage shape, and the lid body 26 is moved up by the elevating mechanism 7. The opening at the bottom of the reaction tube 4 can be hermetically sealed.
[0023]
Next, as an example of processing using the vertical processing furnace configured as described above, a film forming process of a tantalum oxide film will be described.
[0024]
At the time of forming the tantalum oxide film, a large number of objects to be processed, for example, a wafer boat 6 containing an 8-inch diameter semiconductor wafer W are loaded into the reaction tube 4, and the reaction tube 4 is sealed with a lid 26. .
[0025]
Next, after reducing the pressure in the reaction tube 4 to about 0.5 Torr, for example, a signal for opening the valves 15a, 15b, 16a, and 16b is transmitted from the control device 22 that controls the film forming apparatus, and the gas supply system 13 N ₂ Diluted with pentaethoxytantalum (Ta (OC ₂ H ₅ ) ₅ ) Gas and O ₂ A tantalum oxide film is formed on the semiconductor wafer W while supplying a predetermined amount of gas from the gas introduction pipe.
[0026]
The interlock mechanism according to the present embodiment works, for example, on the valves 15a, 15b, 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b, 18a, and 18b. , An alarm signal can be generated and the valve can be set to close.
[0027]
For example, when the door of the gas box remains open, or when an abnormality occurs in the pressure of the fluid system that drives the valve that is controlled by the fluid, a gas leak occurs in the gas supply system. In such a case, it can be set to occur in various cases depending on the type of processing and the required safety, such as when an exhaust abnormality occurs.
[0028]
When an alarm signal is generated, an interlock control unit 100 described later issues a command to the drive control unit 200 so as to perform a preset corresponding operation such as valve closing. In response to the command, the drive control unit 200 issues a command to the valve or the like so as to perform a corresponding operation. However, the interlock control unit 100 and / or the drive control unit 200 itself may fail or malfunction. Even in such a case, the system can be safely stopped by the interlock mechanism and the interlock method according to the present embodiment. Such an interlock mechanism and an interlock method will be described in detail later.
[0029]
After the film forming process is completed, a process of discharging the processing gas in the reaction tube 4 is performed.
That is, while exhausting the processing gas in the reaction tube 4, an inert gas such as N ₂ Gas is introduced and N in the reaction tube 4 ₂ Replace with gas atmosphere. In this way, the processing gas in the reaction tube 4 is removed, and after a normal pressure is obtained in a harmless atmosphere, the wafer boat 6 is unloaded from the reaction tube 4 to complete a series of film forming processes, The film forming process for the next lot is performed.
[0030]
Next, the interlock mechanism and the interlock method according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the interlock mechanism according to the present embodiment, FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the interlock system according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 shows the interlock mechanism according to the present embodiment. It is a block diagram. As shown in FIG. 5, the interlock mechanism according to the present embodiment can be installed in a plurality of areas, for example, when there are areas where the interlock needs to be applied. Is possible.
[0031]
As shown in FIG. 2, the interlock system according to the present embodiment includes a valve 50 to be interlocked, a drive unit 60 that drives the valve, and a drive control unit (slave) that controls the operation of the drive unit 60. Board) 200 and an interlock control unit (master board) 100 that controls the interlock operation of the drive control unit 200.
[0032]
For example, an alarm signal generated when the door of the gas box is left open is input to the drive control unit 200 and further sent to the interlock control unit 100. The interlock control unit 100 sends a command related to the corresponding operation according to the alarm signal to the drive control unit 200, and the drive control unit 200 shuts off the power supply to the drive unit 60 according to the command, and the valve is in the initial state. Return to (close valve).
[0033]
At that time, details of the interlock device when a failure or malfunction occurs in the interlock control unit 100 and / or the drive control unit 200 will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0034]
As shown in FIG. 3, the interlock device according to the present embodiment includes a master board 100 that is an interlock control unit and a slave board 200 that is a drive control unit, and is connected by a connection board 300. Yes.
[0035]
The interlock control unit (master board) 100 is a control unit that controls an interlock operation of a valve to be interlocked. The drive control unit (slave board) 200 is a control unit that controls a driven unit such as a valve to be interlocked while being arranged and controlled below the interlock control unit. A plurality of slave boards 200 which are drive control units can be installed, and the configuration of the connection board 300 is changed depending on the number of installed slave boards.
[0036]
Thus, the master board 100 that is the main control unit of the interlock mechanism according to the present embodiment controls the slave board 200 that is the drive control unit. The slave board 200 drives and controls valves 15a, 16a, 17a, 18a and the like provided in the gas supply system, which is an interlock target.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 4, the master board 100 as an interlock control unit includes a first child interlock (IL) control unit 114, a second child interlock (IL) control unit 116, an EPROM 110, a crystal oscillator 112, and the like. have.
[0038]
The first and second child interlock (IL) control units 114 and 116 are duplicated firmware, which is a feature of the present invention, and are configured to perform the same operation with the same configuration. .
[0039]
Here, the firmware is a circuit configured to operate by using a semiconductor element and setting the contents of a memory in the circuit on software. As the firmware, for example, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), which is an integrated circuit that can be rewritten in the field in response to an interlock condition and a specification change of a device provided with the interlock condition, is used.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 5, the input signals 130 and 134 and the output signals 132 and 136 are signals transmitted to and received from interlock devices installed in other areas. According to the interlock system according to the present embodiment, signals transmitted / received to / from an interlock device installed in another area are compared. (Comparison error here) is output to the host controller, and the power supply to the unit / sensor controlled from the board is cut off for all signals regardless of the interlock contents. .
[0041]
The EPROM 110 is a memory that stores an alarm response operation table and the like. The alarm response operation table indicates an operation related to the response when an alarm signal is generated in the processing apparatus according to the present embodiment. For example, the alarm response operation table is created by spreadsheet software and stored in the EPROM 110. When an alarm signal is generated, the interlock control unit 100 operates to send a command according to the alarm corresponding operation table stored in the EPROM 110 to the drive control unit 200.
[0042]
For example, a three-stage check is performed before the EPROM 110 becomes usable. That is, since the first stage is a check when writing to the ROM writer, and the second and third stages are CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) after board mounting, safety is maintained even if the EPROM 110 is single. Be drunk.
[0043]
The crystal oscillator 112 supplies a clock signal having a frequency of 10 MHz, for example, in order to operate the first and second child interlock (IL) control units 114 and 116.
[0044]
A plurality of slave boards 200 as drive control units can be installed according to the number of interlock targets, for example, the number of valves, but in this embodiment, the board 210 is adapted to the number of types of usable gas. , 220, 230 and 240 are installed.
[0045]
Each of the boards 210, 220, 230 and 240 drives and controls a drive unit for driving each valve included in the gas supply system. For example, the board 210 is installed corresponding to each interlock target such as controlling a driving unit for driving the valve 15a.
[0046]
The boards 210, 220, 230, and 240, which are drive control units, have a first slave drive control unit 202 and a second slave drive control unit 204, respectively, which form a duplicated firmware, which is a feature of the present invention. Is provided. Similarly to the first and second child interlock (IL) control units 114 and 116 described above, for example, an FPGA is also used for the first and second child control units 202 and 204. The first and second slave drive controllers 202 and 204 perform the same operation with the same configuration. Signal transmission / reception is performed between the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204 and the first and second child interlock (IL) control units 114 and 116 through data buses 150 and 152.
[0047]
Input signals 212, 222, 232, and 242 are alarm signals related to the operation of the processing apparatus. For example, when the door of the gas box is left open, or when an abnormality occurs in the pressure of the fluid system that drives the valve that is controlled by the fluid, the alarm signal may be generated in the gas supply system or device. It can be set to occur in various cases depending on the type of processing and the required safety, such as when a leak occurs or when an exhaust abnormality occurs. Input signals 212, 222, 232, and 242 are sent to the interlock control unit 100 via the data bus 150.
[0048]
The output signals 214, 224, 234, and 244 are drive control signals for the interlock target sent from the interlock control unit 100 via the data bus 152. For example, the output signals 214, 224, 234, and 244 are valve opening / closing commands, warning lamp lighting commands, and the like. This signal is transmitted to the drive unit 60 shown in FIG.
[0049]
According to the interlock mechanism and method according to the present embodiment, the input signals to the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 or the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204 do not match. When such an error occurs, an interlock works. For example, when a valve configured to automatically close when power is not supplied is an interlock target, power supply to the valve is cut off.
[0050]
On the other hand, according to the interlock mechanism and method according to the present embodiment, from the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 or the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204, The output signal is sent to each of the counterpart control units that are configured to perform the same operation, and both control signals are compared in each control unit. If the output signals do not match, an interlock operation is performed. Is configured to be performed.
[0051]
At this time, a display LED can be prepared so as to know which board is in an error state. For example, input / output signal unconnected error LED, master board 100 error LED, slave board 210 error LED, slave board 220 error LED, slave board 230 error LED, slave board 240 error LED, and the like.
[0052]
These can be provided, for example, in a host controller that controls an apparatus provided with an interlock mechanism. This error ELD makes it easy to identify the fault location. If the error LED is lit, analyze the error content and replace the board that is outputting the error.
[0053]
For error content analysis, it is also possible to prepare an error status register on each board so that it can be read by a host controller that controls an apparatus equipped with an interlock mechanism.
[0054]
Examples of error contents include the following.
[0055]
First, an input signal 212, 222, 232, or 242 input to one of the slave boards 200 is input to the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116, which is a “DI data compare error”. In this case, the input data is different between the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204. Since this error depends on each slave board, it is displayed for each slave board.
[0056]
“DO data compare error” is a return signal for the output data output from the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 to the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204. This is the case. Since this error also depends on each slave board, it is displayed for each slave board.
[0057]
The “input / output compare error” is a case where the data output from the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 to, for example, firmware in another area does not return as it is.
[0058]
The “slave initial error” is a case where the permission signal (OUT ENABLE) of each slave board 210, 220, 230, 240 is not normally output when the power is turned on.
[0059]
The “input / output signal unconnected error” is a case where at least one of the input / output signals 130, 132, 134, and 136 of the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 is not connected. .
[0060]
Further, the signal input to the slave board 200 may have a time lag depending on its type. For example, this is the case of a valve status indicating the state of the valve that outputs a signal after the introduction of the processing gas is started.
[0061]
In such a case, the signal can be masked using a delay timer to prevent it from being mistaken for an alarm for a few seconds until the signal is input to the board.
[0062]
Next, the interlock operation according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. For example, it is assumed that an alarm signal indicating that the gas box is open is input to the input signal 212 of the slave board 210 (step S601).
[0063]
The alarm signals input to the first and second child drive control units 202 and 204 are input to the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 via the data buses 150 and 152 (steps). S602).
[0064]
The first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 determine whether or not the signals input to each other match, or mutually compare whether or not the signals output from each match. (Step S603). Then, it is determined whether or not the input / output signals match (step S604). If they do not match, an error alarm is output and a predetermined interlock operation is performed (step S605).
[0065]
Also, when an error alarm is output, the error occurrence LED is used to check the location where the error occurred, check the error status register (not shown) provided on the board where the error occurred, check the error content, and then output the error. The board may be replaced.
[0066]
If they match, the table indicating the alarm response operation downloaded from the EPROM 110 to the memory (RAM) in the first and second child interlock control units 114 and 116 is referred to, and according to the alarm condition. A command is issued to the drive control unit 200 so as to perform the corresponding action (step S606).
[0067]
As explained in detail above, by adopting firmware that can be easily changed as an interlock mechanism, it is possible to flexibly cope with differences in specifications of various processes and equipment, shortening design time and reducing costs. Is possible.
[0068]
Further, the reliability of the interlock mechanism can be improved by providing a plurality of child control units 114 and 116, 202 and 204 and checking whether or not the input signals match.
[0069]
In addition, by providing an interlock board and multiple slave boards in multiple areas, the complexity and increase of interlock wiring can be prevented, the cause of a failure can be easily identified, and standardized for multiple devices. It is possible to efficiently manufacture an interlock mechanism by dividing it into parts to be equipped and parts to be changed according to the specifications of the device.
[0070]
For example, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, when there are areas where interlocking needs to be applied, a master board 100 (100a, 100b,... 100n) and a slave board 200 are respectively provided in a plurality of areas. It is possible to install a pair of (200a, 200b,... 200n).
[0071]
In such a configuration, the input / output of the master board 100 is connected via the bus 400, the input and output of each master board 100 are compared, and if both do not match, the interlock operation is performed on the interlock control target. It can be constituted as follows.
[0072]
For example, the first slave board 200a linked to the first master board 100a shown in FIG. 5 controls the valves 15a, 16a, 17a, and 18a shown in FIG. 1, and similarly, the first slave board 200a shown in FIG. It is assumed that the second slave board 200b linked to the second master board 100b interlocks the valves 15b, 16b, 17b, and 18b shown in FIG.
[0073]
In the configuration of the gas supply system 13 shown in FIG. 1, the valves 15a, 16a, 17a, and 18a are arranged in the gas boxes 13a to open and close the vicinity of the gas supply ports of the corresponding gas cylinders. Further, the valves 15b, 16b, 17b, 18b are arranged in the respective gas piping systems 13b to open and close the corresponding gas piping.
[0074]
Here, when an alarm relating to the gas box 13a is generated because the door of the gas box 13a is open, the alarm signal A is directly input to the first slave board 200a linked to the first master board 100a. Then, the valves 15a, 16a, 17a, and 18a are closed by the interlock control of the slave boards 200a.
[0075]
When an alarm relating to the gas piping system 13b occurs due to a gas leak in the gas supply system 13b, the valves 15b, 16b, 17b and 18b in the gas piping system 13b are closed and the gas The valves 15a, 16a, 17a and 18a in the box 13a also need to be closed.
[0076]
When such an alarm occurs, the corresponding alarm signal B is input to the second slave board 200b that cooperates with the second master board 100b, thereby closing each valve 15b, 16b, 17b, 18b in the gas piping system 13b. Is done.
[0077]
At the same time, the auxiliary output from the second master board 100b is input to the first master board 100a, and each valve in the gas box 13a is controlled by the interlock control by the first slave board 100a in cooperation with the first master board 100a. 15a, 16a, 17a and 18a are also closed.
[0078]
The preferred embodiments of the interlock mechanism and the interlock method according to the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or modifications can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are naturally within the technical scope of the present invention. It is understood that it belongs.
[0079]
For example, in the present embodiment, the interlock mechanism and the interlock method for the gas supply system of the film forming apparatus have been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied to other devices such as a water supply channel where an interlock is necessary.
[0080]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, there is provided a novel and improved interlock mechanism and interlock method that can flexibly cope with specification changes and has high safety in the event of failure by simple configuration and circuit multiplexing. Can be provided.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional configuration diagram of a low pressure CVD apparatus which is an example of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a configuration of an interlock device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of an interlock system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an interlock device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing a structure of an interlock device installed in a plurality of areas according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an interlock operation according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 interlock control unit
114, 116 First and second child interlock control units
110 EPROM
112 crystal oscillator
200 Drive controller
202, 204 First and second child drive control units

Claims (7)

An interlock mechanism comprising an interlock target and a control device that controls the operation of the interlock target,
The controller is
A drive unit for driving the interlock target;
A drive control unit for controlling the drive unit;
An interlock control unit that controls an interlock operation of the drive control unit, and
The interlock control unit
A plurality of child control units that perform the same operation, and when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match, perform an interlock operation on the interlock target;
The drive control unit
A plurality of child control units that perform the same operation are provided, and when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match, an interlock operation is performed on the interlock target. Interlock mechanism.   The interlock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the interlock target is a valve.   The interlock mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the interlock operation is an operation of cutting off power supply to the interlock target. An interlock method by a control device that controls the operation of the interlock target,
The controller is
A drive unit for driving the interlock target ;
A drive control unit for controlling the drive unit;
An interlock control unit that controls an interlock operation of the drive control unit , and
The interlock control unit
A plurality of child control units that perform the same operation, and when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match, perform an interlock operation on the interlock target;
The drive control unit
A plurality of child control units that perform the same operation are provided, and when the inputs and / or outputs of the plurality of child control units do not match, an interlock operation is performed on the interlock target. , Interlock method.   The interlock method according to claim 4, wherein the interlock target is a valve.   The interlock method according to claim 4, wherein the interlock operation is an operation of interrupting power supply to the interlock target.   A heat treatment apparatus for introducing a predetermined gas into a processing container and performing a heat treatment on an object to be processed in the processing container, comprising the interlock mechanism according to any one of claims 1, 2, and 3. And heat treatment equipment.

Images