JPH10220966A - Base plate baking device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an RHK in which a lack of sensing for a position of a base plate is hardly produced. SOLUTION: A baking device is constructed to include a base plate position sensing device 110 arranged to detect the base plate position at a front part or at a front part or a rear part in a transporting direction of a base plate 10 in each of driving sections and positioned to detect a predetermined base plate detecting point P set at a position between the rollers 42 in a non- contacted state from a direction inclined by an angle θ in respect to the upper surface of the base plate 10. Due to this fact, since the detecting direction is not in parallel with the upper surface of the base plate 10, the base plate detecting point P is displaced to cause the base plate 10 to be hardly displaced from a range capable of being detected and a lack of detection of the base plate position even in the case that the base plate 10 is displaced in a vertical direction due to a warp on a swelling of the rollers 42 and the like.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a baking apparatus for subjecting a substrate to heat treatment in the process of sequentially transporting the substrate by rollers.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of supporting a plurality of objects to be fired and sequentially transporting the objects in one direction, the plurality of objects to be fired are arranged in parallel with each other as one of tunnel-type firing apparatuses in which heat treatment is performed. A so-called roller hearth kiln (hereinafter referred to as RHK) that supports and sequentially conveys a plurality of objects to be fired by a plurality of rollers that are respectively driven to rotate around the axis is known. Such an RHK has the advantage that the object to be fired is less likely to be contaminated because there is no sliding inside the furnace body as in the case of conveying by a mesh belt, and no dust can be generated therewith. In particular, when the roller is made of ceramic, the object to be fired is not brought into contact with the metal in the furnace, so that the contamination is further suppressed. For this reason, it is suitably used as a firing furnace for an object to be fired which is desired to be fired under the following high cleanliness.

For example, a metal or inorganic material is melted on a glass substrate represented by soda lime glass or a ceramic substrate represented by alumina by melting a glass bond component or softening, melting, or sintering the material itself. A substrate including a film forming material to which a film having a predetermined function is fixed is known. Display device substrates such as an anode substrate for a fluorescent display tube, a substrate for a plasma display panel, a plasma switching substrate for a plasma addressed liquid crystal display device, and a substrate for a field emission display device;
This is a thick film wiring substrate or a substrate for an electronic device such as a thermal printer head or an image sensor. Such a substrate for an electronic device is generally subjected to a heat treatment of about 500 to 650 (° C.) to anneal the substrate itself or to form a film of a functional material using a glass material as a binder. On the substrate, a heat treatment of, for example, about 500 to 900 (° C.) is performed to form a film of a functional material using a glass material as a binder or to form a film of a functional material using melting of an interface of the metal material itself. . Since a high-quality film is desired to be formed on a substrate containing such a film-forming material in order to obtain a desired function, contamination in a manufacturing process is a major problem. Degree is required.

[0004]

The above-mentioned RH
In K, the substrate is transported based on the fact that the rotation of the roller is transmitted by frictional force with the substrate. Therefore, there is a problem in that uneven transport due to slippage between the roller and the substrate occurs, and the sequentially transported substrates may interfere with each other and be damaged. In other words, since the rollers are not necessarily supported with their axes aligned with the rotation axis, fluctuations in the peripheral speed according to the rotation angle position may occur for each of the plurality of rollers. In particular, when the roller is made of ceramics, such fluctuations in the peripheral speed are more likely to occur because the roller is more warped or undulated than a metal roller made of stainless steel or the like. Further, since the upper surface of the roller functioning as the substrate transfer surface is not necessarily located on one plane due to the presence of warpage or undulation, the roller located above the transfer surface formed by the other rollers Causes transport resistance, and lower rollers cannot transmit a rotational force to the substrate, resulting in a reduction in driving force. Therefore, these factors can cause slippage between the roller and the substrate.

Therefore, in general, the RHK is provided with a substrate position detecting device that detects the substrate position in the transport direction at one or several places in a non-contact manner, and based on the detection result, determines the rotation speed of the roller in a plurality of directions. The control is performed for each section. This substrate position detecting device is provided with, for example, a pair of light emitting and receiving devices constituting a photoelectric detecting device (photoelectric switch) on the left and right side walls of the RHK, and is configured to detect a front end of the substrate in the transport direction. . RHK
Is used because a high degree of cleanliness is required as described above, so that the provision of a substrate position detecting device does not cause a decrease in cleanliness, etc. The obtained photoelectric detection device is suitably used. When the substrate is transported while being placed on a larger area setter, the substrate position detector detects the end of the setter.

However, the above-mentioned conventional substrate position detecting device is provided so that the optical axis of the projector of the photoelectric detecting device is parallel to the axial direction of the roller, that is, parallel to the substrate surface. The position of the substrate is detected by blocking the light emitted from the projector of the apparatus by the side end surface of the substrate or the setter in the transport direction. Therefore, the thickness of the substrate used for the above-mentioned applications and the setter on which the substrate is placed is as thin as several (mm) to several tens (mm) even in the total size thereof, As described above, since the upper surface of the roller is not necessarily located on one plane due to warpage or undulation, if the substrate is located above or below the optical axis at the detection position, detection leakage may occur There was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an RHK in which a detection of a substrate position is hardly omitted.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above object, the gist of the present invention is to form a plurality of substrates by a plurality of rollers arranged in parallel with each other and each driven to rotate around an axis. A tunnel-shaped baking apparatus of a type in which a plurality of substrates are subjected to heat treatment in a process of supporting and sequentially transporting the substrates in one direction, and (a) detecting a position of the substrate in a part of the substrate in a transport direction. And a substrate position detecting device positioned so as to detect a predetermined substrate detection point set at a position between the rollers in a non-contact manner from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the upper surface of the substrate. Is included.

[0009]

As described above, the tunnel-shaped baking apparatus is provided for detecting the position of the substrate in a part of the substrate transport direction, and the predetermined substrate set at a position between the rollers. It is configured to include a substrate position detection device positioned so as to detect the detection point in a non-contact manner from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the upper surface of the substrate. Therefore, since the detection direction is not parallel to the upper surface of the substrate, even when the substrate is displaced up and down due to the warpage or undulation of the roller, the substrate detection point is substantially displaced by the displacement of the substrate detection point. Is hardly out of the detectable range,
The detection omission of the substrate position is suppressed.

[0010]

In another embodiment of the present invention, preferably, the substrate baking apparatus comprises: (b) thermally dividing the substrates in the one direction so as to sequentially perform a soaking treatment on each of the plurality of substrates. A plurality of heating sections that are provided and each of which is controlled so as to further control the temperature, and (c) further including a transfer device that sequentially transfers the substrate to a plurality of stop positions provided for each of the heating sections,
Each of the plurality of stop positions is provided.

[0011] In this case, the substrate baking apparatus includes:
A plurality of heating sections that are provided so as to be thermally divided and arranged so as to be arranged in one direction, and each of which is controlled in temperature uniformity, and a transfer device that sequentially transfers the substrate to a plurality of stop positions provided for each of the plurality of heating sections. And the substrate detection point is provided at each of the plurality of stop positions. Therefore, while the substrate is sequentially conveyed in one direction in the course of the heat treatment, the substrate is sequentially soaked in each of the plurality of heating sections. In each of the plurality of heating sections, the substrate detection provided at each stop position is performed. At a point, the substrate is detected by the substrate position detecting device, and is stopped at the respectively set stop position. Therefore, when the substrate is heat-treated while being soaked for each of the plurality of heating sections in order to minimize the temperature variation in the substrate, the temperature is set so as to be as high as possible. Since the substrate is stopped at the stop position, temperature variations in the substrate are further suppressed.

As described above, for example, even when a substrate including a film forming material is subjected to a heat treatment, variation in temperature within the substrate is reduced as much as possible. When the heat treatment is performed at the above temperature, local changes in dimensions within the substrate, that is, distortion of the formed pattern are minimized, so that positional deviation from the pattern in the next step and subsequent steps is prevented, and a fine pattern is formed. Even with large substrates, the manufacturing yield can be dramatically improved. When a thick-film dielectric layer, a partition-like dielectric layer, a thick-film resistance layer, an electrode layer, and an inorganic coloring pigment layer are provided on the surface of the substrate, glass that functions as a bond component in those thick films The degree of melting and softening becomes uniform, and the degree of melting and sintering of the metal-metal oxide system becomes uniform, respectively, withstand voltage quality, height and width dimensions of the partition, resistance value, Discharge quality, variations in optical filter characteristics, and the like are suitably reduced, and the production yield is dramatically improved even for large substrates. Further, as described above, as a result of reducing the variation in the resistance value, the management load of the process and the process such as trimming are reduced or the load is reduced.

Incidentally, in recent years, a substrate including the above-mentioned film forming material has been designed to be multilayered and miniaturized, such as a conductor, a resistor, and a dielectric, formed on the surface thereof. It is necessary to manufacture substrates having relatively large dimensions as the display area becomes larger. Therefore, a display device substrate is required to form a fine pattern over a large dimension, and in the electronic device substrate, quality is secured by reducing a pattern space given to a film for generating a function. Therefore, uniformity of the film is further required. However, the influence on the quality brought by the baking of the substrate becomes larger as the size becomes larger as described above, and the variation thereof has become a constraint on the product design or has been a factor that reduces the product yield. .

For example, if there is a dimensional change due to expansion or contraction of the substrate material itself due to the heat treatment, it becomes difficult to align the patterns between firings performed after patterning of a film having a function. In addition, the resistance layer has a large variation in resistance value, the dielectric layer has a large variation in thickness due to withstand voltage variation and non-uniform residual ratio, and the conductive layer has large variations in conduction resistance and wire bonding properties and sputtering properties. Become. The alignment consistency and uniformity of layer quality between these patterns
As the pattern becomes finer or the substrate becomes larger, it becomes more difficult to maintain the pattern, and there is an inconvenience that the product yield decreases at an accelerated rate. Therefore, for example, in the case of a plasma display substrate as a large display device having a size of 40 inches or more, there are the following factors that lower the yield. That is, the dimensional accuracy of each layer of the multi-layer structure forming a large number of cells cannot be secured, the height and width of the barrier vary, the resistance of the resistive cell varies, and the dielectric layer has resistance. Variations in voltage and overall dimensional variations include deviations when forming a discharge cell by combining a front plate and a rear plate. According to the research results of the present inventors, such a problem is caused by the metal contained in the thick film, the molten or sintered state of the inorganic material, the glass bond component reduced to fix the functional component, or the dielectric. Since the softening or melting state of the glass component itself is locally different in the substrate, it is desired that the temperature distribution in the substrate be as uniform as possible during the heat treatment. is there.

Preferably, the substrate position detecting device is provided in a plane including the substrate detecting point and perpendicular to a transport direction of the substrate. With this configuration, the substrate being transported is detected in a plane including a substrate detection point perpendicular to the transport direction, so that when the substrate position is displaced up and down due to warpage or undulation of the rollers, etc. Also, the substrate detection point is displaced exclusively in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction. Therefore, the substrate is reliably detected at a predetermined position set in advance in the transport direction, and a change in a transport interval or a stop position when intermittent transport is performed is further suppressed. In addition, here, "The board position detecting device is ...
.. ”Provided in the plane” means that, of the substrate position detection device, a portion that actually functions for substrate detection is provided in the surface, and for example, a photoelectric detection device In the case where the substrate position is optically detected by, for example, this means that the optical axis of the light projector is positioned in the plane.

Preferably, the predetermined angle is 1 to
6 degrees. The predetermined angle may be, for example, 90 degrees. However, in this case, although the substrate position detecting device is provided in the vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the substrate, usually, since the heater is provided in the vertical position, the side of the firing device that can avoid interference with the heater, that is, It is preferable to set the angle smaller than 90 degrees because it is easy to provide the substrate position detecting device.

Preferably, in the case where a plurality of heating sections are provided as described above, the substrate is reciprocated along the one direction during the soaking in each heating section, and the substrate detection point is provided. Is also provided at a reciprocation stop position provided on the rear side in the transport direction in each heating section. In this way, even when the substrate is reciprocated during the soaking in each heating section in order to further suppress the temperature variation in the substrate, the substrate is surely reciprocated within the preset reciprocation range. There are advantages.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 3 show an embodiment of a substrate baking apparatus according to the present invention, in which a continuous baking apparatus 12 of a type for performing baking in the process of sequentially transporting a substrate 10 in one direction. FIG. 1 is a front view, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the longitudinal direction passing through the center of the furnace body in the width direction, and FIGS. 3 (a) to 3 (e) are aa to e in FIG. It is a figure which shows each e-view cross section. In the figure, a first transport device 14 and a plurality of second transport devices 16a, 16b, each of which is independently driven,
To 16f (hereinafter, simply referred to as a second transport device 16 when not particularly distinguished) and a third transport device 18 are arranged in series, and the substrate 10 is placed on the first transport device 14, the second transport device 16, By being conveyed in one direction by the three-conveying device 18, it can be passed through tunnel-shaped furnace bodies 20 a and 20 b (hereinafter, simply referred to as furnace body 20 unless otherwise distinguished).

The tunnel-shaped furnace body 20 has an inner wall made of a heat-resistant glass such as a β-spodumene crystallized glass. In the furnace body 20a, a preheating zone (preheating unit) for heating the substrate 10 to a maximum processing temperature and burning and removing a binder (resin) contained in a film formed on the substrate 10 in the process. 22, a heating zone (heating unit) 24 for holding the substrate 10 at its maximum processing temperature for a predetermined time, and a slow cooling zone (slow cooling unit) 26 for gradually cooling the substrate 10 are provided. A cooling zone (cooling unit) 28 for cooling the substrate 10 to around room temperature is provided in the furnace body 20b.

The first transfer device 14 is provided at a position corresponding to the preheating zone 22 and the heating zone 24. The first transfer device 14 controls the rotation of a motor 30 with a speed reducer, which is provided below the furnace body 20a and is continuously driven, by a chain 32 and a plurality of line shafts 34a, 34b provided on one axis. , To 34e (hereinafter simply referred to as a line shaft 34 when not particularly distinguished), a plurality of miter gears 36a, 36b, to 36f provided at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20a.
(Hereinafter, simply referred to as a miter gear 36 unless otherwise specified), and the drive sections 38a, 38b, 38c, 3
8d (hereinafter simply referred to as drive section 38 unless otherwise distinguished) and drive sections 40a and 40b (hereinafter simply referred to as drive section 40 when not particularly distinguished) as shown in FIG. By rotating a plurality of rollers 42 provided so as to penetrate in the direction, the substrate 10 placed on the rollers 42 is moved to, for example, 300 (mm / min).
It is to convey continuously at a first conveyance speed of the order.

The miter gear 36f corresponding to the drive section 40b is connected to the line shaft 34e via a one-way coupling, and is further provided with a speed reducer via a one-way coupling at a position opposite to the line shaft 34e. The motor 44 is connected.
The motor 44 is intermittently driven at a higher rotation speed than the line shaft 34 in synchronization with the second transport device 16. Therefore, while the motor 44 is stopped, the rotation of the line shaft 34e is transmitted to drive the miter gear 36f at the same speed as the miter gear 36e.
4, only the rotation is transmitted and the drive section 40 is driven.
For example, 5000 (mm / min), which is higher than the first transport speed (for example, about 300 [mm / min]), on the roller 42 in the roller 42b.
min) at a second conveyance speed of about.

Further, the plurality of second transporting devices 16 are each independently driven intermittently by a motor 46a with a speed reducer,
46b and 46f (hereinafter, simply referred to as a motor 46 unless otherwise specified), and a plurality of rollers 42 provided for each drive section 48 shown in FIG. And it is configured to rotate counterclockwise. Therefore, when the substrate 10 is transported rightward in the figure, the second transport speed is, for example, about 5000 (mm / min).
Is rotated clockwise so as to have a transfer speed of. When the substrate 10 is uniformly heated in each heating chamber R as described later,
The substrate 10 is alternately rotated clockwise and counterclockwise so that the substrate 10 is reciprocated at a third transfer speed of about 1300 (mm / min).

Further, as apparent from FIG. 1, the third transfer device 18 includes a miter gear 36 in the first transfer device 14.
Are reduced, and the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20 is reversed. That is, the driving section 50a has the same configuration as the driving section 40b, the driving section 50b having the same configuration as the driving section 38b, and the driving section 50c having the same configuration as the driving section 38a. Therefore, the rotation of the motor with reduction gear 52 provided below the furnace body 20b is transmitted to the miter gears 36i, 36h, and 36g via the chain 54, the line shafts 34g, and 34f, so that the respective drive sections 50 Is rotated. Further, in the drive section 50a adjacent to the slow cooling zone 26, similarly to the drive section 40b, the rotation of the motor 56 with the speed reducer is transmitted via the one-way coupling, so that the roller 42 belonging thereto is intermittently switched to the other. Are driven at a speed higher than the speed of the rollers 42, that is, a speed synchronized with the second transporting device 16.

Referring back to FIG. 3, the plurality of rollers 42 provided to penetrate the furnace body 20 in the horizontal direction are, for example, cylindrical alumina rollers. A pair of bearings 58, 58 (shown only in FIG. 3A) are provided on the outer side of the furnace body 20, and a rotating shaft 60 provided coaxially with the roller 42 is supported by the bearings 58, 58. I have. The roller 42 is supported in a state sandwiched between the pair of rotating shafts 60, 60 from both sides. In the drive sections 38, 40, 50, the miter gear 36, which is omitted in the drawing, is provided.
The rotation of the motor 30 is performed by a chain 61 wound around the miter gear 36 and the plurality of rotating shafts 60 for each of the line shafts 34 and the driving sections 38 and the like. When transmitted to and rotated by the rotating shaft 60, the rotating shaft 60 rotates with the rotation of the rotating shaft 60. That is, the miter gear 36 and the like directly drive the rotating shaft 60. In the drive section 48, the rotation of the motor 46 provided is transmitted via a chain 61 wound around the motor 46 and a plurality of rotation shafts 60, thereby rotating the rotation shaft of the motor 46. The roller 42 is rotated with the rotation of 60.
Incidentally, FIG. 3 (a) is a view corresponding to a-a sectional view in FIG. 2, a ₂ -a ₂ sectional view is the same cross-sectional shape. The substrate 10 is placed in a furnace body 20 by the rollers 4.
2 supported. Therefore, when the roller 42 is rotated, it is transported in one direction with the rotation. At this time, the first transport device 14 and the third transport device 1
8, a preheating zone 22, a heating zone 24,
In the cooling zone 28, the rollers 42 are continuously rotated and the substrate 10 is continuously transported, while in the slow cooling zone 26 where the second transport device 16 is provided, the rollers 42 are rotated intermittently. As a result, the substrate 10 is intermittently transported. That is, in the present embodiment, the second transport device 16 corresponds to an intermittent transport device, that is, a “transport device” in the claims.

As is clear from FIGS. 1, 2 and 3,
The preheating zone 22 has a temperature within the preheating zone 22.
A plurality of temperature detectors TC for detecting the temperature.
At three positions in the width direction at the center in the longitudinal direction for each moving section 38
It is provided on the upper and lower sides and on the upper and lower sides of the furnace body 20.
Create multiple zones and control each zone independently
The heater H to be driven is supplied to the furnace body 2 for each drive section 38.
Four zones are provided in each of the longitudinal and width directions of 0
Have been. That is, in FIGS.
Although omitted, FIG. 4 (a) shows the driving section 38a.
As schematically shown, the transfer of the substrate 10 for each drive section 38 is performed.
Direction A and a roller 42 (not shown)
A total of 16 heaters H each divided into four in the longitudinal direction
₁₁₁₁, H ₁₁₁₂, H₁₁₁₃, H₁₁₁₄, H₁₁₂₁, H₁₁₂₂, H
₁₁₂₃, H₁₁₂₄, H₁₁₃₁, H₁₁₃₂, H ₁₁₃₃, H₁₁₃₄, H
₁₁₄₁, H₁₁₄₂, H₁₁₄₃, H₁₁₄₄(Drive sections 38b, 38
c and 38d each have H₁₂₁₁~ H₁₂₄₄, H₁₃₁₁~ H
₁₃₄₄, H₁₄₁₁~ H₁₄₄₄Is provided above and below the furnace body 20.
, And the heater H₁₁₂₁And H₁₁₃₁
Between heaters, heater H₁₁₂₂, H₁₁₂₃, H₁₁₃₂, And H
₁₁₃₃Between heaters, heater H ₁₁₂₄And H₁₁₃₄Between the positions
Each temperature detector TC₁₁₁, TC₁₁₂, TC₁₁₃(Drive
Each of the sections 38b, 38c, 38d has a TC₁₂₁~ T
C_{one two Three}, TC₁₃₁~ TC₁₃₃, TC₁₄₁~ TC₁₄₃)But
It is arranged. FIG. 2 shows a portion above the drive section 38a.
As illustrated in FIG.
H is connected to the control device 62, and the temperature detector T
Output of heater H is controlled according to temperature signal detected at C
Is done.

In the preheating zone 22, an air supply pipe 64 is provided above the inlet of the drive section 38a on the inlet side of the furnace body 20a, and is provided on the front side of the following drive sections 38b, 38c, 38d in the transport direction of the substrate 10. An exhaust pipe 66 is provided. The air supply pipe 64 and the exhaust pipe 66 are made of, for example, the same alumina ceramic as the roller 42 and are provided so as to penetrate in the width direction of the furnace body 20. The air supply pipe 64 is connected at both ends to an air supply pipe 68 provided on the side surface of the furnace body 20, and supplies air guided from an air supply source (not shown) into the furnace body 20. The exhaust pipe 66 is provided at both ends thereof with the furnace body 2.
The air supplied to the furnace body 20 is connected to the exhaust pipe 70 provided on the 0 side surface, and is sucked from the plurality of exhaust pipes 66 in the process of flowing through the inside of the furnace body 20 and is discharged from the discharge port 72. Each of the air supply pipe 64 and the exhaust pipe 66 has a round hole nozzle 74 or a long hole nozzle 76 at a plurality of positions as shown in FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b).

The heating zone 24 includes a heating zone.
Temperature detectors TC for detecting the temperature in the
But the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the furnace body 20 for each drive section 40
The furnace is provided above and below at each of three positions.
Multiple zones on the upper, lower and upper sides of body 20
Heater H formed and independently controlled for each zone
However, in the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20 for each drive section 40
6 zones including 4 zones, 1 zone each at the top of both sides in the width direction
Are provided. That is, as shown in FIG.
As described above, the feeding direction A and the
And in the longitudinal direction of the roller 42 (not shown)
A total of 16 heaters H divided into 4 parts each₂₁₁₁, H
₂₁₁₂, H₂₁₁₃, H₂₁₁₄, H₂₁₂₁, H₂₁₂₂, H₂₁₂₃, H
₂₁₂₄, H₂₁₃₁, H₂₁₃₂, H₂₁₃₃, H₂₁₃₄, H₂₁₄₁, H
₂₁₄₂, H₂₁₄₃, H₂₁₄₄Is a pair at the top and bottom of the furnace body 20
And upper portions on both sides in the width direction of the furnace body 20
Each side was divided into four in the feed direction A (4 sets
) Heater H₂₁₁₅, H₂₁₂₅, H_{twenty one 35}, H₂₁₄₅, H₂₁₁₆,
H₂₁₂₆, H₂₁₃₆, H₂₁₄₆(Drive section 40b has H₂₂₁₁~
H ₂₂₄₆) Are arranged on both sides as a pair. Also,
Heater H₂₁₁₁Of which, H₂₁₁₂And H₂₁₁₃Between, H₂₁₁₄Of which, H
₂₁₂₁And H₂₁₃₁Between, H₂₁₂₂, H₂₁₂₃, H₂₁₃₂, H ₂₁₃₃
During, H₂₁₂₄And H₂₁₃₄Between, H₂₁₄₁Of which, H₂₁₄₂And H
₂₁₄₃Between, H₂₁₄₄Nine sets of temperature detection at each position inside
Bowl TC₂₁₁₁, TC₂₁₁₂, TC₂₁₁₃, TC₂₁₂₁, T
C₂₁₂₂, TC₂₁₂₃, TC₂₁₃₁, TC₂₁₃₂, TC₂₁₃₃(Drive
TC in the moving section 40b ₂₂₁₁~ TC₂₂₃₃) Are arranged up and down
Have been.

The slow cooling zone 26 includes a plurality of shutter devices S ₁ , S at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20, as shown in the drive section 48a in FIG.
₂ , to S ₇ (only S ₁ and S ₂ are shown; hereinafter, unless otherwise distinguished, simply referred to as a shutter device S), and the slow cooling zone 26 is provided with drive sections 48 a, 48 b, to 48.
f, for example, six first heating chambers R respectively corresponding to f
₁ , a second heating chamber R ₂ , to a sixth heating chamber R ₆ (hereinafter, simply referred to as a heating chamber R unless otherwise specified). In the present embodiment, the first heating chamber R ₁ through sixth heating chamber R ₆ correspond to the plurality of heating sections are thermally divided from each other. Incidentally, as shown in FIG, the shutter device S ₁ between the drive segment 40b and 48a, S ₂ is driven segment 48
are respectively provided between the a and 48b, the other shutter device (not shown), S ₃ to S ₆ are driven segment 48b
Or during 48f mutually, S ₇ is driven classification 48f and 50a
And are provided between them.

The shutter device S described above, the cross-sectional structure in FIG. 2, as shown respectively (d-d sectional view in FIG. 2) cross-section through a shutter system S ₂ in FIG. 3 (d), for example, a furnace body 20 An upper fixed shutter 78 extending downward from the upper inner wall surface in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, a lower fixed shutter 80 extending upward from the lower inner wall surface, and are provided in parallel with them in a flat plate shape. Rotary shaft 82 parallel to roller 42
And a rotation shutter 84 that can be rotated around the axis of the shutter. An air cylinder 86 for rotating the rotating shaft 82 around the axis is provided near the portion of the rotating shaft 82 protruding outside the furnace. Therefore, in the shutter device S, the opening 88 formed between the upper and lower fixed shutters 78 and 80 is opened by the rotating shutter 84 by rotating the rotating shaft 82 according to the operation of the air cylinder 86. Alternatively, the heating chambers R are closed or communicated with each other or shielded. The upper fixed shutter 78, the lower fixed shutter 80, and the rotating shutter 84 are all made of a heat-resistant glass plate or the like made of the same material as the inner wall.

The upper fixed shutter 78 and the lower fixed shutter 80 are each composed of a pair of heat-resistant glass plates provided in parallel with each other and having different heights.
The rotating shaft 82 is provided at a lower end position of the upper fixed shutter 78 between the pair of heat-resistant glass plates, and the rotating shutter 84 is provided to extend from the rotating shaft 82. Note that the upper fixed shutter 78 is used to transfer the substrate 10 formed by the plurality of rollers 42 (see FIG. 6).
For example, the lower fixed shutter 80 is positioned at a distance of about 80 (mm) from the transport surface.
(mm) to several tens (mm). For example, in the case of a front plate or a rear plate for a PDP, the thickness of the substrate 10 is set by a setter 138 which is generally used for carrying the substrate 10 and transporting the inside of a furnace.
The substrate 10 is fixed on the upper side because it is not more than about 10 (mm) even when including the thickness (see FIG. 9) and is sufficiently thin compared to the distance between the upper fixed shutter 78 and the transfer surface. The light can pass through the opening 88 provided between the heating chambers R without interfering with the shutter 78 and the rotating shutter 84. Further, as shown in the figure, the center distance g between the rollers 42 is set in each heating chamber R and at the boundary between them.
It is set to a uniform size of about 150 (mm).

Each drive section 48 of the slow cooling zone 26
Are controlled by the control device 62, and each heating chamber R
Temperature detectors TC for detecting the temperature of
A plurality of heaters H for heating the heating chamber R are provided in FIG.
An arrangement pattern similar to the heating zone 24 shown in FIG.
(The drive section 48a has a TC₃₁₁₁~ TC₃₁₃₃And H
₃₁₁₁~ H₃₁₄₆, Drive section 48b has TC₃₂₁₁~ TC₃₂₃₃
And H₃₂₁₁~ H₃₂₄₆, Drive section 48c has TC₃₃₁₁~
TC₃₃₃₃And H₃₃₁₁~ H₃₃₄₆, Drive section 48d has T
C₃₄₁₁~ TC₃₄₃₃And H₃₄₁₁~ H₃₄₄₆, Drive section 48
e is TC₃₅₁₁~ TC₃₅₃₃And H₃₅₁₁~ H₃₅₄₆, Drive
Class 48f has TC₃₆₁₁~ TC₃₆₃₃And H₃₆₁₁~ H
₃₆₄₆). In each heating chamber R, a base is provided.
The upper and lower portions are located on the rear side (upstream side) of the plate 10 in the transport direction.
Air supply pipes 90, 90 for supplying cooling air from
And the cooling air is transferred forward (downstream)
Side) and an exhaust pipe 92 for exhausting from the upper part
ing. These air supply pipe 90 and exhaust pipe 92 are respectively
Air supply pipe 64 and exhaust pipe provided in the preheating zone 22
66 is the same as that of the nozzle 74 having a round hole shape or a long nozzle.
Made of alumina ceramics provided with a hole-shaped nozzle 76
It consists of a tube. In addition, the air supply pipe 90 and
And an exhaust pipe 92 are provided for an air supply distribution provided outside the furnace body 20.
Connected to a pipe 94 and an exhaust pipe 96, respectively.
The heating of the individual air from the air supply source (not shown)
Air supply pipes 98a, 9 provided for each air supply pipe 94 in the chamber R
8b, to 98f (only the air supply pipe 98a is shown.
When not separate, simply cool through the air supply pipe 98)
While air is guided, each air sucked from the exhaust pipe 92 is
The air in the heating chamber R is discharged from the discharge port 100. individual
Solenoid valves 102a, 102b, 102
f (only the solenoid valve 102a is shown. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified.
Is simply referred to as a solenoid valve 102).
Air supply into the heating chamber R is started and stopped by the device 62
And the air supply is adjusted. Please note that
Air supply pipes 9 provided above and below the heating chamber R, respectively.
0, 90 are connected to a common air line 98,
Each is connected to a separate air line 98 having a solenoid valve 102.
And may be controlled independently.

The cooling zone 28 has a temperature detector TC ₄₁ for detecting the temperature in the cooling zone 28,
TC ₄₂ and T ₄₃ are provided on the upper side at the center position in the width direction of the longitudinal center of the furnace body 20 for each drive section 50,
A plurality of cooling jackets C having a length substantially equal to the width of the furnace body 20 are provided on the upper and lower sides of the furnace body 20 in three rows in the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20 for each drive section 50. The cooling jacket C allows the cooling water supplied from the cooling water pipe 104 shown in FIG. 1 through the branch pipe 106 to flow therein. The upper and lower three cooling jackets C are connected to each other, and the cooling water sequentially circulated through the three cooling jackets C is provided on the opposite side surface shown in FIG. Not drained from drains. The flow rate of the cooling water supplied to the cooling jacket C is adjusted by solenoid valves 108a, 108b, 108c provided in the branch pipe 106 for each drive section 50. The temperature detector TC and the solenoid valve 108 provided in the cooling zone 28 are also provided by the control device 6.
2, the amount of cooling water flowing through the cooling jacket C is controlled based on the temperature signal detected by the temperature detector TC.

Although not shown in FIGS. 1 to 3,
As shown in FIG. 6 with the bearing 58 omitted on the rear side in FIG. 1 near the boundary between the drive sections 48a and 48b, near the boundary between the drive sections, the control device 62 is provided.
Is provided with a substrate position detecting device 110 connected to the terminal. This substrate position detecting device 110 is provided by the VII in FIG.
-VII, as shown in FIG.
A pair of light emitters 11 arranged on both outer sides in the width direction of
A photoelectric switch (photoelectric sensor) 112 (hereinafter, a light emitter 112a and a light receiver 1)
When the photoelectric switch 12b is not particularly distinguished,
). This photoelectric switch 112
By transmitting and receiving infrared rays, for example, the substrate 10 on the optical axis of the light projector 112a indicated by a dashed line
This is to detect the presence or absence of. As shown in FIG.
The photoelectric switch 112 is, for example, 15
At a position separated by a distance d of about 0 (mm) on the rear side in the substrate transport direction, the roller is positioned at the center between the plurality of rollers 42. Therefore, the distances d ₁ , d ₂ between the photoelectric switch 112 and the two rollers 42, 42 located on both sides thereof
Are the same size, but the distance g between the rollers 42 is
Is set to, for example, about 150 (mm) over the entire sintering apparatus 12, so in the present embodiment, d ₁ = d ₂ = 75.
(mm).

As shown in FIG. 7, the above photoelectric switch 112 has a bearing 5 having an L-shaped cross section 114.
8, the projector 112a is mounted on the roller 4
2, and the photodetector 112b is positioned below the roller 42. The pair of light emitters 112a and light receivers 112b are provided to face each other such that the light emitting surface and the light receiving surface are parallel to each other, and the optical axis has an inclination angle of, for example, about θ = 4 ° with respect to a horizontal plane. Have been. That is, the photoelectric switch 112 has θ = 4
The optical axis is set to pass through the transfer surface of the substrate 10 at an angle of about °. Note that, in FIG.
8 and the like are omitted. On the side wall of the furnace body 20a, a pair of through holes 116, 116 which are inclined by the above inclination angle θ so that the optical axis of the photoelectric switch 112 coincides with the axis, are provided. Floodlight 112a
The light emitted from is received by the light receiver 112b. One of the pair of through-holes 116 is provided above the roller 42 corresponding to the light projector 112a located on the upper side, but the light receiver 112 located on the lower side is located on the lower side.
The other corresponding to b is provided below the roller 42.

A pipe 118 is embedded in the through-hole 116, and a socket 120 is attached to an end of the pipe 118 outside the furnace.
0 has a sight hole 122 attached thereto. Both the pipe 118 and the socket 120 are made of, for example, stainless steel. Site Hall 1
For example, as shown in FIG. 8, a substantially cylindrical main body 126 made of stainless steel or the like having a stepped through-hole 124 penetrating in the axial direction as shown in FIG.
Consists of a heat-resistant glass disk 130 fitted and fixed to the large-diameter thin portion 128 side. Main body 12
6 has a female screw and a tapered male screw on the inner peripheral surface of the thin portion 128 and the outer peripheral surface of the portion except the thin portion 128, respectively. The heat-resistant glass disk 130 is sandwiched between a pair of annular packings 132, 132. Thin part 1
It is fixed by an annular screw 134 screwed into the 28 female screw. Site hole 12 configured in this way
2 is fixed by fitting an external thread on the outer peripheral surface with a female screw (not shown) provided on the inner peripheral surface of the socket 120. Therefore, the through-hole 116 provided in the furnace body 20a has a heat-resistant glass circle. It is closed by the plate 130. The heat-resistant glass disk 130 is provided for the purpose of protecting the photoelectric switch 112 from the heat in the furnace body 20a, and light emission and reception of the photoelectric switch 112 are performed through the heat-resistant glass disk 130.

Also, as described above, the photoelectric switch 112
Is provided at a position between the rollers 42, 42. The optical axis is parallel to the axis of the roller 42 and a plurality of optical axes are provided as shown in FIG. The transfer surface of the substrate 10 formed by the rollers 42 of FIG.
(Shown by a dashed-dotted line in FIG. 2). According to the substrate position detecting device 110 configured as described above, when the substrate 10 approaches the optical axis of the photoelectric switch 112 in the process of being transported in the transport direction shown in the drawing, the end 136 of the substrate 10 Since the incidence of infrared rays on the light receiver 112b is prevented, the substrate 10
8 that has been conveyed to a predetermined stop position S _B are detected Hitoshigoto. At this time, what is actually detected is the intersection of the end 136 of the substrate 10 with the optical axis, that is, the point P shown in FIG. That is, in this embodiment,
This point P corresponds to the substrate detection point, and the substrate detection point P is
0 is detected from a direction inclined by an angle θ (= 4 °) with respect to the upper surface of the zero. Therefore, even if the substrate 10 is displaced up and down due to the warpage or undulation of the roller 42, the intersection between the optical axis and the substrate 10 occurs somewhere in the left-right direction in the drawing, and the substrate detection point Since P is only displaced left and right in the figure, detection error of the substrate 10 (detection omission)
Is suppressed.

Further, as is apparent from the above configuration, the substrate position detecting device 110 is provided with the through holes 11 provided in the furnace body 20.
6, the position of the substrate can be detected without disturbing the atmosphere inside the furnace or increasing the amount of heat radiation outside the furnace because the site hole 122 is attached to 6 and the substrate position is optically detected in a non-contact manner from outside the furnace body. It will be. It should be noted that in FIG.
Is a setter for mounting and transporting the substrate 10 when the substrate 10 is subjected to heat treatment by the baking device 12. Therefore, the end 136 detected by the substrate position detecting device 110 is strictly the end of the setter 138. In the baking apparatus 12, the substrate 10
The heat treatment is performed in a state of being placed on the substrate 38, but since the thickness of each is extremely small, both are drawn integrally in FIGS. 1 to 7 and the whole is illustrated as the substrate 10.

It should be noted that the above-described substrate position detecting device 110
Each of the drive sections 38, 40, 48, and 50 not only between the drive section 48a and the drive section 48b described above.
Are provided at positions indicated by reference symbols S _A , S _B , and S _C in FIG. That is, the driving sections 38a to 38a
0b, and the driving sections 50a to 50c,
_A substrate position detecting device 110 is provided at a position corresponding to the substrate detecting position S _A at the front part in the transport direction. In the drive sections 48a to 48f, the board detection position S _{B at the} front part in the transport direction and the board detection position S _{C at the} rear part in the transport direction are used.
The substrate detection device 110 is provided at a position corresponding to. Therefore, the substrate detecting device 1 shown in FIG.
10 is provided at a position corresponding to the substrate detection position S _B. As described above, the drive sections 48a to 48f
That is, in the heating chambers R _{1 to} R ₆ , since the substrate 10 can be reciprocated back and forth in the transport direction, positions corresponding to the front and rear of the reciprocation position, ie, S _B ,
To S _C is the substrate position detector 110 is provided.

In FIG. 2, the substrate detection position S _A
Although There is provided at a position spaced from the boundary between the drive segment adjacent than S _B and S _C, the substrate detection position S
_A is, in principle, only a passing point in each drive section, and the substrate 10 is not periodically stopped at that position, so it can be provided at any position.
For example, it may be provided at a position corresponding to the substrate detection position S _B. In the driving sections 48a to 48f, the board position detecting devices 110 are provided at front and rear portions of the driving sections adjacent to each other at intervals of about twice the distance d (that is, intervals of 2d = 300 [mm]). Therefore, in order to suppress the detection error, the projector 112a
It is desirable that the right and left positions of the light receiver 112b in FIG. 7 be opposite to each other at the front and rear of the adjacent drive sections, or the vertical relationship with the roller 42 should be opposite at the front and rear.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device 62. Drive sections 38, 40, 4 of the preheating zone 22, the heating zone 24, the slow cooling zone 26, and the cooling zone 28
A temperature detector T for detecting the temperature in the furnace body 20 provided by a predetermined number every 8, 50 (or the heating chamber R)
The substrate 10 is detected by each signal indicating the temperature detected by C ₁₁₁ , TC ₁₁₂ , to TC ₄₃ , and the substrate position detecting device 110 (only one is shown) provided at one or two positions for each driving section. The substrate detection signal generated as a result is time-divided at a predetermined cycle by the multiplexer 140 and is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 142, and then input to the arithmetic and control circuit 144. The arithmetic control circuit 144 is constituted by, for example, a microcomputer, processes an input signal in accordance with a program stored in a ROM in advance while utilizing a temporary storage function of a RAM, and outputs a motor drive circuit MD via an output interface 146. a signal for the first conveying device 14 continuously driven to _1, the signal for driving the driving segment 38b of the first transfer device 14 to the motor drive circuit MD ₂ in synchronism with the driving speed of the second conveying device 16 And heater driving circuits D ₁₁₁₁ , D ₁₁₁₂ , to D ₃₆₄₆
To the heaters H ₁₁₁₁ , H ₁₁₁₂ , to H ₃₆₄₆ , and the motor drive circuits MD ₃₁ , M
D ₃₂ , to MD ₃₆ to the second transporting devices 16a, 16b, to 16
supplying a signal for intermittently driving the f, also rotates the shutter 84 to the cylinder drive circuit CD _S1, CD _S2, ~CD _S7
Cylinders 86a, 86b,.
supplying a signal for driving the g, also a signal for causing the third transfer device 18 to the motor drive circuit MD ₄₁ continuously driven, the driving segment 50a of the third transfer device 18 first to the motor driving circuit MD ₄₂ A signal for driving in synchronism with the driving speed of the two-carrying device 16 is supplied, and the solenoid valve driving circuits SD ₁ , SD ₂ , SD ₃ , SD _a1 , SD _a2,.
Solenoid valves 108a, 108b, 108c, 102 to SD _a6
a, 102b, and 102f.

The above heaters H ₁₁₁₁ , H _1112,.
H _2246, as the temperature of the furnace body 20 in the preheating zone 22 and the heating zone within 24 is the predetermined temperature gradient is formed (conveying direction of the substrate 10) uniformly and longitudinally in the width direction, a heater H ₃₁₁₁ , H _{31 12,} to H _3646, the temperature of the heating chamber R of the slow cooling zone 26 is such that even at a preset temperature, respectively, the target temperature ratio or mutual each region set in advance, respectively It is controlled according to the output ratio. For example, heaters H ₁₁₁₂ , H ₁₁₁₃ , H ₁₁₂₂ , H ₁₁₂₃ , to H located at the center in the width direction of the furnace body 20.
Compared to ₃₆₄₂ , the heater H ₁₁₁₁ located at the width direction end,
The output of H ₁₁₁₄ , H ₁₁₂₁ , H ₁₁₂₄ , to H ₃₆₄₄ is increased. Further, in the longitudinal direction of the furnace body 20, the low temperature side (the rear side in the transport direction of the substrate 10 in the drive section 40 a of the preheating zone 22 and the heating zone 24, and the front side in the transport direction in the drive section 40 b and the slow cooling zone 26 of the heating zone 24). Side) heaters H ₁₁₁₁ , H ₁₁₁₂ , H ₁₁₁₃ , H
₁₁₁₄ , H ₁₂₁₁ , H ₁₂₁₂ , H ₁₂₁₃ , H ₁₂₁₄ , ~ H ₂₁₁₆ , and H ₂₂₄₁ , H ₂₂₄₂ , H ₂₂₄₃ , H ₂₂₄₄ , H ₂₂₄₅ ,
H ₂₂₄₆ , H ₃₁₄₁ , H ₃₁₄₂ , H ₃₁₄₃ , H ₃₁₄₄ , H ₃₁₄₅ , H
₃₁₄₆ to H ₃₆₄₆ are heaters H ₁₁₄₁ , H located on the high temperature side (position opposite to the above) of each of the zones 22, 128, 130.
_{11 42} , H ₁₁₄₃ , H ₁₁₄₄ , H ₁₂₄₁ , H ₁₂₄₂ , H ₁₂₄₃ , H
_1244, to H _2146, and _{H 22 11, H 2212, H} 2213, H
₂₂₁₄ , H ₂₂₁₅ , H ₂₂₁₆ , H ₃₁₁₁ , H ₃₁₁₂ , H ₃₁₁₃ , H _31
14 , H ₃₁₁₅ , H ₃₁₁₆ , to H ₃₆₁₆ , the output is increased.

FIGS. 11 and 12 show a continuous firing apparatus 1.
11 is a timing chart showing a position of each substrate 10 and a temperature rise / fall curve of the substrate 10 carried in at time t ₀ in FIG. 11 when the substrate 10 containing a film forming material is fired by using FIG. In FIG. 11, the dashed line indicates the boundary of each drive section 38 and the like. As shown in the figure, in the slow cooling zone 26, it is equal to each heating chamber R, that is, the boundary of the heating section. That is, the vertical axis indicates the position in the longitudinal direction (the transport direction of the substrate 10) in the furnace body 20.
A plurality of real curves drawn upward to the right each correspond to the movement of each substrate 10, and the magnitude of the inclination indicates the speed of the transport speed. Hereinafter, the firing method of the substrate 10 will be described with reference to these timing charts.

First, at time t ₀ , the unfired substrate 1
0 is carried in from the drive section 38 side of the preheating zone 22 according to the carrying-in direction shown in FIG. At this time, the shutter devices S provided in the slow cooling zone 26 are all closed, the respective heating chambers R are separated from each other, and the substrate 10 is heated and lowered by the temperature curve shown in FIG. As described above, the heaters H provided in the respective zones 22, 24, 26 of the furnace body 20 are driven by feedback control to heat the inside of the furnace body 20, and the electromagnetic valves 108 provided in the cooling zone 28 are driven. By flowing the cooling water through the cooling jacket C, each part of each zone is maintained at a preset target temperature. In addition, the motor 30 and the motor 52 are driven, and the rollers 42 in the first transport device 14 and the third transport device 18 are rotated clockwise in FIG. Therefore, the loaded substrate 10 is transported toward the heating zone 24 at the first transport speed.

[0045] Then, at time t ₁ has elapsed from the time t _0, for example, about 300 seconds, the next substrate 10 is carried into the preheating zone 22, at time t ₂ has elapsed further about 300 seconds, the substrate 10 further in the following Is carried into the preheating zone 22. That is, the substrates 10 are sequentially carried into the preheating zone 22, for example, approximately every 300 seconds, and the front end 136 of the substrate 10 is
Is about 1500 (mm), if the length of the substrate 10 in the transport direction is 1000 (mm), the mutual distance is 500 (mm).
It will be carried in by about. The substrate 10 sequentially loaded in this way is transported to the end of the preheating zone 22 while being supported by the rotating roller 42, for example, about 1100 seconds, for example, about 500 (° C.). Is raised to the maximum firing temperature MT. 11 and 12
This point in time t ₃ indicates this state.

At this time, the driving section 38 of the preheating zone 22
Are sequentially detected at each of the substrate detection positions S _A by the substrate position detection device 110 provided in each of them, and the detection signals are sequentially sent to the control device 62.
The arithmetic and control circuit 144 determines whether or not the detection time interval is held at the carry-in interval. For example, when the detection time interval is shortened to about 4/5 of the carry-in interval, the carry-in is temporarily stopped. To adjust the carry-in time interval of the substrate 10 carried into the preheating zone 22 or to temporarily stop the first transfer device 14 so that the heating zone 24
Then, the time interval for carrying the substrate 10 into the slow cooling zone 26 is adjusted. That is, the transport speed of the substrate 10 is substantially adjusted. Incidentally, a plurality of rollers 4 like the firing device 12 are used.
In the so-called RHK in which the substrate 10 is transported by 2,
The transport speed unevenness due to the sliding between the roller 42 and the substrate 10 may occur. For this reason, the transport time interval of the substrate 10 is not always kept at the carry-in time interval, and there is a problem that the substrates 10 that follow one another sometimes come into contact with each other and may be damaged. It needs to be detected and adjusted within the body 20.

In the subsequent heating zone 24, the substrate 10
Is maintained at the highest firing temperature MT, and the first transport device 1
4 conveys continuously from the preheating zone 22. However
The transport speed in the heating zone 24 is initially set to the preheating zone.
The first transfer speed is the same as that of the substrate 22, but the substrate 10
When the drive section 40b is completely entered, the motor 44 is driven.
This increases the second transport speed. This and
Between the heating zone 24 and the slow cooling zone 26
Shutter device S₁Can be opened and the heating chamber R
₁The second transport device 16a that drives the roller 42 in the
At the second transfer speed (ie, the same transfer speed as that of the drive section 40b).
(Speed). Therefore, the substrate 10 is heated
From the heating chamber R in the cooling zone 26₁Ie the first
Soaking temperature KT₁Heating chamber R held in₁Promptly within
And the substrate detection position at the front end of the reciprocating range.
Place S_BAt the end by the substrate position detecting device 110
When the unit 136 is detected, the temperature is determined for each heating chamber R.
The stopped position (that is, the substrate detection position S_B) To stop
Can be t_FourThe time point indicates this state. In this embodiment
First, the heating chamber R is heated after reaching the maximum firing temperature MT.₁Inside
The heating time (so-called keep time) before being carried into
It takes about 400 seconds. In this way, the cooling zone 26
The loaded substrate 10 is set in advance in each heating chamber R.
The predetermined temperature (ie, the first to sixth soaking temperatures) KT
₁, KT_Two, ~ KT₆Is held for a predetermined time and soaked,
Repeat the process of promptly transferring to the following heating chamber R.
And gradually cooling according to the stepwise cooling curve shown in FIG.
Is done. The first soaking temperature KT ₁Is the maximum firing temperature M
A predetermined value ΔKT of several (° C) to several tens (° C) of T
And the second soaking temperature KT_Two , Third soaking
Temperature KT_Three, To the sixth soaking temperature KT₆Each further
The temperature is lowered by a predetermined value ΔKT.

[0048] At this time, when the substrate 10 is carried into the heating chamber R _1, the shutter device S ₁ which has been opened is closed, the motor 46a of the second transfer device 16a of the drive segment 48a is inverted driven , ranges substrate 10 is shown in FIG. 2 by a broken line in the heating chamber R ₁ along the transport direction (S _B to S
_The heat is soaked while being reciprocated in _C ). At the time of this reciprocation, at the front end in the transport direction of the reciprocation range, the substrate detection position S _B is the same as when the substrate 10 is loaded into the heating chamber R.
While the motor 46 is switched to the drive reversed by the substrate end 136 is detected in, in the transport direction rear end, the rear side opposite to the said end 136 of the substrate 10 in the substrate detection position S _C in FIG. When the end is detected, the motor 46 is switched to the normal rotation drive. In this way, the holding time of a predetermined, for example, about 180 seconds have elapsed, the reciprocating movement is stopped can open the shutter device S ₂ of the substrate 10 is transported into the heating chamber R in ₂ substrate 10 followed You. T ₅ the time in FIG. 11 shows this state. When the substrate 10 falls completely within the heating chamber R ₂ shutter device S ₂ is closed, the heating chamber R in the heating chamber R _{2
While the} soaking treatment is performed in the same manner as in ₁ , the cooling air is supplied from the air supply pipe 90 to the heating chamber R1 which has become an empty space if necessary, and then the subsequent substrate 10 is carried in the same manner. Soaking heat treatment. The time required for loading and unloading the substrate 10, that is, the time from when the shutter device S is opened to when it is closed again is, for example, about 30 seconds. Further, one cycle of the heat treatment in each heating chamber R, that is, the shutter device S on the rear side in the transport direction in order to carry in the substrate 10 sequentially.
The interval at which is opened is about 300 seconds, which is equal to the interval at which the substrate 10 is carried into the preheating zone.

In the heating zone 24, the substrate detecting device 110 functions to maintain the transfer time interval of the substrate 10 similarly to the preheating zone 22, but in the slow cooling zone 26, as described above. In each heating chamber R, it is desired that the substrate 10 be located in a reciprocating range as high as possible and be reciprocated within the range. position S _B, is caused to function to stop, respectively S _C. Further, in the slow cooling zone 26, interference between the shutter device from the heating chamber R it is shielded from one another by S, the not reliably stopped at the stop position S _B shutter device S and the substrate 10 as described above Therefore, the necessity of detecting the position of the substrate is further increased. Incidentally, as illustrated for the heating chamber R ₁ and the temperature distribution in the conveying direction in the lower part of FIG. 2, not the desired temperature is obtained under the influence of the set temperature, such as heating chamber R adjacent in the front-rear in the transport direction Therefore, in order to maintain the entire substrate 10 at a desired temperature during the soaking process in the heating chamber R, it is necessary to position the substrate 10 at a position corresponding to the horizontal portion of the graph. The substrate detection positions S _B and S _C are
It is set in such a range.

In addition, the cooling conditions in the predetermined cooling period following the maximum firing temperature MT of, for example, about 500 (° C.) or more in the temperature rise curve shown in FIG. Is an important factor above. For example, V
When used for FD (fluorescent display tube), PDP (plasma display panel), PALC (plasma-addressed liquid crystal display device), or FED (field emission display), the substrate 10 is made of a soda-lime glass. If it is made of strain point glass, the substrate 10
Because the temperature inside becomes uneven and the cooling rate of each part is different from each other, a local change in its dimensions occurs, making it difficult to align the multilayer thick film printing,
Alternatively, a PDP in which a large number of cells are formed by combining a thick-film printing surface of a front plate and a rear plate
When used for FEDs and FEDs, there is a portion where a cell cannot be formed due to the difference between the two, so that the larger the size is, for example, 40 inches, the lower the manufacturing yield is. FIG. 13 shows a substrate 1 in the conventional baking method in which the cooling rate on the front end side in the transport direction is higher than the cooling rate on the rear end side in the transport direction.
The dimension of 0 (solid line) is shown in comparison with the dimension before baking (dashed line). Further, when a large number of thick-film printed resistors, thick-film bonding pads, and the like are provided on the substrate 10, the temperature inside the substrate 10 becomes uneven, and the cooling rates of the respective parts are different from each other. The resistance value and bonding suitability depend on the degree of melting and softening of the glass component contained as a binder in the thick film layer having a function, and on the degree of melting and sintering of the metal and inorganic material particles contained in the thick film. The manufacturing yield is accelerated as the substrate 10 becomes larger due to variations in the resistance value of the printed resistor and the suitability for bonding. Further, even when a rib wall having a predetermined height is formed on the substrate 10 by laminating the dielectric layers by the thick film printing, the temperature inside the substrate 10 becomes uneven and the cooling rates of the respective parts are different from each other. Since the firing shrinkage, that is, the thickness and width of the thick film are affected by the degree of melting and softening of the glass component contained in the thick film, the manufacturing yield is accelerated as the substrate 10 becomes larger.

As described above, the heating chambers R ₁ , R ₂ ,.
When the heat treatment in the slow cooling zone ends by being sequentially held in the R _6, together with the shutter device S ₇ is opened, by the motor 46f and the motor 56 is driven, synchronized drive segment 48f and 133a are the same driven Te, the substrate 10 is unloaded from the heating chamber R ₆ in the cooling zone 28. T ₁₄ time points 11 and 12 shows this state. Thereafter, the motor 56 of the third transfer device 18 is stopped, and the substrate 10 is transferred in the cooling zone 28 at the first transfer speed and is unloaded from the right end thereof. In the process, the substrate 10 is lifted as shown in FIG. It is cooled rapidly at a rate of temperature decrease substantially similar to the temperature rate. T ₁₅ the time of FIG. 11 shows this state. The time required for this cooling process is, for example, about 700 seconds, and the time (t _{0 to} t ₁₅ ) from when the substrate 10 is carried into the preheating zone 22 to when the cooling is completed is, for example, 3500
It is on the order of seconds (about one hour). As described above, since the substrate 10 is sequentially loaded into the preheating zone 22 at predetermined time intervals of, for example, about 300 seconds, as is apparent from FIG. It is carried out from the cooling zone 28 at intervals.
In this cooling zone 28, the substrate position in the preheating zone 22 or the like similarly to the substrate detection position S _A is detected, so that the substrate gap is retained to the desired value, the third transport device 18 is controlled .

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the baking apparatus 12 is provided to detect the position of the substrate at the front or front and rear of the driving section 38a, 38b, to 50c in the transport direction of the substrate 10. , A substrate position detection device 110 positioned to detect a predetermined substrate detection point P set at a position between the rollers 42 in a non-contact manner from a direction inclined at an angle θ with respect to the upper surface of the substrate 10. It is comprised including. Therefore, since the detection direction is not parallel to the upper surface of the substrate 10, even when the substrate 10 is displaced up and down due to the warpage or undulation of the roller 42, the substrate detection point P is displaced. Since it is difficult for the substrate 10 to deviate from the detectable range, detection omission of the substrate position is suppressed.

According to the present embodiment, the baking apparatus 12 is provided with a plurality of heating chambers R ₁ , R ₂ ,. ₆ and a second transfer device 16 for sequentially transferring the substrate 10 to a plurality of stop positions provided for each of the plurality of heating chambers R,
Substrate detection point P or substrate detection position S _B is provided in each of the plurality of stop positions. Therefore, the substrate 10
Is sequentially soaked in each of the plurality of heating chambers R while being sequentially conveyed in one direction in the course of the heat treatment, but in each of the plurality of heating chambers R, each substrate detection position S
_{When the} substrate 10 is detected by the substrate position detection device 110 at _B, that is, at the substrate detection point P provided at the stop position, the substrate 10 is stopped at the set stop positions. Therefore, in order to minimize the temperature variation in the substrate 10 as in this embodiment, a plurality of heating chambers R
When the substrate 10 is heat-treated (slowly cooled) while being soaked every time, the substrate 10 is stopped at a stop position set so as to obtain the highest possible soaking state.
Temperature variations in the substrate 10 are further suppressed.

Further, in this embodiment, the substrate position detecting device 110 is provided such that the optical axis of the light projector 112a is located in a plane including the substrate detecting point P and perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10. Things. With this configuration, the substrate 10 being transported is detected in a plane including the substrate detection point P perpendicular to the transport direction, and thus the substrate position is displaced up and down due to warpage or undulation of the rollers 42. In this case, the substrate detection point P is set to the preset substrate detection position S
_{In A} , S _B and S _C , the substrate 10 is displaced only in a plane perpendicular to the transport direction of the substrate 10. Therefore, the substrate 10 is reliably detected at the preset substrate detection positions S _A , S _B , and S _C in the transport direction, and unnecessary changes in the transport interval and the stop position in the case of intermittent transport are further suppressed. .

In this embodiment, the substrate 10 is
The substrate detection point P, that is, the substrate detection position S _C is moved to the stop position of the reciprocation provided on the rear side in the conveyance direction in each heating chamber R during the heat equalization in each heating chamber R. Is also provided. In this way, the substrate 10 can be reliably reciprocated in a preset reciprocating range during the soaking in each heating chamber R in order to further suppress the temperature variation in the substrate 10.

The continuous-type baking apparatus 12 includes a control unit 62 for controlling the temperature uniformity in each of the plurality of heating chambers R arranged in one direction, which is the direction of transport of the plurality of substrates 10 including the film forming material, in the cooling area. And a second transport device 16 that transports the substrate 10 in one direction while supporting the plurality of substrates 10 by a plurality of rollers 42 that are driven to rotate about axes that are perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and parallel to each other. . Therefore, the substrate 10 containing the film forming material is sequentially positioned in the plurality of heating chambers R ₁ , R ₂ , to R ₆ in the process of being transported along the one direction by the second transport device 16 in the cooling process of the heat treatment. In each of the plurality of heating chambers R, a predetermined time (t) is set at a set temperature KT ₁ , KT ₂ ,... KT ₆ set for each section so as to gradually decrease as shown in FIG. _Four
~t ₅₎ it is soaked. As described above, the cooling process of the heat treatment is performed while sequentially repeating the soaking in the plurality of heating chambers R each maintained at the set temperature KT set for each section so as to gradually decrease in the process of being transported in one direction. As a result, the temperature variation in the substrate 10 including the film forming material is reduced as much as possible.

For this reason, when the substrate 10 is made of glass, local changes in dimensions in the substrate 10 and positional deviations caused by thick film printing or the like due to the change are prevented, and the production yield is drastically increased. In particular, when the substrate 10 is made of soda lime glass, the effect is remarkable because the temperature is raised to a temperature higher than the strain point. Further, since the temperature variation in the substrate 10 including the film forming material is reduced as much as possible as described above, there are cases where a large number of thick-film resistors and rib-like walls are provided on the surface of the substrate 10. In other words, the degree of melting of the glass functioning as a binder in those thick-film printing layers becomes uniform, and the variation in the resistance value of these thick-film resistors and the variation in the height of the rib-like walls are preferably small. Is done.

Further, in the present embodiment, the second transfer device 16 transfers the plurality of substrates 10 intermittently for each of the plurality of heating chambers R. With this configuration, in the cooling process of the heat treatment, the heat treatment is sequentially performed in the plurality of heating chambers R while the substrate 10 is intermittently transported in one direction. Are continuously conveyed to form a continuous heat curve, compared with a conventional baking apparatus in which the temperature difference in the substrate 10 is extremely reduced, and the continuous baking apparatus is reduced in overall length. 12 becomes smaller.

According to the present embodiment, when manufacturing a large-sized electronic device substrate, an inexpensive soda-lime glass can be used as the substrate 10. As compared with the above, there is an advantage that the cost is significantly reduced and the glass is hardly cracked due to a difference in thermal expansion coefficient with the thick film layer during firing.

While the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, the present invention can be embodied in still another embodiment.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the substrate position detecting device 110 is configured to detect the substrate 10 by the photoelectric switch 112. However, instead of the photoelectric switch 112, another optical detecting device, Similarly, even if an ultrasonic generator or the like is used, non-contact substrate position detection is possible.

Further, in the embodiment, the inclination angle of the optical axis is set to about θ = 4 °, but this angle may be appropriately changed. However, in order to minimize detection errors when the substrate 10 is vertically displaced due to warpage or undulation of the roller 42, one of the pair of light emitting and receiving devices 112 is 5 to 5 mm above the transport surface. It is preferable to set the angle range of about 1 to 6 °, which is located about 100 (mm) above and about 5 to 100 (mm) below the transport surface.

In the embodiment, the light projector 112a
Although the photoelectric switch 112 is arranged so that the optical axis of the optical switch is located in a plane perpendicular to the transfer surface of the substrate 10, the direction of the optical axis may be appropriately changed as long as it does not interfere with the roller 42. That is, for example, in FIG. 9, the axis direction of the roller 42 and the optical axis may be provided so as to form an appropriate angle.

Further, in the embodiment, the substrate 10 is configured to be detected by preventing the light from being received by the substrate 10.
Both 2a and the light receiver 112b may be arranged above or below the roller 42 to receive the light reflected by the substrate 10. In this case, when the substrate 10 is displaced up and down, the optical axis of the reflected light is displaced in parallel, but in general, the photoelectric switch 112 and the like are in a certain range even when the optical axis is displaced in parallel in this way. In this case, the detection can be performed, so that the above-mentioned operation can be performed.

The heating chamber R for reciprocating the substrate 10
In the configuration, the substrate position detecting device 110 is also provided at the stop position on the rear side in the transport direction, that is, the substrate detection position S _C , so that the substrate 10 can be reciprocated in a reciprocating range that is set assuredly. However, instead of setting the substrate detection position S _C , the rearward movement may be managed by time. Be managed in time relative to the movement start time from the substrate detection position S _B is conveyed forward end of the reciprocating range, since the overfeeding backward not occur, particular problems even in this manner resulting There is no. In the case where the substrate 10 during the soaking in the heating chamber R is not moved back and forth in the conveying direction, the setting of the above-mentioned substrate detection position S _C is of course not necessary.

In the embodiment, a plurality of heating chambers R
Are configured to be shielded from each other by a shutter device S provided with a rotary shutter 84. However, when the soaking range in each heating chamber R can be set sufficiently large with respect to the size of the substrate 10, The shutter device S may not be necessarily provided. In this case, the interference between the shutter device S and the substrate 10 does not occur even if the substrate position is not detected, but it is necessary to detect the substrate position in order to send the substrate 10 to a range with as high a temperature uniformity as possible. Since it is desired, the effect of providing the substrate position detecting device 110 as in the embodiment can be sufficiently obtained.

Although not specifically exemplified, the present invention can be implemented in various modified and improved modes based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of a continuous firing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in which a cross section along a longitudinal direction of the furnace body of the embodiment of FIG. 1 is partially omitted.

FIGS. 3A to 3E are aa to ee in FIG.
It is a figure each corresponding to a viewing cross section.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a plurality of heater arrangements in the embodiment of FIG.

FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are diagrams showing an air supply pipe and an exhaust pipe of the embodiment of FIG. 1, respectively.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an arrangement position of a substrate position detection device in the baking device of FIG.

7 is a view showing a sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a sight hole provided in the substrate position detecting device.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a control circuit according to the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is a time chart showing a substrate transfer position of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a view showing a set temperature of each zone, that is, a firing temperature curve of a substrate in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating local dimensional deformation of a substrate in a conventional firing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Substrate 12: Continuous firing device 16: Second transport device (transport device) R1, R2, to R6: Multiple heating chambers (heating sections) S: Shutter device P: Substrate detection points S _A , S _B , S _C : substrate detection position (stop position) 42: roller 62: control device (temperature control device) 110: substrate position detection device

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Jun Ito 2160, Yatsumachi, Yasu-cho, Asakura-gun, Fukuoka Prefecture 2160 Yatsunami, Kyushu Noritake Co., Ltd. No. 2160, Yatsunami, Kyushu Noritake Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yuji Sato 3-36, Noritakeshinmachi, Nishi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi Noritake Co., Ltd.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A method of performing heat treatment on a plurality of substrates in a process of supporting a plurality of substrates by a plurality of rollers which are arranged in parallel with each other and each of which is driven to rotate around an axis and sequentially transports the substrates in one direction. A tunnel-shaped baking apparatus, which is provided to detect a position of the substrate in a part of a direction of conveyance of the substrate, and detects a predetermined substrate detection point set at a position between the rollers. A substrate position detecting device positioned so as to detect in a non-contact manner from a direction inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to an upper surface of the substrate. 2. A plurality of heating sections, each of which is provided in a row in the one direction and is thermally divided so as to perform a soaking process sequentially on each of the plurality of substrates, and wherein the plurality of heating sections are soaked and controlled. 2. The apparatus for firing a substrate according to claim 1, further comprising: a transport device for sequentially transporting to a plurality of stop positions provided for each heating section, wherein said substrate detection point is provided at each of said plurality of stop positions. . 3. The substrate baking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate position detection device is provided in a plane including the substrate detection point and perpendicular to a direction in which the substrate is transported. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is 1 to 6 degrees.