JPS5917970B2 - heat treatment equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus, and particularly to a heat treatment apparatus having a boat for holding a workpiece to be processed and a paddle for inserting and pulling out the boat into a process tube. The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus in which the insertion and withdrawal operations are automated.

In general, this type of heat treatment apparatus includes a process tube 1 made of quartz or silicon that can be heated by a heater (not shown), as shown in FIG.
A boat 2 holding a member to be processed, that is, a semiconductor device 2a, is inserted into and pulled out from an opening at one end of the process tube 1 using a paddle 3. In this method, the cap 4 was removably fitted, and heat treatment was performed in a heated atmosphere using a processing gas introduced from the other end introduction pipe 1a.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, there are many work steps that require manual labor during use, and the efficiency of the heat treatment work is therefore extremely low. The device shown in FIG. 2, which automates the insertion and withdrawal operations, has been proposed and is now in practical use.

5 In other words, the device shown in FIG.
The process tube 1 is automatically inserted into the process tube 1 by a boat loader, and the process tube 1 is automatically pulled out.The system has a relatively simple configuration and has been automated to perform only simple tasks.

However, although this apparatus shown in FIG. 2 has a baffle 6 to close the opening of the process tube 1, due to the structure of the baffle 6, Since there is a relatively large gap between the tubes and external gas can enter the tube, it is difficult to control the processing temperature, or the external gas may have an unfavorable effect on the heat treatment. There was an inconvenience.

0 The present invention aims to provide a heat treatment device that improves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional technology, and includes a paddle that supports a boat with respect to a boat loader, and a cap that closes the opening of a process tube through an elastic mechanism. The cap is automatically attached and removed at the same time as the paddle is inserted and pulled out of the boat.

(9) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing the configuration of the apparatus according to this embodiment, with main parts cut away, FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the section taken along the line "-" above, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the section "v" shown above.

3 to 5, the paddle 5, which supports the boat 2 and is inserted into the process tube 1 through the opening at one end, is attached to the operating rod 7 of the boat loader by an adjustment member. 8 and 9 1 and an end board 10 which corresponds to the cap 4 and closes the tube opening.
Similarly, it is attached to the operating rod 7 via an elastic support structure, which will be described below, so that it can be adjusted up and down, left and right, and front and back by adjustment members 11 and 12, respectively. The elastic support mechanism includes a hollow cylindrical support rod 13 supported by the adjustment member 12;
The end board 10 has a notch 1 in the lower part.
While straddling the paddle 5 at position 0a, insert the support piece 10b at the center of the board surface into the cross-shaped projection 14a at the tip of the holding rod 14, and use 14a and 14b to tilt it to the required degree. It is supported so that it can be obtained.

Further, the holding rod 14 holds the protrusion 14c on the rod at the stopper 1.
The spring 16 is inserted into the guide groove 13a on the support rod 13 having a diameter of 5, and is normally supported by the elastic force of the interposed spring 16.
The protrusion 14c protrudes forward until it abuts against the stopper 15, and can be pushed in against the elastic force of the spring 16. Further, the holding rod 14 is structured to be prevented from rotating by the protrusion 14c and the guide groove 13a. Therefore, in the configuration of this embodiment, although not shown in FIG. 3, when the boat loader is operated with the workpiece placed and held on the boat 2 supported on the paddle 5, , a paddle 5 attached to the operating rod 7 and an end board 10 supported via an elastic support mechanism.
is advanced toward the process tube 1.

When the boat 2 is inserted into the tube to a predetermined position, in this case a position close to the soaking zone, the end board 10 comes into contact with the tube opening at the same time, and upon subsequent insertion, the end board 10 closes this opening due to the elastic force of the spring 16. When the boat 2 is pulled out again without being tightly closed, it is operated in the opposite manner to the above and returns to the state before operation. Here, the paddle 5 and the support rod 13 are attached to the operating rod 7 so that they can be adjusted in vertical, horizontal, and longitudinal positions by adjusting members 8, 9 and 11, 12, respectively. against boat 2 and end board 10
The relative position of the end board 10 can be set correctly, and an appropriate contact force of the end board 10 to the tube opening can be obtained.
Since the end board 10 is supported at the tip of the holding rod 14 so as to obtain an inclination to the required degree, there is no strain on both sides when closing the opening, and also, for example, when a bending lever is applied to the process tube 1. Even if such a problem occurs, it can be adequately dealt with, and there is no risk of damage or gas leakage.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, the paddle D that moves in and out of the process tube and the end board that closes the opening of the process tube are attached to the operating rod of the boat loader, and the end board has an elastic force provided by a spring. Automation of D1 work, since the support mechanism is interposed, the tube opening can be closed automatically by the end board in response to the insertion and withdrawal of the boat into the process tube. Not only can this be achieved, but also the intrusion of outside air into the process tube can be prevented, and the heat treatment of the workpiece can be performed accurately and favorably.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing an overview of the configuration of a conventional heat treatment apparatus, FIG. 3 is a side view with main parts cut away showing the configuration of an embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 The figure is a sectional view taken along line 1V-1V in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of section V in FIG. 1... Process tube, 2... Boat, 2a... Part to be processed, 5... Paddle, 7... Operation of boat loader Rod, 8, 9, 1
1, 12... Adjustment member, 10... End board, 13... Support rod, 13a...
・Guide groove, 14... Holding rod, 14a, 14b
...Protrusion, 14c...Protrusion, 15...
...Stoppa, 16...Spring.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 For closing the process tube opening in a heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a workpiece that is placed and held on the boat by allowing a boat to be inserted into and pulled out from the opening at one end of the process tube equipped with a heating means. An end board, a holding rod that holds the end board with a required amount of inclination, an elastic body that applies elastic force to the holding rod, and an adjustment member that adjusts the holding rod vertically and horizontally. A heat treatment device characterized by: