JPS63197343A - Thermal treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reuse nitrogen gas, so far destined to be discarded in quantities when heat treatment is not under way, by a method wherein a mechanism is provided capable of regenerating the gas just out of a heat treatment section and supply it back to the heat treatment section. CONSTITUTION:When heat treatment is not under way, a first valve 8 is opened and a second valve 9 is closed, for the flow of gas from a tube 1 to be switched from an exhaust line 2 to a gas-regenerating line 7. The gas, after passing through the gas-regenerating line 7, is regenerated in a second gas refiner 6. The gas, after passing through an open third valve 10, is into a first gas refiner 4 for further refining. The gas travels through an inlet line 3 and goes into the tube 1. When the entirety of the gas coming out of the tube 1 is to be utilized, a fourth valve 11 and a fifth valve 12 are closed. When only a part of the gas is to be utilized, the fourth valve 11 and the fifth valve 12 are opened. In this way, nitrogen gas, which is being discarded in great quantities in a conventional design when heat treatment is not under way, may now be reused.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to heat treatment equipment used in the semiconductor industry, and in particular to gas remanufacturing lines.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of heat treatment apparatus is as shown in FIG. After being introduced into the inner tube 1, it was all exhausted through the exhaust line 2.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional heat treatment system shown in FIG. 2, all the gas introduced into the tube 1 is exhausted through the exhaust line/2, and the tube 1 is kept clean. Therefore, a large amount of nitrogen gas was introduced into the tube 1 even when no heat treatment was performed.

Therefore, as the diameter of the quefer becomes larger and the diameter and internal volume of the tube 10 become larger, the amount of gas that is wasted becomes extremely large.

The object of the present invention is to reuse gas that was discarded in large quantities when heat treatment was not performed.

Means for Solving the Problems The heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus for heat-treating the object to be treated by purifying gas sent from a gas supply line using a gas purifier and introducing it into a heat treatment section. It has a mechanism to regenerate the gas that exits the heat treatment section and reintroduce it into the heat treatment section.

Effect: According to the present invention, it is possible to reuse gas such as nitrogen, which is normally wasted when no heat treatment is performed.

Example FIG. 1 shows a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The heat treatment apparatus shown in FIG.
Valve 8, second valve 9, gas remanufacturing line 7, second gas purifier e
, third valve 10. A fourth valve 11, a fifth valve 12, etc. are also included. This feature makes it possible to reuse a large amount of nitrogen gas that was wasted when no heat treatment was performed.

By switching the gas line between the exhaust line 2 and the gas remanufacturing line 7 depending on when the gas discharged from the tube 1 in which the semiconductor substrate is heat-treated is to be reused or not, the gas can be reused. .

When heat treatment is not being performed, the first valve 8 is opened and the second valve 8 is opened.
The valve 9 is closed, and the gas coming out of the tube 1 is switched from the exhaust line 2 to the gas remanufacturing line 7 to flow. Gas purification line 7
The passed gas is regenerated in the second gas purifier, passed through the opened third valve 1o, and resupplied to the first gas purifier 4 for purification, and then passed through the introduction line 3 again into the tube. 1 will be introduced. At this time, if all the gas coming out of the tube 1 is to be reused, the fourth valve 11 and the sixth valve 12 are closed.

If a portion is to be reused, the fourth valve 11 and the fifth valve 12 are opened.

In addition, the second gas purifier 6 is placed in the gas remanufacturing line T in case the gas coming out of the tube 1 is mixed with a large amount of air, but if the amount of air mixed in is small, the second gas purifier 6 It doesn't have to be there.

Effects of the Invention By using the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to reuse nitrogen gas that was thrown away in large quantities when heat treatment was not performed. In today's world, where wafer diameters are increasing in the semiconductor industry and the amount of gas being wasted is increasing, the heat treatment system of the present invention is of extremely high value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional example. 1...tube, 2...exhaust line,
3...Introduction line, 4...First gas purifier, 5...Gas supply line, 6...
Second gas purifier, 7...Gas remanufacturing line, 8~
12... Valve. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person! −
Zl-F 7-Kanu J1N line? -Signing Δn 8-Sho J--Procurement line 9-Sho 4-1st π space a 10-Valve

Claims (1)

[Claims] A heat treatment apparatus that purifies gas sent from a gas supply line using a gas purifier and introduces it into a heat treatment section to heat treat the object to be treated, the gas leaving the heat treatment section being regenerated and sent to the heat treatment section. A heat treatment device equipped with a mechanism for reintroduction.