TW201911966A - heating equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a heating device capable of reducing the space to be secured on the left and right sides of a heating furnace for inserting and removing a heater. The heating device 1 of the present invention includes a heating furnace 10 and a plurality of rod-like heaters 20. The plurality of rod-like heaters 20 are disposed inside the heating furnace 10 along the surface of a substrate 9. In addition, the plurality of rod-like heaters 20 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each rod-like heater 20 can be inserted and removed in the front-rear direction via an insertion hole defined in the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. Therefore, it is able to reduce the space to be secured on the left and right sides of the heating furnace 10 for inserting and removing the rod-like heaters 20, whereby a plurality of heating devices 1 can be densely arranged in the left-right direction.

Description

heating equipment

The present invention relates to a heating device for heating a plurality of substrates by using a rod heater.

In recent years, polyimide films have attracted attention as substrates for flexible displays. A conventional polyfluoreneimide film is described in Patent Document 1, for example. As described in paragraphs 0004 and 0124 of Patent Document 1, when manufacturing a polyimide film, a polyimide film is formed on a carrier substrate. In addition, as described in paragraph 0110 of Patent Document 1, the polyimide resin is heated by heating a polyimide resin precursor, a tetracarboxylic dianhydride, and a diisocyanate compound in the presence of a solvent (heating the Amination).

In addition, as described in paragraph 0126 of Patent Document 1, when colorless transparency is required for a polyimide film, in order to suppress coloring, it is preferred to heat in an inert environment such as nitrogen.

On the other hand, a conventional device for heating a substrate is described in Patent Document 2, for example. The heat treatment apparatus of Patent Document 2 includes a chamber capable of mounting a plurality of substrates, and a plurality of heaters provided in the chamber. As described in paragraph 0055 of Patent Document 2, the plurality of heaters are arranged above and below each substrate so as to cover the entire area of the substrate. In addition, paragraph 0069 of Patent Document 2 describes that an ambient gas such as nitrogen is supplied into the chamber. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-165491 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent No. 5973728

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] As a device which can be used for heating / imidization of a polyimide film, for example, a device such as Patent Document 2 is conceived. However, in the device of Patent Document 2, a plurality of rod-shaped heaters extend in a direction (left-right direction) that is perpendicular to the loading-unloading direction of the substrate. With such a configuration, when the used heater is replaced with a new heater, the heater needs to be inserted and removed in the left-right direction. In this case, it is necessary to secure a space equal to or longer than the length of the heater in the left-right direction on the left and right sides of the device. Therefore, a plurality of devices cannot be closely arranged in the left-right direction.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a heating device capable of reducing a space to be secured on the left and right sides of a heating furnace in order to insert and remove a heater.

[Technical Means for Solving the Problem] In order to solve the problem, a first invention of the present application is a heating device that heats a plurality of substrates, and the heating device includes a heating furnace capable of accommodating a plurality of sections in a vertical direction The plurality of substrates; and a plurality of rod-shaped heaters arranged along the surface of the substrate inside the heating furnace and arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and the heating furnace is provided with And a front wall that carries the substrate in and out, and a rear wall that faces the front wall in the front-to-rear direction across a space that houses the plurality of substrates, the rear wall has a plurality of insertion holes, so The plurality of rod-shaped heaters can be inserted into or removed from the heating furnace via the insertion holes, respectively.

The second invention of the present application is the heating device of the first invention, and the plurality of rod-shaped heaters are arranged in parallel with each other.

The third invention of the present application is the heating device of the first invention or the second invention, and has a plurality of heater groups. The heater group is formed by arranging a plurality of rod-shaped heaters in the left-right direction. The heater is configured such that the heater group and the substrate are alternately arranged in the vertical direction inside the heating furnace.

The fourth invention of the present application is the heating device of the third invention, and among the plurality of rod-shaped heaters included in the heater group, the rod-shaped heaters located near the both ends in the left-right direction are adjacent to each other. The interval is narrower than the interval between the rod-shaped heaters located near the center in the left-right direction.

A fifth invention of the present application is the heating device of any one of the first to fourth inventions, and includes: a plurality of main heaters, which are the rod-shaped heaters; and a plurality of sub-heaters, which are the same as the above A plurality of rod-shaped heaters having different main heaters are arranged vertically with respect to the main heater in a plan view, and extend along a wall surface of the heating furnace, and the heating furnace has a space to accommodate the Space of a plurality of substrates and a pair of side walls facing in the left-right direction, a part of the secondary heater is located between one of the pair of side walls and a center of the heating furnace in the left-right direction. The left-right direction extends, and the other secondary heater extends in the left-right direction between the other of the pair of side walls and a center of the heating furnace in the left-right direction.

A sixth invention of the present application is the heating device of the fifth invention, and a length of the secondary heater in the left-right direction is shorter than a half length of the heating furnace in the left-right direction.

A seventh invention of the present application is the heating device according to any one of the first to sixth inventions, and further includes a gas supply unit that supplies gas into the heating furnace, and the gas supply unit is connected to the rear wall.

An eighth invention of the present application is the heating device according to any one of the first to seventh inventions, and further includes an exhaust portion for exhausting gas in the heating furnace, and the exhaust portion is connected to the rear wall. .

The ninth invention of the present application is the heating device of any one of the first to eighth inventions, and is arranged side by side in the left-right direction.

The tenth invention of the present application is the heating device of any one of the first to ninth inventions, and the substrate before heating has a thin film containing an organic solvent on an upper surface.

An eleventh invention of the present application is the heating device of the tenth invention, and the film includes a polyfluorene imide precursor.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the first to eleventh inventions of the present application, it is possible to reduce the space that should be secured on the left and right of the heating furnace in order to insert and remove the rod-shaped heater. Therefore, a plurality of heating devices can be closely arranged in the left-right direction.

In particular, according to the fourth invention of the present application, it is possible to reduce a difference in heating amount between the central portion and the edge portion of the substrate.

In particular, according to the fifth invention of the present application, it is possible to reduce the space required for inserting and removing the secondary heater on the left and right of the heating device. Therefore, a plurality of heating devices can be closely arranged in the left-right direction.

In particular, according to the seventh invention of the present application, it is possible to expand the movable range of the user in the left and right spaces of the device as compared with the case where the air supply portion is connected to the left and right side walls.

In particular, according to the eighth invention of the present application, it is possible to expand the movable range of the user in the left and right spaces of the device as compared with the case where the exhaust portion is connected to the left and right side walls.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each drawing of the present application, a common xyz orthogonal coordinate system is shown in order to easily grasp the directional relationship. The x direction corresponds to the left-right direction of the heating device. The y direction corresponds to the front-rear direction of the heating device. The z direction corresponds to the vertical direction of the heating device. The heating device is installed on a level floor surface. Therefore, the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are horizontal directions.

<1. Configuration of Heating Device> FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a heating device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heating device 1 cut in a plane orthogonal to the left-right direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heating device 1 cut in a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction. This heating device 1 is a device that collectively heats a plurality of substrates 9. The heating device 1 is used for the manufacturing process of the polyimide film used for a flexible display, for example. On the upper surface of the substrate 9 before heating, a thin film containing a polyimide precursor and an organic solvent is formed. When the substrate 9 is heated in the heating device 1, the polyimide precursor in the film is subjected to amidation to form a polyimide.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the heating device 1 according to this embodiment includes a heating furnace 10, a plurality of main heaters 20, a plurality of outer tubes 30, a plurality of sub heaters 40, an air supply unit 50, and an exhaust unit. 60 和 控制 部 70。 60 and the control section 70.

The heating furnace 10 is a frame including a heat-resistant material. A processing space 19 is provided in the heating furnace 10 so that a plurality of substrates 9 can be stored in a plurality of stages in the vertical direction. The heating furnace 10 of this embodiment has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. Specifically, the heating furnace 10 includes a front wall 11, a rear wall 12, a right wall 13, a left wall 14, a bottom plate portion 15, and a top plate portion 16. The front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 face each other in the front-rear direction (y direction) via the processing space 19. The right wall 13 and the left wall 14 face each other in the left-right direction (x direction) with the processing space 19 interposed therebetween. The bottom plate portion 15 and the top plate portion 16 face each other in the vertical direction (z direction) with the processing space 19 interposed therebetween.

The front wall 11 is provided with a plurality of loading / unloading ports 17 and a plurality of shutters 18 which open and close each loading / unloading port 17. The shutter 18 is opened and closed by a driving mechanism (not shown). When the shutter 18 is opened, the substrate 9 can be carried in and out through the carrying in / out port 17. On the other hand, when the shutter 18 is closed, the entry and exit of gas through the carry-in / out port 17 is blocked.

The main heater 20 is a heater for heating the substrate 9 disposed inside the heating furnace 10. For the main heater 20, a rod-shaped infrared heater (rod-shaped heater) is used. The main heater 20 has, for example, a Fe-Cr-Al heating wire that generates heat by being energized. The plurality of main heaters 20 are arranged in parallel with each other along the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate 9. The plurality of main heaters 20 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction. Each main heater 20 extends in the front-rear direction. A base end portion 21 of each main heater 20 is located near the rear wall 12. The front end portion 22 of each main heater 20 is located near the front wall 11. Alternatively, a nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) wire may be used instead of the Fe-Cr-Al-based heating wire.

A plurality of insertion holes 120 are provided in the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. The main heater 20 can be inserted into or removed from the heating furnace 10 through the insertion hole 120. The main heater 20 must be replaced with a new one at regular intervals. When replacing the main heater 20, the used main heater 20 is first pulled out from the inside of the heating furnace 10 to the rear of the heating furnace 10 through the insertion hole 120. Then, a new main heater 20 is inserted into the heating furnace 10 from the rear of the heating furnace 10 through the insertion hole 120.

In this way, if the main heater 20 is inserted and removed in the front-rear direction behind the heating furnace 10, the right and left sides of the heating furnace 10 can be reduced compared to the case where the main heater 20 is inserted and removed in the left-right direction. A space to be secured for inserting and removing the main heater 20. Therefore, the plurality of heating devices 1 can be closely arranged in the left-right direction. That is, the floor size in the left-right direction required for one heating device 1 can be reduced.

In this embodiment, a plurality of main heaters 20 are arranged in the left-right direction at the same height position, thereby forming one heater group 20G. A plurality of such heater groups 20G are arranged inside the heating furnace 10 at intervals in the vertical direction. When a plurality of substrates 9 have been carried into the heating furnace 10, the heater group 20G and the substrates 9 are alternately arranged in the vertical direction. In addition, the heater group 20G is arranged not only between the substrates 9 adjacent in the vertical direction, but also above the substrate 9 at the uppermost stage and below the substrate 9 at the lowermost stage. Therefore, the heater groups 20G are arranged above and below all the substrates 9.

Since the edge portion of the substrate 9 has a larger amount of heat radiation than the center portion, the temperature is less likely to rise than the center portion. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, in the present embodiment, among the plurality of main heaters 20 included in the heater group 20G, the interval d1 between the main heaters 20 located near the both ends in the left-right direction is more than in the left-right direction The interval d2 between the main heaters 20 near the center is narrow. With this setting, it is possible to supply more heat to the edge portion in the left-right direction of the substrate 9 than in the center portion. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the temperature difference after heating between the edge portion in the left-right direction of the substrate 9 and the center portion.

The outer tube 30 is a member that covers each main heater 20. The outer tube 30 is formed of a material (for example, glass) capable of transmitting infrared rays. Each of the plurality of outer tubes 30 is fixed to the heating furnace 10. Each of the outer tubes 30 has a shape that extends from the insertion hole 120 of the rear wall 12 to a front wall 11 side in a tubular shape, and a front end portion thereof is closed. The opening of the base end portion of the outer tube 30 is a gas supply port 31 for receiving nitrogen gas supplied from a gas supply unit 50 to be described later. That is, the outer pipe 30 has an air supply port 31 near the base end portion 21 of the main heater 20.

The main heater 20 can be inserted into or pulled out from the outer tube 30 via the insertion hole 120. A user of the heating device 1 can replace only the main heater 20 as a consumable in the main heater 20 and the outer tube 30. When the heating device 1 is operated, a driving current is supplied to the main heater 20, and thereby the main heater 20 generates heat. In addition, infrared rays radiated from the main heater 20 penetrate the outer tube 30 and irradiate the surface of the substrate 9. Thereby, the substrate 9 is heated.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view near the front ends of the main heater 20 and the outer tube 30. As shown in FIG. 4, the outer pipe 30 has a plurality of ejection ports 32 near the front end portion 22 of the main heater 20. The ejection port 32 is an opening for ejecting the gas inside the outer tube 30 toward the surface of the substrate 9. The discharge port 32 penetrates the outer tube 30 in the up-and-down direction above and below the front end portion 22 of the main heater 20. However, the positions of the ejection ports 32, the number of the ejection ports 32, and the shape of the ejection ports 32 may not necessarily be as shown in FIG. 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, a plurality of substrate support portions 33 are provided on the outer surface of the outer tube 30. The substrate 9 carried into the heating furnace 10 is placed on a plurality of substrate support portions 33. The substrate 9 is supported in a horizontal posture by a plurality of substrate support portions 33. If at least a part of the substrate support portion 33 for supporting the substrate 9 is provided in the outer tube 30 in this way, it is not necessary to provide a beam or the like for providing the substrate support portion 33 independently of the outer tube 30 inside the heating furnace 10. Therefore, the number of parts of the heating device 1 can be reduced, and the heating device 1 can be easily miniaturized.

The plurality of secondary heaters 40 are heaters for assisting heating the edge portions in the front-rear direction of the substrate 9. For the secondary heater 40, a rod-shaped infrared heater (rod-shaped heater) is used. The secondary heater 40 has, for example, a Fe-Cr-Al based heating wire that generates heat by being energized. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the plurality of secondary heaters 40 extend in the left-right direction along the wall surfaces of the front wall 11 and the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. That is, the plurality of secondary heaters 40 are arranged vertically with respect to the main heater 20 in a plan view. Alternatively, a nickel-chromium (Ni-Cr) wire may be used instead of the Fe-Cr-Al-based heating wire.

As described above, since the edge portion of the substrate 9 has a larger amount of heat radiation than the central portion, the temperature is less likely to rise than the central portion. However, in the present embodiment, the edge portion in the front-rear direction of the substrate 9 is heated by both the main heater 20 and the sub-heater 40. With this setting, it is possible to supply more heat to the edge portion in the front-rear direction of the substrate 9 than in the center portion. Therefore, the temperature difference after heating can be reduced between the edge part of the front-back direction of the board | substrate 9, and the center part.

The plurality of secondary heaters 40 include a plurality of right secondary heaters 41 and a plurality of left secondary heaters 42. The right secondary heater 41 is inserted into the heating furnace 10 from an insertion hole 130 provided in the right wall 13 of the heating furnace 10. The left side heater 42 is inserted into the heating furnace 10 from an insertion hole 140 provided in the left side wall 14 of the heating furnace 10. The main heater 20 is covered by the outer tube 30, while the secondary heater 40 is not covered by the outer tube 30 and is exposed in the space in the heating furnace 10.

The length in the left-right direction of each of the heaters 40 is slightly shorter than a half length in the left-right direction of the heating furnace 10. The plurality of right-side secondary heaters 41 extend in the left-right direction between the right-side wall 13 and the center of the heating furnace 10 in the left-right direction, respectively. Each of the plurality of left side heaters 42 extends in the left-right direction between the left-side wall 14 and the center in the left-right direction of the heating furnace 10. The front end portion of the right secondary heater 41 and the front end portion of the left secondary heater 42 face each other near the center in the left-right direction of the heating furnace 10 in the left-right direction.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state when two heating devices 1 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 5, a maintenance space 100 is provided between adjacent heating devices 1. When the used secondary heater 40 is replaced with a new secondary heater 40, the space 100 is used to insert and remove the secondary heater 40. Here, as described above, the length in the left-right direction of each heater 40 is shorter than the half length in the left-right direction of the heating furnace 10. Thereby, the length d3 in the left-right direction of the space 100 required for inserting and removing the secondary heater 40 can be reduced. Therefore, the plurality of heating devices 1 can be arranged closely in the left-right direction.

The gas supply unit 50 is a piping system for supplying nitrogen to the plurality of outer pipes 30 in the heating furnace 10. As shown in FIG. 2, the air supply unit 50 includes one main pipe 51, a plurality of branch pipes 52, and a first on-off valve 53. An end portion on the upstream side of the main pipe 51 is connected to a nitrogen supply source 54 capable of supplying nitrogen having a pressure higher than the ambient pressure. An end portion on the upstream side of each of the plurality of branch pipes 52 is connected to an end portion on the downstream side of the main pipe 51. The downstream end of each of the plurality of branch pipes 52 is connected to the air supply port 31 of the outer pipe 30. The first on-off valve 53 is inserted into the path of the main pipe 51. Therefore, when the first on-off valve 53 is opened, nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen supply source 54 to each of the plurality of outer pipes 30 through the main pipe 51 and the plurality of branch pipes 52.

As such, in this heating device 1, the air supply portion 50 is connected to the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. Therefore, compared with the case where the air supply part 50 is connected to the right wall 13 or the left wall 14, the movable range of the user in the space 100 can be enlarged. Therefore, the operation of inserting and removing the secondary heater 40 into and from the heating furnace 10 can be performed more easily.

The exhaust unit 60 is a piping system for exhausting the gas in the heating furnace 10 to the outside. As shown in FIG. 2, the exhaust unit 60 includes a plurality of individual pipes 61, one collective pipe 62, and a second on-off valve 63. The upstream end of each of the plurality of individual pipes 61 is connected to an exhaust port 121 provided in the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. The downstream-side end of the plurality of individual pipes 61 is connected to the upstream-side end of the collective pipe 62. An end portion on the downstream side of the collecting pipe 62 is connected to a blower (not shown) as an airflow generating mechanism. The second on-off valve 63 is inserted into the path of the collecting pipe 62. Therefore, when the second on-off valve 63 is opened and the blower is operated, the gas in the heating furnace 10 is discharged to the outside of the heating furnace 10 through the plurality of individual pipes 61 and the collective pipes 62.

As described above, in the heating device 1, the exhaust portion 60 is connected to the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. Therefore, compared with the case where the exhaust portion 60 is connected to the right wall 13 or the left wall 14, the movable range of the user in the space 100 can be enlarged. Therefore, the operation of inserting and removing the secondary heater 40 into and from the heating furnace 10 can be performed more easily.

As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, an exhaust port 121 is provided in the rear wall 12 at the same height position as the substrate 9. That is, the exhaust port 121 is provided at a height position between the upper and lower adjacent insertion holes 120 in the rear wall 12. Therefore, when the exhaust unit 60 is operated, an air flow is generated inside the heating furnace 10 from the front to the rear along the surface of the substrate 9.

The control unit 70 is a mechanism that controls the operation of each unit in the heating device 1. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control section 70 and each section in the heating device 1. As shown conceptually in FIG. 6, the control unit 70 includes a processor 71 such as a central processing unit (CPU), a memory 72 such as a random access memory (RAM), and a hard disk drive. The computer such as the storage unit 73 is configured. A computer program P for controlling the operation of the heating device 1 is installed in the storage unit 73.

As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 70 is communicably connected to the plurality of shutters 18, the plurality of main heaters 20, the plurality of secondary heaters 40, the first on-off valve 53, and the second on-off valve 63. connection.

The control unit 70 temporarily reads the computer program P or data stored in the storage unit 73 into the memory 72, and the processor 71 performs arithmetic processing according to the computer program P, thereby controlling the operations of the respective units. Thereby, the heating process of the board | substrate 9 in the heating apparatus 1 is performed.

<2. Processing Flow> Next, the flow of the heating processing in the heating device 1 will be described. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of a heating process.

When the plurality of substrates 9 are heated in the heating device 1, the plurality of shutters 18 of the heating furnace 10 are first opened. Then, the substrate 9 before heating is carried into the heating furnace 10 through the carrying in / out port 17 (step S1). This substrate 9 is carried in, for example, by a dedicated transfer robot. Each substrate 9 is placed on a plurality of substrate support portions 33 provided in the outer tube 30. As a result, a plurality of substrates 9 are arranged in the heating furnace 10 with a space in the vertical direction. When the loading of the plurality of substrates 9 is completed, the plurality of shutters 18 are closed.

Then, a driving current is supplied to the plurality of main heaters 20 and the plurality of sub heaters 40. Then, the plurality of main heaters 20 and the plurality of sub heaters 40 are heated, and infrared rays are radiated from the heaters to the surface of the substrate 9. The substrate 9 is thereby heated (step S2).

When the heating process for a predetermined time is completed, the supply of the drive current to the plurality of main heaters 20 and the plurality of sub heaters 40 is stopped. Then, the plurality of shutters 18 are opened again, and the heated substrate 9 is carried out to the outside of the heating furnace 10 through the carrying in / out port 17 (step S3). This substrate 9 is also unloaded, for example, by the transfer robot.

FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of a gas flow formed in the heating device 1 during the heating of the substrate 9 in step S2. In addition, in FIG. 8, a time series change when focusing on a specific gas molecule is shown in the form of a flowchart. However, steps S21 to S25 are performed simultaneously in each part of the heating device 1.

When the loading of the substrate 9 into the heating furnace 10 is completed, the control unit 70 opens the first on-off valve 53 of the air supply unit 50 and the second on-off valve 63 of the exhaust unit 60 to operate the blower. Then, nitrogen is supplied from the nitrogen supply source 54 to each of the plurality of outer pipes 30 through the main pipe 51 and the plurality of branch pipes 52 (step S21).

The nitrogen gas supplied to the inside of the outer pipe 30 flows forward along the main heater 20. At this time, the nitrogen gas is heated by the heat of the main heater 20 (step S22). Then, the nitrogen gas flowing near the front end of the main heater 20 is ejected toward the surface of the substrate 9 from the ejection port 32 of the outer tube 30 (step S23). The ejected nitrogen gas forms a gas flow toward the rear along the surface of the substrate 9 due to the suction pressure from the exhaust portion 60 (step S24).

When the substrate 9 is heated by infrared rays radiated from the main heater 20 and the secondary heater 40, an unnecessary gas (organic solvent, etc.) is generated from a thin film formed on the upper surface of the substrate 9. This unwanted gas flows backward with the nitrogen. As a result, unnecessary gas is removed from the surface of the substrate 9. In addition, heated high-temperature nitrogen flows along the surface of the substrate 9. Therefore, a decrease in the temperature of the substrate 9 caused by the nitrogen gas contacting the substrate 9 is suppressed. In addition, liquefaction of the unwanted gas is less likely to occur.

Then, the gas including the nitrogen gas and the unnecessary gas passes through the exhaust port 121, the plurality of individual pipes 61, and the manifold pipes 62 and is discharged to the outside of the heating furnace 10 (step S25).

As described above, in this heating device 1, the heated nitrogen gas inside the outer tube 30 is sprayed onto the surface of the substrate 9, and the nitrogen gas is used to discharge unnecessary gas near the surface of the substrate 9 to the outside of the heating furnace 10. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the temperature drop of the substrate 9 or the liquefaction of an unnecessary gas, and to remove the unnecessary gas from the vicinity of the surface of the substrate 9.

In particular, in the heating device 1, the main heater 20 performs two functions of heating the substrate 9 and heating nitrogen. Therefore, as compared with a case where the heater for heating the substrate 9 and the heater for heating nitrogen are separately provided, the heating device 1 can be easily miniaturized.

In addition, in the present embodiment, an outlet 32 for emitting heated nitrogen gas is provided near the front end portion of the outer tube 30, and an exhaust port 121 for exhausting gas is provided in the rear wall 12 of the heating furnace 10. Therefore, the nitrogen gas ejected from the ejection port 32 of the outer pipe 30 flows from the front end edge to the rear end edge of the substrate 9. Thereby, the gas replacement efficiency in the vicinity of the surface of the substrate 9 can be further improved.

In addition, the nitrogen gas discharged from the discharge port 32 of the outer pipe 30 flows in a direction away from the loading / unloading port 17 and the shutter 18. Therefore, the unnecessary gas removed by the nitrogen gas also flows in a direction away from the loading / unloading port 17 and the shutter 18. With this setting, it is possible to prevent unnecessary components contained in the unnecessary gas from adhering to the shutter 18 to form particles.

<3. Modifications> An embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment.

The heating device 1 according to the embodiment includes an outer tube 30 that covers the main heater 20. However, the heating device of the present invention may not necessarily include an outer tube. The nitrogen gas supplied from the air supply unit may be heated by a heating mechanism different from the main heater and introduced into the heating furnace.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, nitrogen is supplied from the gas supply unit 50. However, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 50 may be a gas other than nitrogen. However, in order to suppress unnecessary chemical reactions, the gas supplied from the gas supply unit 50 is preferably an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon.

In addition, the detailed configuration of the details such as the number of substrates that can be arranged in the heating furnace, the number of main heaters, the number of secondary heaters, and the shape of the outer tube may be different from the drawings of this application. In addition, each element appearing in the embodiment or the modification may be appropriately combined within a range where no contradiction occurs.

1‧‧‧Heating device

9‧‧‧ substrate

10‧‧‧Heating furnace

11‧‧‧ front wall

12‧‧‧ back wall

13‧‧‧ right wall

14‧‧‧left wall

15‧‧‧ floor section

16‧‧‧Top plate department

17‧‧‧ moved in and out

18‧‧‧ Block

19‧‧‧ Processing space

20‧‧‧Main heater (rod heater)

20G‧‧‧heater group

21‧‧‧ base end

22‧‧‧ front end

30‧‧‧ Outer tube

31‧‧‧air supply port

32‧‧‧ spout

33‧‧‧ substrate support

40‧‧‧times heater

41‧‧‧ Right secondary heater

42‧‧‧Left secondary heater

50‧‧‧Gas supply department

51‧‧‧main piping

52‧‧‧ branch piping

53‧‧‧The first opening and closing valve

54‧‧‧ Nitrogen Supply Source

60‧‧‧Exhaust

61‧‧‧Individual piping

62‧‧‧collection piping

63‧‧‧Second on-off valve

70‧‧‧Control Department

71‧‧‧ processor

72‧‧‧Memory

73‧‧‧Storage Department

100‧‧‧ space

120, 130, 140‧‧‧ insertion holes

121‧‧‧ exhaust port

d1, d2‧‧‧ interval

d3‧‧‧ length

P‧‧‧Computer Program

S1 ～ S3, S21 ～ S25‧‧‧step

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a heating device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a heating device. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heating device. Fig. 4 is a partial sectional view of the main heater and the outer pipe. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a state when two heating devices are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Fig. 6 is a block diagram showing the connection between the control unit and each unit in the heating device. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of a heating process. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a gas flow formed in the heating device.

Claims (11)

A heating device for heating a plurality of substrates, and the heating device includes: a heating furnace capable of accommodating a plurality of the substrates in a plurality of sections in an up-down direction; and a plurality of rod-shaped heaters inside the heating furnace They are arranged along the surface of the substrate and are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, and the heating furnace has: a front wall provided with a carry-in / out port for carrying in and out of the substrate; A space accommodating a plurality of the substrates faces the front wall in the front-rear direction, the rear wall has a plurality of insertion holes, and a plurality of the rod-shaped heaters can be inserted into the through the insertion holes. In or out of a heating furnace. The heating device according to item 1 of the patent application range, wherein a plurality of the rod-shaped heaters are arranged parallel to each other. The heating device according to item 1 or 2 of the scope of patent application, which has a plurality of heater groups, and the heater group is configured by arranging a plurality of the rod-shaped heaters in the left-right direction. And in the heating furnace, the heater group and the substrate are alternately arranged in the vertical direction. The heating device according to item 3 of the scope of patent application, wherein among the plurality of rod-shaped heaters included in the heater group, the interval between the rod-shaped heaters located near both ends in the left-right direction is The interval between the rod-shaped heaters located near the center in the left-right direction is narrower. The heating device according to item 1 or 2 of the scope of patent application, comprising: a plurality of main heaters, which are the rod-shaped heaters; and a plurality of sub-heaters, which are different from the plurality of the main heaters The rod-shaped heater is vertically arranged with respect to the main heater in plan view, and extends along a wall surface of the heating furnace, and the heating furnace has a space across a plurality of the substrates. A pair of side walls facing in the left-right direction, a part of the sub heater extends in the left-right direction between one of the pair of side walls and a center of the heating furnace in the left-right direction, The other secondary heater extends in the left-right direction between the other of the pair of side walls and a center of the heating furnace in the left-right direction. The heating device according to item 5 of the scope of patent application, wherein a length of the secondary heater in the left-right direction is shorter than a half length of the heating furnace in the left-right direction. The heating device according to item 1 or item 2 of the scope of patent application, further comprising a gas supply portion for supplying gas into the heating furnace, and the gas supply portion is connected to the rear wall. The heating device according to item 1 or item 2 of the scope of patent application, further comprising an exhaust portion that exhausts gas in the heating furnace, and the exhaust portion is connected to the rear wall. The heating device according to item 1 or item 2 of the scope of patent application, wherein the heating devices are arranged side by side in the left and right directions. The heating device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the substrate before heating has a thin film containing an organic solvent on an upper surface. The heating device according to claim 10, wherein the thin film comprises a polyimide precursor.