TWI404902B - Heat treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A heating treatment apparatus is provided to maintain the high temperature state of the heating chamber inside by controlling the opening and closing of an opening and closing door. CONSTITUTION: A heating treatment apparatus comprises a heating chamber, a temperature controller, an opening, an air ventilation part and an inhalation hole(65). The inhalation hole has the opening control function of increasing and decreasing the effective opening with the power. The installation height toward the heating chamber of each inhalation hole is individually different. The maximum opening of each inhalation hole is individually different.

Description

Heat treatment device

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating an object to be heated such as a substrate by hot air.

In the past, the heat treatment apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used for the manufacture of a flat panel display (FPD: Flat Panel Display) such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a plasma display (PDP: Plasma Display), or an organic EL display. .

Most of the heat treatment apparatuses are described in Patent Document 1, and have a structure in which a mounting shed is placed in a heating chamber. In the heat treatment apparatus, a specific solution is applied to a substrate (heated material) such as a glass plate and heated and dried, and the substrate after heating and drying is loaded and carried out at intervals of a segment using a robot arm to expose the substrate. A device for heat treatment (baking) of hot air introduced into a specific temperature in a heating chamber.

That is, the heat treatment device has a plurality of opening and closing ports, and the opening and closing ports are sequentially opened to insert the substrate into the segment of the mounting shed piece by piece. On the other hand, heat treatment of each substrate is performed in parallel with the insertion of the substrate inside the heat treatment apparatus. The discharge is sequentially performed from the substrate on which the heat treatment is completed.

However, since the heat treatment is carried out in the state in which the solution is applied to the surface of the glass, the solvent or a part of the active component of the surface is sublimated during the heat treatment. Therefore, the concentration of the sublimate will gradually increase inside the heat treatment apparatus. As a result, there is a problem that the sublimate resolidifies and falls onto the substrate.

Therefore, the heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating the substrate appropriately ventilates the heating chamber so that the concentration of the sublimate does not rise to a certain extent.

The ventilation system is performed by, for example, providing a blower in a duct connected to the inside and outside of the heating chamber, and discharging the air in the heating chamber to the outside by the blower. The air blower used for ventilation is often rotated with a certain number of rotations.

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-46894

In the case of ventilating the heating chamber, as described above, if the blower for ventilation is constantly rotated at a certain number of revolutions, a certain amount of air should be continuously discharged from the heating chamber to keep the concentration of the sublimate constant. Below the level. However, according to the prior art, there is a disadvantage that the temperature in the heating chamber becomes unstable.

In other words, as described in Patent Document 1, a heat treatment device is provided in which a mounting shed is placed in a heating chamber, and a substrate is loaded and unloaded by a robot arm. As described above, opening and closing doors are opened during the heat treatment of the substrate to load the load. The case of other substrates.

Here, the substrate is loaded into the opened and closed door, and the opening area is large and the airtightness is high. Therefore, when the opening and closing door is closed, the heating chamber becomes a negative pressure atmosphere under the rotation of the blower.

In this state, if the opening and closing door is opened to load the loading and unloading substrate, a large amount of air flows into the heating chamber at a time, and the temperature of the heating chamber rapidly drops.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems of the prior art, and has been developed for a heat treatment apparatus capable of suppressing temperature fluctuation in a heating chamber caused by opening and closing of an opening and closing door.

The heat treatment apparatus of the present invention for solving the above problems includes a heating chamber for heating the object to be heated, a temperature adjusting mechanism for adjusting the temperature of the heating chamber, and an opening for loading the object to be heated into or out of the heating chamber, and discharging the heating. The indoor air exhausting device and the air inlet for introducing the air into the heating chamber are characterized in that the air inlet has an opening adjustment function for increasing or decreasing the effective opening area by the power; the opening adjustment function can be heated according to the heating Increase the effective opening area of the air inlet by the pressure in the room. (Requirement 1) According to the above configuration, the intake port has an opening adjustment function for increasing or decreasing the effective opening area by the power, and the effective opening area of the intake port is increased or decreased according to the pressure in the heating chamber. Therefore, the pressure in the heating chamber can be maintained within a certain range.

Therefore, when the object to be heated is loaded and unloaded, the air entering and exiting through the opening portion is reduced, so that the temperature change in the heating chamber is small.

In the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, the exhaust means is preferably one which can change the amount of exhaust gas. (Request 2)

According to the above configuration, the amount of exhaust gas can be changed according to the operation rate of the heat treatment device, which contributes to energy saving.

For example, a heat treatment apparatus having a mounting shed in a heating chamber disclosed in the prior art may change the number of stages used depending on the shipment demand of the product. For example, when the market demand is strong, the substrate is placed on the heat treatment in all the segments, but when the demand is small, only a part of the segment heat treatment substrate is used, and the adjustment is performed.

Here, in the case where only a small number of segments are used, the substrate is subjected to heat treatment in comparison with all the segments, and the amount of sublimate generated is small. Therefore, when the number of segments used is small, it is not necessary to ventilate as in the case of full operation.

In addition, the ventilation system in the heating chamber discards the behavior of rising to high temperature air, which will waste heat energy.

Therefore, the present invention employs a variable exhaustor as an exhaust device, suppressing unnecessary ventilation to eliminate waste of thermal energy.

In the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of intake ports are preferably provided, and the heights of the respective intake ports are different with respect to the heating chamber. (Request 3)

As one of the qualities required for the heat treatment apparatus, for example, the temperature deviation in the heat treatment chamber is small. According to experience here, the temperature deviation between the upper and lower sides of the heating chamber is large. That is, the upper side of the heating chamber generally has a higher temperature, and the lower side of the heating chamber has a lower temperature.

Therefore, in the present invention, a plurality of air inlets are provided, and the mixing is provided with a height difference. The heat treatment apparatus of the present invention introduces air into the heating chamber from a position different in height. Therefore, since the temperature of the introduced air is lower than the temperature of the air in the heating chamber, the temperature inside the heating chamber is smoothed by mixing the low-temperature air.

Preferably, in the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, the inlet opening is mixed with a maximum opening area, and the maximum opening area of the inlet provided on the upper side is larger than the maximum opening area of the other inlet. (Request 4)

As described above, the temperature on the upper side of the heating chamber is generally high, and the temperature on the lower side of the heating chamber is low. Therefore, in the present invention, by introducing a large amount of air to the upper side, the temperature on the upper side is lowered, and the temperature in the interior is smoothed.

Here, the maximum opening area herein means the maximum value of the effective opening area.

In the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is recommended that the opening adjustment function be performed in conjunction with the increase or decrease of the effective opening area of the plurality of intake ports. (Requirement 5) In the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, the air inlet is provided with a ventilation device; the ventilation device includes an opening through which the gas flows, and a sheet, and the sheet is fixed at one end side to the opening or the opening In the vicinity of the portion, the other end side is moved to move the intermediate portion of the sheet in a direction covering the opening, and is sucked to the opening side by the pressure of the gas passing through the opening; Preferably, the venting means can change the effective opening area of the opening by the size of the absorbing area of the sheet covering the opening. (Request 6)

According to the above configuration, by fixing one end side of the sheet to the vicinity of the opening or the opening, the other end side of the sheet is moved, and the intermediate portion of the sheet is moved in the direction of the shielding opening, and the opening is passed through the opening. The pressure of the gas of the portion causes the sheet to be pressed (sucked) into the opening, so that when the effective opening area of the opening is adjusted, the members do not rub against each other. Therefore, even when the ventilation device of the present invention adjusts the ventilation amount, the members do not rub against each other in the vicinity of the air flow path, so that no dust is generated.

Further, since the sheet for which the ventilation amount is adjusted is always pressed (sucked) by the pressure of the gas passing through the opening portion, it is difficult to cause an excessive load on the sheet even when the ventilation amount is adjusted. For example, in the case where the sheet is moved in the vertical direction, the sheet is in a natural state in which the sheet is suspended downward due to the gravity in the state where the air is not ventilated in the opening portion, and even in the case where the air is ventilated in the opening portion, Only the middle portion of the sheet is sucked by the opening portion without changing the shape of the sheet, so that the sheet can adjust the amount of air in a natural state.

Further, in the case where the sheet is moved in the horizontal direction, the sheet is in a state of being naturally bent by its own elasticity in a state where air is not ventilated in the opening portion, and even in the case where air is ventilated in the opening portion, Only the middle portion of the sheet is sucked by the opening portion without changing the shape of the sheet, so that the sheet can adjust the amount of air in a natural state.

That is, since the ventilation device of the present invention has a configuration in which members such as sheets are not easily deteriorated even when the ventilation amount is adjusted, periodic maintenance is not required.

The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention includes: a pressure detecting mechanism that detects a pressure in the heating chamber; the ventilation device includes an actuator that moves the other end side of the sheet; and the actuator is preferably based on a signal from the pressure detecting mechanism. The effective opening area of the opening is adjusted. (Request 7)

According to the above configuration, since the actuator moves the other end side of the sheet, the actuator adjusts the effective opening area of the opening based on the signal of the pressure detecting mechanism, so that the air volume can be more reliably controlled and the pressure can be made. And temperature management is easy.

In the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the ventilation device includes a baffle that can open and close the opening, and the effective opening area of the opening can be changed by the baffle. (Request 8)

According to the above configuration, since the effective opening area of the opening portion can be changed by the baffle plate, the adjustment of the ventilation amount corresponding to various conditions can be performed in combination with the sheet. In other words, one of the openings can be shielded by the baffle in advance, and the amount of ventilation can be finely adjusted by the sheet. This prevents a rapid change in the amount of ventilation. On the contrary, in the ventilation process, the shielding of the baffle is opened, and the rapid change of the ventilation amount can be actively generated.

The heat treatment apparatus of the present invention can suppress the temperature fluctuation in the heating chamber caused by the opening and closing of the opening and closing door, and can maintain the heating chamber at a constant high temperature state. Therefore, the product heat-treated by the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention has high reliability.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment is provided to a user of a glass liquid crystal panel, and has a special ventilation device 61.

Specifically, the ventilation device 61 is disposed on the front surface of the heat treatment device 1 and is located in the vicinity of the substrate loading port (the opening portion for loading and unloading the object to be heated from the heating chamber) into the substrate. Further, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, a mounting shelf 16 (Figs. 6 and 7) for arranging the substrate in a vertical direction of 30 or more (not shown) and a lifting mechanism 21 for lifting and lowering the loading shelf 16 are incorporated ( Figure 7).

As shown in FIG. 2, the ventilation device 61 includes an opening and closing device 68 that opens on one of the opening forming members 65, the sheet 66, the shutter 67, and the fixing sheet 66 on the wall surface of the heat treatment device 1.

The opening forming member 65 has a frame shape, and a ventilation amount adjusting surface 71 is provided on one surface side, and a space 82 through which the shutter 67 is inserted is provided inside (FIG. 3).

That is, the opening forming member 65 has a substantially square shape in front view, and as shown in FIG. 3(b), the front side and the back side thereof communicate with each other, and a space 82 into which the shutter 67 is inserted is provided inside. More specifically, the back surface of the opening forming member 65 is largely opened as shown in Fig. 3(b), and the opening 69 communicates with the space 82 in the opening forming member 65. Further, on the front side of the opening forming member 65, an aggregate (opening) 76 of a plurality of through holes 80 arranged in a lattice shape is provided, and the edge of the opening forming member 65 surrounds the periphery of the aggregate 76.

In other words, the front side of the opening forming member 65 has a plurality of through holes 80 having a substantially square shape, and one aggregate (opening) 76 is formed. The assembly 76 is disposed at a predetermined interval from each end portion (four sides) of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71, and is formed in a substantially square shape. Moreover, since the opening 69 of the back surface communicates with the aggregate 76 of the through hole 80, the gas can flow into the inside of the heat treatment apparatus 1 from the outside through the opening forming member 65.

That is, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the opening forming member 65 is attached to the wall surface of the heat treatment apparatus 1 and communicates with the inside and outside of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

A substantially rectangular baffle insertion opening 72 is provided on one side of the opening forming member 65. The shutter insertion opening 72 communicates with the inside of the opening forming member 65.

A sheet fixing portion 86 that fixes one end portion of a sheet 66 to be described later is disposed on the upper surface side of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71. The sheet fixing portion 86 has a fixing plate 77, and the sheet 66 can be held by the fixing plate 77 and fixed by screws or the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the baffle insertion opening 72 is a slit-like through hole that communicates with the inside and the inside of the ventilation device 61 (space 82), and can be inserted into a baffle 67 to be described later. Specifically, the length m of the baffle insertion opening 72 in the longitudinal direction has a length equal to or greater than the length L of the side extending upward and downward (based on FIG. 2) of the side of the aggregate 76 of the through hole 80. The length n of the short side direction has a length equal to or greater than the thickness of the shutter 67. That is, the shutter insertion opening 72 is formed so that only the shutter 67 is inserted, and does not have a function of allowing gas to pass as the through hole 80. Therefore, in order to maintain a certain airtightness inside the heat treatment apparatus 1, it is preferable to provide a rubber sealing material (not shown) around the opening of the baffle insertion hole 72.

Further, in order to fix the position of the baffle 67 inserted through the baffle insertion opening 72, a screw hole 83 for fixing is provided on the baffle insertion opening 72 side of the ventilation amount adjusting surface 71, so that the screw 90 is inserted into the screw Hole 83. The inserted screw 90 protrudes into the baffle insertion opening 72, and the front end of the screw 90 presses the baffle 67.

That is, after the baffle 67 is inserted into the baffle insertion opening 72, the baffle 67 can be fixed at an appropriate position, and the screw 90 can be inserted into the fixing screw hole 83 to position the baffle 67.

The sheet 66 is made of a fluorinated carbon resin composed of polytetrafluoroethylene, and can block air permeability. The width of the sheet 66 (the length in the short-side direction) has a length equal to or larger than the length S of the side extending to the left and right (based on FIG. 2) in the square formed by the aggregate 76 of the through-holes 80, and The length in the longitudinal direction in which the width is substantially orthogonal has a length L or more of the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the end portions of the sheet 66 are respectively fixed to the opening forming member 65 and the opening and closing member 68 to be described later, and the intermediate portion is suspended downward by gravity. Therefore, the portion where the opening is first shielded when the ventilation amount is adjusted is The middle portion of the sheet 66. Therefore, the length of the sheet 66 from the intermediate portion to the end portion fixed to the opening and closing device 68 is larger than the length L of the aggregate 76. Thereby, the sheet 66 is configured to have an aggregate 76 that can completely cover the through hole 80 of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71.

The baffle 67 is a rectangular thin plate made of a metal such as stainless steel. The baffle 67 is inserted into the baffle insertion opening 72 of the opening forming member 65 as described above to shield the air passing through the through hole 80. That is, the baffle 67 has a length in the insertion direction longer than the length S of the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80, and has a length orthogonal to the insertion direction which is equal to or larger than the length L of the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80. length. Therefore, when the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80 is completely shielded, the sheet 66 or the shutter 67 can be used to stop the ventilation. Further, the cross-sectional area orthogonal to the insertion direction of the shutter 67 must be equal to or slightly smaller than the opening area of the shutter insertion opening 72.

As shown in FIG. 4, the opening and closing device 68 is provided with an actuator 73 based on a signal actor who is placed inside the heat treatment device 1 (Fig. 8). As shown in FIG. 4, the actuator 73 is provided with a motor 75 and a slide unit 74.

The slide assembly 74 is attached with a rod member 78 protruding from a gear box 79. The gear case 79 is a rack and pinion (not shown) incorporated therein, and converts the rotational force of the motor 75 into a linear moving force. In the present embodiment, when the motor 75 rotates, the lever member 78 linearly moves.

The mechanism of the actuator 73 used in the present embodiment generates friction between the members. However, since the mechanical member is located at the end of the air flow path, the dust of the member hardly flows into the heat treatment device 1 as in the known throttle valve. Internal.

Further, the outer portion of the heat treatment apparatus 1 includes an elongated support member 84 extending in the vertical direction, and a fixing member 85 joined to the support member 84 so as to extend in the horizontal direction, and the rod member 78 is passed through the intermediate member 88. When the support member 84 is engaged, the driving force of the motor 75 is transmitted to the support member 84, and the support member 84 and the fixed member 85 are linearly moved up and down in the vertical direction.

The support member 84 has a length of all the vents arranged in the vertical direction, and the fixing member 85 is provided in the same number as the vent, and is disposed in the vicinity of the vent. Moreover, the sheet fixing portion 87 of the other end portion of the fixing sheet 66 can be disposed on the fixing member 85, and the opening state of the ventilation amount adjusting surface 71 can be adjusted by the sheet 66. Therefore, by driving the actuator 73, the support member 84 and the fixing member 85 can be linearly moved to bring the sheet 66 linearly. Further, the sheet fixing portion 87 has the same configuration as the sheet fixing portion 86.

The assembly structure of the ventilation device 61 will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ventilation device 61 of the present embodiment is disposed on the front side of the heat treatment apparatus 1, and is disposed so as to cover the vent (not shown) provided in the heat treatment apparatus 1, and is fixed by screws or the like.

The opening forming member 65 has an open surface (opening 69) side adjacent to the heat treatment apparatus 1, and the ventilation amount adjusting surface 71 is disposed on the side facing the opening. That is, since the vent hole of the heat treatment apparatus 1 communicates with the through hole 80 of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71, the gas can flow into the inside of the heat treatment apparatus 1 from the outside. Further, in the opening forming member 65, the side surface between the side surface of the heat treatment apparatus 1 and the ventilation amount adjusting surface 71 of the opening forming member 65 is disposed, and the shutter insertion opening 72 is disposed, and the shutter 67 is inserted through the shutter. The mouth 72 is fixed in place. That is, by shielding the opening by inserting the baffle 67, the amount of ventilation of the gas flowing into the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be restricted in advance.

Further, at one end of the sheet fixing portion 86 located on the upper side of the air flow amount 71, one end portion of the sheet 66 is fixed. Further, the other end of the sheet 66 is fixed to the sheet fixing portion 87 of the fixing member 85 having the opening and closing device 68. The fixing member 85 constitutes a part of the opening and closing device 68, and is engaged with the actuator 73 via the support member 84 and the intermediate member 88. Further, the sheet fixing portion 86 and the fixing portion 87 are in a positional relationship in which they are arranged in parallel. That is, by the driving of the actuator 73, the other end portion of the fixed sheet member 66 in the fixing member 85 can always be moved in a positional relationship parallel to the fixing portion 86. In other words, the opening degree of the through hole 80 of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 can be adjusted by moving the other end portion of the sheet 66.

That is, the opening forming member 65 of the ventilation device 61 constitutes the air inlet of the heat treatment device 1, and the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 tends to be a negative pressure. Therefore, the sheet 66 is sucked on the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 to cover a part of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71. Further, by moving the other end of the sheet 66, the amount of drooping of the sheet 66 is changed. Therefore, the suction area of the sheet 66 sucked by the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 is changed, and the effective opening degree of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 can be adjusted.

The other components and operations of the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described below using the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ventilation device 61 is attached to the heat treatment device 1 and functions.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 is a huge device having a length, a width, and a height of about 7 m, 4 m, and 6 m.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 has a metal box-shaped outer wall portion 2, and is provided with a machine housing portion 3, and a substrate processing portion 5 is provided above it. The machine accommodating unit 3 houses a power supply device (not shown) that supplies electric power to the substrate processing unit 5, and a control device (not shown) that controls the operation of the substrate processing unit 5.

The substrate processing unit 5 is substantially cubic, and has four substrate transfer ports 6 for loading and unloading the substrate on the front side by four transfer devices such as robots (not shown) as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 7 . Further, a ventilation device 61 is provided on the same surface as the substrate loading port 6. The ventilation device 61 used in the present embodiment is provided with four opening forming members 65 in a row.

One of the blowers 8 protrudes from one side (inlet side) of the substrate processing unit 5. The blower 8 is used to circulate hot air in the heat treatment apparatus 1.

A door 10 is provided on the other side. The door 10 is opened for maintenance and is provided for the operator to enter and exit.

A baffle plate 9 that opens and closes in conjunction with the operation of the pneumatic cylinder 11 is attached to the substrate carrying inlet 6.

The inside of the substrate processing unit 5 is roughly divided into two regions as shown in FIG. 6 in a planar view. That is, the inside of the substrate processing unit 5 is divided into a heat treatment chamber 12 (heating chamber) and a hot air supply portion (temperature adjustment mechanism) 14.

Here, the hot air supply unit 14 houses a portion where the hot air is circulated in the heat treatment chamber 12. More specifically, the hot air supply unit 14 is for heating the air introduced into the heat treatment device 1 or the air flowing back from the downstream end of the heat treatment chamber 12, and is sent to the heat treatment chamber 12, and is provided with a blower. 8 or heater (not shown), etc. Further, a filter 15 is provided on the surface of the hot air supply unit 14 on the side of the substrate processing unit 5.

The heat treatment chamber 12 (heating chamber) is a chamber surrounded by the peripheral wall 13 formed by the upstream wall 20 of the filter 15 and the heat insulating material.

A substrate refilling system 18 including a mounting shelf 16 is disposed in the center of the thermal processing chamber 12 (heating chamber).

The heat treatment chamber 12 communicates with the hot air supply portion 14 via an opening of the filter 15 constituting the upstream wall 20.

As shown in FIG. 7, the substrate changing system 18 is disposed at a substantially central portion of the heat treatment chamber 12. The substrate changing system 18 includes a mounting shelf 16 for supporting the substrate, and a lifting device 21 for lifting and lowering the mounting shelf 16 as a whole.

Further, although the actual storage rack 16 has a section of 30 or more stages, it is illustrated as having a section of 8 sections due to the drawing relationship. Therefore, the ratio of the height direction of the mounting shelf 16 shown in the figure is reduced as compared with the actual one.

In the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, as in the case of a known case, a glass substrate is placed on the mounting shelf 16 in the heat treatment chamber 12, and heat treatment is performed.

That is, the lifting device 21 is operated to lift and lower the lifting table 25, and the height of any one of the mounting shelves 16 is made to match the height of any of the changing ports 6. Further, the substrate W is held by a robot arm (not shown), the changeover port 6 is opened, and the glass substrate W is placed in the above-described segment of the mounting shelf 16 in the heat treatment chamber 12.

Thereafter, the lifting table 25 of the lifting device 21 is again operated, and the height of any other segment is matched with the height of any of the changing ports 6, and the other substrate W is inserted. Hereinafter, this operation is repeated to attach the substrate W to all the segments of the mounting shelf 16.

On the other hand, in the heat treatment apparatus 1, the blower 8 and the heater (not shown) of the hot air supply unit 14 are activated, and the inside of the heat treatment chamber 12 is a ventilation atmosphere of hot air.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8, an exhaust duct 30 is provided in the heat treatment chamber 12, and a blower 31 is provided in the middle of the exhaust duct 30. In the present embodiment, the exhaust device 28 is constituted by the exhaust duct 30 and the blower 31.

Further, the motor of the blower 31 is subjected to a flow control, and the number of rotations can be arbitrarily changed. In the present embodiment, the number of rotations of the motor is changed in accordance with the number of substrates heat-treated by the heat treatment chamber 12. That is, when the number of substrates to be heat-treated is large, the number of rotations of the motor is increased to increase the amount of ventilation, and when the number of substrates is small, the number of rotations of the motor is reduced to reduce the amount of ventilation.

In the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the gas generated when the substrate is heated is discharged to the outside, so that the blower 31 is kept in operation. Therefore, the pressure inside the heat treatment apparatus 1 tends to be a negative pressure. However, by providing the ventilation device 61, the heat treatment can be performed. The pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the device 1 is almost in a state in which it is not present.

That is, the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment has a pressure sensor that detects the internal pressure, feeds back the signal of the pressure sensor to the actuator 73, and adjusts the effective opening degree of the ventilation device 61 to adjust the ventilation amount. That is, according to the difference between the external pressure and the internal pressure of the heat treatment apparatus 1, the control device (not shown) receives the signal from the pressure sensor disposed inside the heat treatment apparatus 1, and if the internal pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure, The actuator 73 operates to move the sheet 66 in the upward direction to increase the effective opening of the venting device 61.

On the other hand, if the internal pressure of the heat treatment apparatus 1 approaches or exceeds the atmospheric pressure, the actuator 73 operates to move the sheet 66 downward, thereby reducing the effective opening degree of the ventilation device 61.

More specifically, in the state shown in FIG. 5, when the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the heat treatment apparatus 1 is large (the inside of the heat treatment apparatus 1 is a negative pressure), the support member 84 is controlled to move upward in the vertical direction. The rotation of the actuator 73 causes the other end of the sheet 66 to move upward. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2, the area of the aggregate 76 covering the through hole 80 of the air volume adjusting surface 71 by the sheet 66 is reduced, so that the area of the sheet 66 shielding the through hole 80 is reduced. In other words, the amount of gas flowing into the heat treatment apparatus 1 is greatly increased, and the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be controlled to be reduced.

Further, when the opening degree is increased and the pressure difference is decreased, the motor 75 having the actuator 73 is rotated in the opposite direction to the direction described above, and the other end portion of the sheet 66 is moved downward. As shown in Fig. 5, the area of the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80 covering the air volume adjusting surface 71 by the sheet 66 can be increased. As a result, since the amount of air passing through the ventilating device 61 is reduced, the pressure difference between the inside and the outside is increased, so that the control for reducing the pressure difference is again performed. Further, since the control method employed in the ventilation device 61 of the present embodiment controls only the opening and closing direction, and the proportional control is not employed, the sheet 66 is continuously raised and lowered. Therefore, based on the purpose of preventing vibration of the device, the operating speed of the actuator 73 is set to be slow.

When the proportional control is employed, the number of rotations of the actuator 73 can be set to a high speed, and the control for rapidly increasing the amount of ventilation can be performed.

According to the ventilating device 61 of the present embodiment, since the heat treatment device 1 can hardly control the internal and external pressure difference, even when the substrate is introduced from the substrate loading port 6, the external air can be prevented from flowing in rapidly from the substrate loading port 6. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the rapid inflow of gas from the substrate carry-in port 6, and to prevent the internal temperature fluctuation and the temperature distribution of the heat treatment apparatus 1 from being disturbed.

Further, in the ventilation device 61 of the present embodiment, the actuator 73 is driven to linearly move the support member 84 in the vertical direction, and as shown in Fig. 5, the sheet 66 is shielded from the aggregate 76 of the through-holes 80, and the gas is ventilated. The pressure causes the sheet 66 to be sucked by the aggregate 76 of the through holes 80, thereby adjusting the amount of gas to be ventilated. That is, when the amount of ventilation is controlled, since the opening of the gas ventilating can be adjusted only by the absorbing area of the sheet 66, the member does not rub against each other and dust is generated in the member. Therefore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, even if the ventilation amount is adjusted, the wear of the member is not generated in the vicinity of the opening of the ventilation device 61, so that dust or the like generated by the abrasion can be prevented from flowing into the inside of the heat treatment apparatus 1. That is, dust or the like does not adhere to the substrate during the manufacturing process, so that the value of the product is not lowered. Further, when the ventilation amount is adjusted, since the sheet 66 hardly causes a load, regular maintenance of the components is not required.

Further, in the ventilating device 61 of the present embodiment, in addition to the increase and decrease of the effective opening area by the sheet 66, the effective opening area can be increased or decreased by the baffle 67. The baffle 67 is not driven by the power, but is fixed to a certain degree of opening. Therefore, the baffle 67 can be said to increase or decrease the venting ability of one opening forming member 65 itself.

The ventilation device 61 used in the present embodiment has a plurality of opening forming members 65. By individually adjusting the shutter 67, the ratio of the amount of air introduced from each of the opening forming members 65 can be changed.

That is, the ventilation device 61 used in the present embodiment has a plurality of opening forming members 65. However, since the positions of the shutters 67 of the respective opening forming members 65 are the same, the movement of the sheets 66 is the same as the operation of the sheets 66. The effective opening area of any of the opening forming members 65 is the same regardless of the position.

On the other hand, if the position of the shutter 67 is changed, any of the opening forming members 65 are changed in such a manner that the operation position of the sheet 66 is the same as the area covered by the sheet 66, but at this time, the opening forming members 65 are formed. The effective opening area is different.

With this property, the temperature distribution in the heat treatment apparatus 1 can be made uniform.

That is, as one of the qualities required for the heat treatment apparatus 1, for example, the temperature deviation inside the heat treatment chamber 12 (heating chamber) is required to be small. According to experience here, the temperature deviation between the upper and lower sides of the heating chamber is large.

The ventilation device 61 used in the heat treatment apparatus 1 of the above embodiment has a plurality of opening forming members 65 which are arranged up and down. Therefore, by changing the position of the shutter 67, the ratio of the amount of air introduced into the height can be changed. Therefore, the temperature deviation caused by the height can be corrected by the difference in the amount of air introduced.

According to experience, the temperature of the heat treatment chamber 12 is higher on the upper side and lower on the lower side. Therefore, the position of the shutter 67 is set to be higher as the position is higher.

In this way, a relatively large amount of air is introduced into the upper portion of the high-temperature upper portion, and a small amount of air is introduced into the bottom portion which is liable to become a low temperature, and the temperature inside the heat treatment chamber 12 is smoothed.

In the present embodiment, the control of the actuator 73 is used to control only the opening and closing directions in accordance with the pressure difference between the inside and the outside of the heat treatment device 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and it is also possible to use ON/OFF control or proportional control. The configuration in which the driving of the actuator 73 is stopped at a position where the pressure is stabilized.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the four fixing members 85 are joined to one supporting member 84 is shown. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and one supporting member 84 may be joined to one fixing member 85 and connected. The configuration of the actuator 73. However, in the case of this configuration, the number of components is increased and the cost is greatly increased. Therefore, the configuration of the above-described embodiment is preferably employed.

In the present embodiment, the end portion of the sheet 66 is fixed to the opening forming member 65 and the fixing member 85 of the opening and closing device 68, and the intermediate portion of the sheet 66 is suspended downward by its own weight. However, the present invention is not limited to the present invention. This composition. For example, as shown in FIG. 9(a), a cylindrical weight may be disposed at a bag-like position in which the intermediate portion of the sheet 66 is lowered downward. Thereby, the sheet 66 can be surely energized in the direction in which the opening portion is covered with respect to the sheet fixing portion 86 (in the direction), and deformation of the sheet 66 can be prevented when the ventilation amount is adjusted. In other words, since the sheet 66 always exerts a constant tensile force in one of the directions by the weight, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of ripples or the like which are likely to occur in the sheet 66. Further, as shown in Fig. 9(a), it is preferable to attach an L-shaped member to both ends of the weight or, as shown in Fig. 9(b), to attach a large outer diameter of the specific gravity to both ends of the weight. Components to prevent heavy objects from falling.

Further, as shown in Fig. 9(c), it is also possible to form a structure in which the tensile force is more strongly applied by a tensile force or the like in addition to the weight.

In the present embodiment, the shape of the aggregate 76 having the through holes 80 of the opening forming member 65 is substantially square. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in FIG. 10, the aggregate may be used. The shape of 76 is set to be trapezoidal.

In the present embodiment, the baffle 67 is configured to have a substantially square shape. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. As shown in FIG. 11, the notch portion 74 may be provided in the baffle to set the shape of the baffle 67. It is a trapezoidal composition.

According to this embodiment, the relationship between the amount of movement of the shutter 67 and the opening area can be changed. As an example having the same effect, it is conceivable to provide an opening (through hole) 89 in the baffle as shown in FIG.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the shutter 67 is linearly moved with respect to the assembly (opening) 76 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, a circular member (baffle) having a plurality of slit-like openings (through holes) may be rotated with respect to the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71. In other words, a configuration is adopted in which the center of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 and the center of the circular baffle are rotatably pivoted, and the baffle is rotated to open the through hole 80 of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 and the baffle The openings are coincident or staggered to thereby adjust the amount of ventilation. In this case, it is preferable that the through hole 80 of the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 has substantially the same shape as the opening of the baffle.

In the present embodiment, the configuration is such that one sheet 66 is used. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in Fig. 14, two or more sheets 66 may be used. In this case, it is desirable to change the air permeability of each of the sheets 66.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 and the other end side of the sheet 66 are moved is substantially parallel. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and as shown in Fig. 15, the ventilation may be performed. The amount adjustment surface 71 is configured to obliquely intersect the plane on which the other end side of the sheet 66 moves.

That is, in the present embodiment, the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 is in an inclined posture. Therefore, when the sheet 66 is lifted and lowered, the contact of the sheet 66 with the ventilation amount adjustment surface 71 can be surely performed.

In the present embodiment, the sheet 66 is made of a fluorinated carbon resin composed of polytetrafluoroethylene. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a material having no air permeability and durability.

In the present embodiment, the configuration in which the shutter 67 is manually moved is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be configured to automatically move using a driving force such as a motor.

In the present embodiment, the configuration is such that the other end portion of the sheet 66 moves up and down in the vertical direction. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the other end of the sheet 66 may be moved in a direction orthogonal to the aggregate 76 or in a direction including a vertical component and a horizontal component (including a curve). In this case, the length of the sheet 66 is preferably longer or shorter than the above embodiment.

In the present embodiment, the intermediate portion of the sheet 66 is suspended downward in the vertical direction, and the fixing member 85 to which the other end of the sheet 66 is fixed is moved downward. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the intermediate portion of the sheet 66 may be configured to face the upper side in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. In this case, it is also preferable to move the intermediate portion of the sheet 66 in such a manner as to shield the aggregate 76.

1. . . Heat treatment device

2. . . Outer wall

3. . . Machine housing department

5. . . Substrate processing unit

6. . . Substrate transfer port (opening in which the object to be heated enters and exits from the heating chamber)

8. . . Blower

9. . . Baffle

10. . . door

11. . . cylinder

12. . . Heat treatment chamber (heating chamber)

14. . . Hot air supply unit (temperature adjustment mechanism)

16. . . Shed

28. . . Exhaust

61. . . Ventilation device

65. . . Opening forming member (air inlet)

66. . . Thin slice

67. . . Baffle

71. . . Ventilation adjustment surface

73. . . Actuator

76. . . Aggregate (opening)

80. . . Through hole

84. . . Support component

85. . . Fixed member

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a ventilation device (opening state) used in the heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 3 is a side view (a) of the opening forming member of the aeration device of Figure 2 and a sectional view (b) of the wall surface including the heat treatment device;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of the venting device of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the ventilating device of Figure 2 (a portion of the opening portion is shielded);

Figure 6 is a plan sectional view showing the heat treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the heat treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 8 is an explanatory view showing an intake and exhaust mechanism of the heat treatment apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Fig. 9 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device according to a modification of the present invention, wherein (a) and (b) are energized by a weight, and (c) is energized by a weight and a spring;

Fig. 10 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device of a modified example (shape of an aggregate) according to the present invention;

Figure 11 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device of a modified example (the shape of the baffle) of the present invention;

Figure 12 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device of a modified example (the shape of the baffle) of the present invention;

Figure 13 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device of a modified example (the shape of the baffle) of the present invention;

Figure 14 is a schematic view showing a ventilating device of a modified example (two sheets) of the present invention;

Fig. 15 is a schematic view showing a ventilation device according to a modification of the present invention (the ventilation amount adjustment surface is inclined).

1. . . Heat treatment device

2. . . Outer wall

3. . . Machine housing department

5. . . Substrate processing unit

6. . . Substrate transfer port (opening in which the object to be heated enters and exits from the heating chamber)

8. . . Blower

9. . . Baffle

10. . . door

11. . . cylinder

16. . . Shed

61. . . Ventilation device

65. . . Opening forming member (air inlet)

66. . . Thin slice

84. . . Support component

85. . . Fixed member

Claims (8)

A heat treatment device comprising a heating chamber for heating an object to be heated, a temperature adjusting mechanism for adjusting a temperature in the heating chamber, an exhaust portion for loading the object to be heated into or discharged from the heating chamber, and exhausting air discharged from the heating chamber The device and the air inlet for introducing air into the heating chamber are characterized in that: the air inlet has an opening adjustment function for increasing or decreasing the effective opening area by the power; the opening adjustment function can be increased or decreased according to the pressure in the heating chamber. The effective opening area of the air inlet. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said exhaust means is capable of changing an exhaust amount. The heat treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of intake ports are provided, and the heights of the respective intake ports are different with respect to the heating chamber. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the inlet opening is mixed with a maximum opening area, and the maximum opening area of the inlet provided on the upper side is larger than the maximum opening area of the other inlet. The heat treatment device of claim 3, wherein the opening adjustment function is performed in conjunction with the increase or decrease of the effective opening area of the plurality of intake ports. The heat treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the air inlet is provided with a ventilation device; the ventilation device includes an opening portion for circulating gas, and a sheet, and one end side of the sheet is fixed to the opening portion or the opening portion, by The other end side is moved to move the intermediate portion of the sheet in a direction covering the opening, and is adsorbed to the opening side by the pressure of the gas passing through the opening; and the ventilation device can be covered by the foregoing The size of the adsorption area of the sheet of the opening portion changes the effective opening area of the opening portion. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: a pressure detecting means for detecting a pressure in the heating chamber; wherein said ventilation means includes an actuator for moving the other end side of the sheet; and said actuator is based on a signal from said pressure detecting means And adjust the effective opening area of the opening. The heat treatment device according to claim 6, wherein the ventilation device includes a baffle that can open and close the opening; and the effective opening area of the opening can be changed by the baffle.