Heat treatment apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9425074-B2
Application number	US-201313922450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2013
Priority date	Jun 20, 2012
Publication date	Aug 23, 2016
Grant date	Aug 23, 2016

Abstract

A heat treatment apparatus performs a heat treatment on a plurality of target objects held by a holding unit while allowing an inert gas to flow upwardly in a vertical processing container with at least one heating unit provided in the vicinity of the processing container. The heat treatment apparatus includes: a main temperature control unit configured to control the heating unit; an inert gas passage through which the inert gas flows into the processing container; an inert gas heating unit installed in the inert gas passage and configured to heat the inert gas; a first temperature measuring unit installed in the inert gas heating unit; and a temperature controller configured to control the inert gas heating unit based on temperatures measured by the first temperature measuring unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment on a plurality of target objects held by a holding unit by allowing an inert gas to flow upwardly in a vertical processing container with a heating unit provided in the vicinity of the processing container, the apparatus comprising:
a main temperature control unit configured to control the heating unit;
an inert gas passage through which the inert gas flows into the processing container;
an inert gas heating unit installed in the inert gas passage and configured to heat the inert gas;
a first temperature measuring unit located in the inert gas heating unit;
a heat insulation heater installed along the inert gas passage between the inert gas heating unit and the processing container;
a second temperature measuring unit installed in the heat insulation heater; and
a temperature controller configured to control the inert gas heating unit and the heat insulation heater based on temperatures measured by the first and second temperature measuring units,
wherein when predetermined values of processing temperatures vary during the heat treatment, the temperature controller controls the inert gas heating unit and the heat insulation heater to reflect changes of the predetermined values such that the target objects accommodated in the processing container can have a uniform heat history.

2. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lower portion heating unit installed at a lower portion of the processing container along the circumferential direction of the processing container and configured to heat the inert gas introduced into the processing container; and
a third temperature measuring unit installed in the lower portion heating unit,
wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the lower portion heating unit based on temperatures measured by the third temperature measuring unit.

3. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lid heating unit installed in a lid for air-tightly sealing a bottom opening of the processing container; and
a fourth temperature measuring unit installed in the lid heating unit,
wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the lid heating unit based on temperatures measured by the fourth temperature measuring unit.

4. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a lid heating unit installed in a lid for air-tightly sealing a bottom opening of the processing container; and
a fourth temperature measuring unit installed in the lid heating unit,
wherein the temperature controller is configured to control the lid heating unit based on temperatures measured by the fourth temperature measuring unit.

5. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature controller is combined with the main temperature control unit.

6. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the heat treatment includes a sintering process for baking a photoresist formed on surfaces of the target objects.

7. A heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment on a plurality of target objects held by a holding unit by allowing an inert gas to flow upwardly in a vertical processing container with a heating unit provided in the vicinity of the processing container, the apparatus comprising:
a main temperature control unit configured to control the heating unit;
an inert gas passage through which the inert gas flows into the processing container;
an inert gas heating unit installed in the inert gas passage and configured to heat the inert gas;
a first temperature measuring unit located in the inert gas heating unit;
a heat insulation heater installed along the inert gas passage between the inert gas heating unit and the processing container;
a second temperature measuring unit installed in the heat insulation heater;
a lower portion heating unit installed along the circumferential direction of the processing container and configured to heat the inert gas introduced into the processing container;
a third temperature measuring unit installed in the lower portion heating unit;
a lid heating unit installed in a lid for air-tightly sealing a bottom opening of the processing container;
a fourth temperature measuring unit installed in the lid heating unit; and
a temperature controller configured to control the inert gas heating unit, the heat insulation heater, the lower portion heating unit and the lid heating unit based on temperatures measured by the first to the fourth temperature measuring units,
wherein when predetermined values of processing temperatures vary during the heat treatment, the temperature controller controls the inert gas heating unit to reflect changes of the predetermined values such that the target objects accommodated in the processing container can have a uniform heat history, and controls at least one of the heat insulation heater, the lower portion heating unit and the lid heating unit to reflect changes of the predetermined values based on the temperatures measured by the second to the fourth temperature measuring units.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Asari Shinji
• Sato Hidekazu
• Shiobara Tomohiro

Classifications

• H10P72/0434 Primary

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• F27D11/02

  Ohmic resistance heating · CPC title

• F27D5/0037

  Supports specially adapted for semi-conductors · CPC title

• F27B17/0025 Primary

  specially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers · CPC title

• H01L21/67109 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic