Heat treatment facility, heat treatment method and heat treatment program

Abstract

To provide a heat treatment facility which can change temperature conditions of heat treatment according to a sample in a short period of time, can easily perform multi-stage heat treatment, and can achieve a wide range of heat treatment conditions.SOLUTION: A heat treatment facility 1 includes a heat treatment device 10, a sample table 20, a condition input part 30, a temperature control part 32, and a position control part 31. The heat treatment device 10 has a heat treatment part 11 for heat treating a sample W. The sample table 20 is configured to install the sample W and to be movable in the heat treatment part 11. A heat treatment condition P for heat treating the sample W is input to the condition input part 30. The temperature control part 32 controls the temperature in the heat treatment part 11 so that a temperature distribution is formed in the heat treatment part 11 on the basis of the heat treatment condition P. The position control part 31 controls the position of the sample table 20 so that the sample W is positioned at a position corresponding to a heat treatment temperature that fits the heat treatment condition P, in the heat treatment part 11 in which the temperature distribution is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat treatment facility, a heat treatment method, and a heat treatment program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, data-driven research and development has been implemented in many fields. In the materials field, this is known as materials informatics and process informatics. These require many data sets, and data collection is a very important element. Therefore, in both materials informatics and process informatics, systems that automatically collect data are being constructed to collect a lot of data. In particular, with regard to process informatics, data must be collected under many conditions because processes have a time axis. In addition, it is desirable for the range of these data to be distributed evenly over a wide range for each parameter.

[0003] Heat treatment is a process that is often necessary in material production. There are many factors that affect heat treatment, such as the heating rate, holding time, holding temperature, cooling rate, the presence or absence of multi-steps, gas atmosphere, gas flow rate, and gas pressure, and even for the same type of material, the heat treatment conditions vary greatly depending on the desired properties. In order to obtain a wide range of these factor conditions, a great deal of time and effort is required. Therefore, since searching for heat treatment conditions is one of the most time-consuming tasks in material production and development, a device that can efficiently obtain samples that have been subjected to a wide range of heat treatment conditions is required. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5669981 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5686918 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 7162996 [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] Kohei Nagai, Takayuki Osa, GenInoue, Takuya Tsujiguchi, Takuto Araki, Yoshiyuki Kuroda, Tomizawa Morio & Keisuke Nagato: Scientific Reports (2022) 12:1615 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Non-Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration for automating the ceramic coating process on a substrate and the coating process by heat treatment. However, the configuration disclosed in Non-Patent Document 1 does not take into consideration atmospheric control since it is intended for materials that can be heat-treated in the atmosphere without any problems, and the temperature maintenance conditions are constant, and it is not designed to allow for different conditions.

[0007] Conventionally, as a heat treatment equipment for heat-treating samples, a continuous type heat treatment equipment is known in which samples are sequentially placed in a long continuous treatment furnace and moved through the furnace in order to continuously perform heat treatment such as heating, soaking, and cooling on the samples. This heat treatment equipment is applied to mass production where the heat treatment process is determined under one condition, and is suitable for mass production of samples to be subjected to the same heat treatment, but it is not possible to produce samples to be subjected to different heat treatments because the heat treatment conditions cannot be changed according to the sample. In addition, it is difficult to create a vacuum atmosphere, and although the atmosphere can be controlled by gas flow, it is poor in airtightness and gas contamination from outside the system cannot be avoided.

[0008] There is also a heat treatment facility in which a sample is placed in an independent processing device, and heat treatment such as heating, soaking, and cooling is performed on the sample in the processing device. Since it is highly airtight, it is easy to control the desired vacuum atmosphere or gas atmosphere. This heat treatment facility is adapted to mass production where the heat treatment process is determined under one condition, as in the case above. Therefore, since it is necessary to heat up the furnace body, maintain the temperature, and cool it down for each batch, a waiting time is required until the furnace is cooled before performing heat treatment on the next batch. In addition, in order to perform homogeneous heat treatment within a batch, the size of the soaking zone with little temperature change is important, so for that purpose, heat management measures such as lengthening the furnace length and appropriately arranging insulation materials are required. Therefore, although it is suitable for preparing samples to be subjected to the same heat treatment, it is not suitable for efficiently preparing a variety of samples with different heat treatment conditions.

[0009] In recent years, there is a need to continuously produce a wide variety of samples with different heat treatment times that are not regular. Patent documents 1 to 3 show an automatic heat treatment facility that includes a plurality of treatment devices for heat treating samples, a loading device for loading samples to be heat treated, an extraction device for extracting the samples heat treated in the treatment device, and a transport device for loading the samples heat treated in the treatment device into the extraction device. In order to prevent air from entering the equipment, the transport unit and the treatment chamber are connected in a sealed state when transferring the samples between the transport unit and the treatment chamber, which makes it easy to control the desired vacuum atmosphere or gas atmosphere. According to this, different temperatures are set for each treatment device, and the next sample can be inserted into the treatment device by carrying out the desired heat treatment and placing it in another unit, which leads to a significant reduction in waiting time.

[0010] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 shows an automated heat treatment facility that can implement a process plan with fewer gaps in equipment use by shifting the timing of sample replacement in consideration of treatment time and transport time.

[0011] However, in this equipment, it is assumed that the sample will be left in a furnace with a set temperature, so it is difficult to control the heating rate. If it is necessary to control the heating rate, it is necessary to heat up the furnace body, maintain the temperature, and then cool it down, as described above, so a waiting time is required until the furnace cools down before applying heat treatment to the next sample.

[0012] Moreover, no consideration has been given to multi-stage heat treatment, which is a method of stacking heat treatments at different temperatures. In all of the above-mentioned devices, temperature control is managed by the entire furnace, so if multi-stage heat treatment is to be realized, it is necessary to raise and lower the temperature inside the furnace, and the heat treatment conditions are determined by the heating and cooling capacity of the device. Since the temperature is controlled inside the furnace, there are limitations on the rate at which the temperature is increased and decreased, which restricts the heat treatment conditions.

[0013] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide a heat treatment system, a heat treatment method, and a heat treatment program that can change the temperature conditions of heat treatment in a short period of time to suit a sample, can easily perform multi-stage heat treatment, and can widen the range of heat treatment conditions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] One aspect of the present invention is a heat treatment device having a heat treatment section for heat-treating a sample; a sample stage on which the sample is placed and which is configured to be movable within the heat treatment unit; a condition input section for inputting heat treatment conditions for heat treating the sample; a temperature control unit that controls a temperature in the heat treatment unit based on the heat treatment conditions so that a temperature distribution is formed in the heat treatment unit; a position control unit that controls a position of the sample stage so that the sample is positioned at a position that exhibits a heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment conditions within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed; and The heat treatment equipment is equipped with:

[0015] Another aspect of the present invention is A heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on the sample using the heat treatment equipment, a heat treatment condition input step of inputting the heat treatment conditions into the condition input unit; a temperature distribution forming step of forming the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section by the temperature control section based on the heat treatment conditions; a sample carrying step of placing the sample on the sample stage; a position adjusting step of adjusting a position of the sample stage by the position control unit so that the sample is located at a position exhibiting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment conditions in the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed; a heat treatment implementation step of performing heat treatment for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment conditions inputted to the condition input unit; a sample carrying out step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage; The present invention relates to a heat treatment method comprising the steps of:

[0016] Yet another aspect of the present invention is A heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment by the heat treatment equipment, a heat treatment sequence optimization procedure for optimizing the heat treatment sequence of the samples so that a first carry-in / out period including a period for performing a carry-in operation to place a first sample on a first sample stage and a period for performing a carry-out operation to remove the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and a second carry-in / out period including a period for performing a carry-in operation to place a second sample on the second sample stage and a period for performing a carry-out operation to remove the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and a total processing time from the start time to the end time of the heat treatment of the multiple samples is minimized; a temperature distribution forming step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; a sample loading step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence; a position adjustment step of adjusting a position of the first sample stage so that the first sample is located at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment section where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting a position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is located at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; a heat treatment implementation procedure for performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time, which is a treatment time for the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time, which is a treatment time for the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; a sample removal step of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence; The heat treatment program is for carrying out the above steps. Effect of the Invention

[0017] In the heat treatment equipment of the above embodiment, a temperature distribution is formed in the heat treatment section for heat treatment of a sample, and the position of the sample stage is controlled so that the sample is located at a position in the temperature distribution that exhibits a temperature that is suitable for the heat treatment conditions of the sample, thereby making it possible to perform heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature that is suitable for the heat treatment conditions. As a result, when performing heat treatment on a next sample with different temperature conditions, the position of the sample stage is changed while the heat treatment section is in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed, thereby making it possible to perform heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature that is suitable for the heat treatment conditions of the next sample. Therefore, since it is not necessary to change the temperature of the heat treatment section before performing heat treatment on the next sample, the waiting time until performing heat treatment on the next sample can be significantly shortened.

[0018] In addition, when the sample is subjected to a heat treatment such as a multi-stage heat treatment that changes the heat treatment temperature, the heat treatment temperature can be instantly changed by changing the position of the sample stage while the heat treatment section is in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed. This makes it possible to easily perform a heat treatment that changes the heat treatment temperature, and also enables faster heating and cooling than before, thereby widening the range of heat treatment conditions.

[0019] In the heat treatment method of the other embodiment, by using the heat treatment equipment of the one embodiment, the waiting time until the next sample having different heat treatment temperature conditions is subjected to heat treatment can be significantly shortened. Also, when the sample is subjected to heat treatment such as multi-stage heat treatment in which the heat treatment temperature is changed, the heat treatment temperature can be changed by changing the position of the sample stage while keeping the temperature of the heat treatment section in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed, so that the heat treatment such as multi-stage heat treatment in which the heat treatment temperature is changed can be easily performed, and faster heating and cooling than before are possible, so that the heat treatment conditions can be broadened.

[0020] Furthermore, according to the heat treatment program of the above-mentioned further aspect, when a plurality of samples are heat-treated using the heat treatment equipment of the above-mentioned one aspect, interference between the loading and unloading operations of the samples can be prevented, thereby suppressing a decrease in work efficiency and shortening the total processing time.

[0021] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a heat treatment system, a heat treatment method, and a heat treatment program that can change the temperature conditions of the heat treatment in a short period of time to suit the sample, easily perform multi-stage heat treatment, and widen the range of heat treatment conditions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat treatment equipment 1 according to a first embodiment in a state before the start of heat treatment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a temperature distribution formed in a heat treatment section in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which heat treatment is being performed in heat treatment equipment 1 according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 1A is a timing chart showing a case where heat treatment is performed without optimizing the heat treatment sequence in the first embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a timing chart showing a case where heat treatment is performed with the heat treatment sequence optimized. [Figure 6]FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a heat treatment method in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a heat treatment facility 1 in a state before the start of heat treatment in a first modified embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a heat treatment equipment 1 before starting heat treatment in a second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which heat treatment is being performed in the heat treatment equipment 1 according to the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a heat treatment method in a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a schematic enlarged view of the vicinity of the sample stage in the heat treatment equipment 1 before the start of heat treatment in the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of a heat treatment equipment 1 before starting heat treatment in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a heat treatment method in embodiment 4. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a first schematic diagram of the heat treatment equipment 1 in the fifth embodiment when a sample is unloaded. [Figure 15] FIG. 23 is a second schematic diagram of the heat treatment equipment 1 in the fifth embodiment when a sample is unloaded. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] As described above, one aspect of the present invention is a heat treatment facility including a heat treatment apparatus having a heat treatment section for heat treating a sample, a sample stage on which the sample is placed and which is configured to be movable within the heat treatment section, a condition input section into which heat treatment conditions for heat treating the sample are input, a temperature control section that controls the temperature within the heat treatment section based on the heat treatment conditions so that a temperature distribution is formed within the heat treatment section, and a position control section that controls the position of the sample stage so that the sample is positioned at a position within the heat treatment section where the temperature distribution is formed, at which the heat treatment temperature conforms to the heat treatment conditions.

[0024] In the heat treatment equipment of the above aspect, it is preferable that the sample stage is provided with a temperature detection unit that detects the temperature at the position in the heat treatment unit where the sample stage is located, and the position control unit controls the position of the sample stage so that the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit coincides with the heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment conditions in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed. In this case, the sample placed on the sample stage can be heat treated at a heat treatment temperature that accurately matches the heat treatment conditions, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved.

[0025] It is preferable that the heat treatment section includes a furnace having an internal space and a heating section for heating the internal space of the furnace, and the temperature control section controls the heating section so that the temperature distribution is formed in the internal space of the furnace. In this case, a temperature distribution suitable for the heat treatment can be easily formed in the furnace as the heat treatment section, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved.

[0026] It is preferable that the samples include a first sample and a second sample, the heat treatment equipment is configured to perform the heat treatment of the first sample and the second heat treatment in parallel, the sample stage includes a first sample stage and a second sample stage, the heat treatment conditions include a first heat treatment temperature which is the heat treatment temperature of the first sample placed on the first sample stage and a second heat treatment temperature which is the heat treatment temperature of the second sample placed on the second sample stage, the temperature control unit controls the temperature in the heat treatment unit so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature, and the position control unit controls the position of the first sample stage so that the first sample stage is located at a position exhibiting the first heat treatment temperature within the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, and controls the position of the second sample stage so that the second sample stage is located at a position exhibiting the second heat treatment temperature. In this case, even if the heat treatment temperatures of the first sample and the second sample are different, a single heat treatment unit can be used to perform heat treatment of the first sample and heat treatment of the second sample in parallel, allowing efficient heat treatment.

[0027] The heat treatment equipment is configured to sequentially perform heat treatment on a plurality of samples, including samples having different heat treatment times under the heat treatment conditions, and includes a sample preparation stage on which the sample is placed before the heat treatment, a sample loading device that performs a loading operation to place the sample placed on the sample preparation stage on either the first sample stage or the second sample stage, a sample unloading device that performs an unloading operation to remove the sample from the first sample stage or the second sample stage after the heat treatment by the heat treatment device, and a loading / unloading control unit that controls the driving of the sample loading device and the sample unloading device. It is preferable that the loading / unloading control unit performs the loading and unloading operations of the samples in such an order that the first loading / unloading period including the period during which the loading operation is performed on the first sample stage and the period during which the unloading operation is performed on the first sample stage and the second loading / unloading period including the period during which the loading operation is performed on the second sample stage and the period during which the unloading operation is performed on the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and the heat treatment is performed in an optimized order so that the total processing time from the start time to the end time of the heat treatment of the multiple samples is minimized. In this case, the total processing time when performing the heat treatment of multiple samples can be further shortened, and the heat treatment can be performed more efficiently.

[0028] In the heat treatment section, a first movement area, which is an area where the first sample stage moves, and a second movement area, which is an area where the second sample stage moves, are configured to be individually sealed when the heat treatment is performed, and it is preferable to include a heat treatment atmosphere control section that individually controls the atmosphere in the first movement area and the atmosphere in the second movement area. In this case, the atmosphere during the heat treatment can be controlled for each sample.

[0029] The apparatus may be provided with a rocking / rotating device that rocks or rotates the sample stage. In this case, even if the sample is a powder or powder, the sample will not aggregate even after heat treatment, and each powder can maintain a highly independent and highly dispersible state. In addition, when heat treatment is performed to permeate atmospheric components into a powder or powder sample, the variation in the degree of permeation in the powder or powder and the local difference in the degree of permeation in each powder or powder can be reduced.

[0030] The inside of the heat treatment section is isolated from the atmosphere, and the heat treatment section preferably includes a housing that encloses an area outside the heat treatment section where the sample moves and isolates it from the atmosphere, and a housing atmosphere control section that controls the atmosphere inside the housing so that the inside of the housing is a predetermined atmosphere. In this case, unintended oxidation of the sample by the atmospheric gas can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved.

[0031] In the heat treatment method of the other aspect, it is preferable that the sample includes a first sample and a second sample, the sample loading step includes placing the first sample on a first sample stage and placing the second sample on a second sample stage, the position adjustment step includes adjusting the position of the first sample stage by the position control unit so that the first sample is located at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting the position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is located at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature, the heat treatment step includes performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time which is a treatment time of the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time which is a treatment time of the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and the sample unloading step includes removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage. In this case, even if the heat treatment temperatures of the first sample and the second sample are different, the heat treatment of the first sample and the heat treatment of the second sample can be performed in parallel by a single heat treatment unit, and the heat treatment can be performed efficiently. Although the above describes two different samples, it goes without saying that more samples can be treated in the same way.

[0032] In addition, the heat treatment method further includes a heat treatment sequence optimization step of optimizing the heat treatment sequence of the samples so that a first loading / unloading period including a period for performing a loading operation to place the first sample on the first sample stage and a period for performing a unloading operation to take out the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and a second loading / unloading period including a period for performing a loading operation to place the second sample on the second sample stage and a period for performing a unloading operation to take out the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and the total processing time from the start time to the end time of the heat treatment of the multiple samples is minimized, and the sample loading and unloading steps are preferably performed based on the optimized heat treatment sequence. In this case, it is possible to prevent the loading and unloading operations from interfering with each other when heat treating multiple samples, thereby suppressing a decrease in work efficiency and shortening the total processing time.

[0033] Yet another aspect is a heat treatment method for heat treating the sample by the heat treatment equipment, comprising a heat treatment atmosphere adjusting step of adjusting the atmosphere in the first movement region and the atmosphere in the second movement region individually by the heat treatment atmosphere control unit, a temperature distribution forming step of controlling the temperature in the heat treatment unit so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature, a sample carrying step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence, and a first heat treatment temperature is provided in the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed by the position control unit. a position adjusting step of adjusting the position of the first sample stage so that the first sample is positioned at a position where a second heat treatment temperature is provided, and a position adjusting step of adjusting the position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is positioned at a position where a second heat treatment temperature is provided, a heat treatment performing step of performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time which is a treatment time of the first sample that matches the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time which is a treatment time of the second sample that matches the heat treatment conditions, and a sample carrying out step of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence. In the heat treatment method of the other aspect, the atmosphere control during the heat treatment can be performed individually for each sample.

[0034] Another aspect is a heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on the sample by the heat treatment equipment, the heat treatment method including a heat treatment condition input step of inputting the heat treatment conditions to the condition input unit, a housing atmosphere adjustment step of adjusting the atmosphere in the housing by the housing atmosphere control unit so that the inside of the housing is a predetermined atmosphere, a temperature distribution forming step of forming the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit by the temperature control unit based on the heat treatment conditions, a sample carrying-in step of placing the sample on the sample stage, a position adjustment step of adjusting the position of the sample stage by the position control unit so that the sample is located at a position exhibiting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment conditions in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, a heat treatment implementation step of performing heat treatment for a treatment time conforming to the heat treatment conditions inputted to the condition input unit, and a sample carrying-out step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage. In the heat treatment method of the other aspect, when the sample has high oxygen activity, unintended oxidation of the sample can be suppressed by the atmospheric gas in the housing, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved.

[0035] Yet another aspect is a heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment using the heat treatment equipment, the heat treatment program including a heat treatment atmosphere adjustment step of individually adjusting an atmosphere in the first movement region and an atmosphere in the second movement region; a temperature distribution formation step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; a sample loading step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage; and a sample loading step of placing the first sample at a position exhibiting the first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment section where the temperature distribution has been formed. a position adjustment procedure of adjusting the position of the first sample stage so that the second sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature, a heat treatment implementation procedure of performing heat treatment for a first treatment time which is a treatment time for the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing heat treatment for a second treatment time which is a treatment time for the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and a sample removal procedure of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage, and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage. In the heat treatment program of the other aspect, the atmosphere during heat treatment can be controlled individually for each sample.

[0036] Yet another aspect is a heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment by the heat treatment equipment, the heat treatment program including a housing atmosphere adjustment step of adjusting the atmosphere inside the housing so that the inside of the housing is a predetermined atmosphere, a temperature distribution formation step of controlling the temperature inside the heat treatment unit so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit includes a heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment conditions, a sample carrying-in step of placing the sample on the sample stage, a position adjustment step of adjusting the position of the sample stage so that the sample is located at a position that exhibits a heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment conditions in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, a heat treatment implementation step of performing heat treatment for a treatment time that matches the heat treatment conditions, and a sample carrying-out step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage. In the heat treatment program of the other aspect, when a sample has high oxygen activity, unintended oxidation of the sample can be suppressed by the atmospheric gas inside the housing, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved.

[0037] (Embodiment 1) 1.Heat treatment equipment 1 A first embodiment of the heat treatment equipment 1 will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 6. The heat treatment equipment 1 performs heat treatment on a sample W, and as shown in Fig. 1, includes a heat treatment device 10, a sample stage 20, a condition input unit 30, a position control unit 31, a temperature control unit 32, a loading / unloading control unit 33, a sample loading device 41, a sample unloading device 42, a sample preparation stage 51, and a sample receiving stage 52. In this embodiment, the position control unit 31, the temperature control unit 32, and the loading / unloading control unit 33 are configured by a computer 100 including software including a heat treatment program described later, and hardware such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit) and a memory for executing the heat treatment program, and the heat treatment equipment 1 is configured to automatically perform heat treatment based on a heat treatment condition P described later. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0038] 2. Heat treatment device 10 The heat treatment apparatus 10 includes a heat treatment section 11, a heating section 12, and a gas supply section 13. The heat treatment section 11 heats the sample W therein for heat treatment, and in this embodiment 1, as shown in FIG. 2, a furnace 11a having an internal space 110 is used as the heat treatment section 11. The heating section 12 heats the heat treatment section 11 (furnace 11a). The configuration of the heating section 12 is not limited, and a known heating means can be used. In this embodiment, the heating section 12 is provided in the furnace 11a and configured to heat the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a. Heating by the heating section 12 is controlled by a temperature control section 32. The temperature control section 32 controls the temperature of the heating section 12 so as to maintain the holding temperature based on the holding temperature set based on the heat treatment condition P inputted to the condition input section 30 and the temperature information of each position in the furnace 11a. The temperature of the sample can be acquired by each temperature detection section 24 to 26 described later, but can also be acquired by providing a temperature sensor in the furnace 11a (not shown). 2, the furnace 11a is provided with an opening 111 into which the sample stages 21 to 23 described below can be inserted. Depending on the sample, it may be necessary to perform heat treatment in a vacuum or to replace the atmospheric gas, so a vacuum pump is installed to create a vacuum inside the furnace 11a.

[0039] 3.Temperature distribution A temperature distribution is formed in the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a by heating the furnace 11a by the heating unit 12. The temperature distribution is set to include all of the heat treatment temperatures of the multiple samples W defined by the heat treatment conditions P. For example, when a first sample W1 and a second sample W2 are heat-treated as the multiple samples W, the temperature distribution of the heat processing unit 11 is set to include a first heat treatment temperature T1 which is the heat treatment temperature of the first sample W1 placed on the first sample stage 21, and a second heat treatment temperature T2 which is the heat treatment temperature of the second sample W2 placed on the second sample stage 22.

[0040] An example of the temperature distribution of the furnace 11a in the first embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the furnace 11a is made of a quartz tube material, and as shown in FIG. 2, the furnace 11a is a two-zone tubular furnace type in which the internal space 110 has a first zone 110a and a second zone 110b. A first heater 121 is provided as the heating section 12 in the first zone 110a, and a second heater 122 is provided as the heating section 12 in the second zone 110b, and the first heater 121 and the second heater 122 can be set to individual temperatures. In addition, when the heating elements provided in the first heater 121 and the second heater 122 are nichrome wires, the upper limit temperature limit is about 1000°C, but by using molybdenum disilicide as the heating element in a muffle furnace, the upper limit temperature limit can be about 1800°C.

[0041] The measurement position range of the temperature distribution of the furnace 11a was the entire furnace length (length from the end on the opening 111 side to the end on the opposite side: 300 mm) of the furnace 11a in the moving direction X of the sample stages 21 to 23 described later, and a position from the end on the opening 111 side of the furnace 11a to a position 200 mm outside the furnace in the X direction. The end on the opposite side from the end on the opening 111 side of the furnace 11a was expressed as 0 mm as the position inside the furnace, and the furthest end outside the furnace was expressed as 500 mm. The set temperature of the second heater 122 was fixed to 600°C, and the set temperature of the first heater 121 was set to 800°C, 700°C, and 600°C, respectively. The temperature inside the furnace and the temperature outside the furnace near the opening 111 of the furnace 11a were measured, and the results are shown in FIG. 3.

[0042] As shown in Fig. 3, the temperature distribution of the furnace 11a shows a temperature gradient in which the temperature is generally high in the center of the furnace 11a, and decreases toward the wall of the furnace 11a, and the temperature also decreases rapidly outside the furnace. Note that the temperature distribution shown in Fig. 3 is only an example, and the temperature distribution may vary depending on the shape of the furnace 11a, the arrangement of the heating unit 12, and other configurations.

[0043] The gas supply unit 13 shown in Figs. 1 and 2 supplies an atmospheric gas to the heat treatment unit 11. The type of atmospheric gas can be appropriately selected based on the heat treatment conditions P of the sample W. The operation of the gas supply unit 13 is controlled by a heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34. The heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34 is composed of a computer 100 that executes a predetermined heat treatment program. The heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34 controls the operation of the gas supply unit 13 based on the heat treatment conditions P inputted to the condition input unit 30. When the gas is supplied, it is desirable to include a process of exhausting gas from the furnace space using a separately provided vacuum pump in order to shorten the gas replacement time.

[0044] 4. Sample stage 20 The sample W before heat treatment is placed on the sample stage 20. The sample W before heat treatment is placed on the sample preparation stage 51 in advance. The material and state of the sample W are not limited, and in this embodiment 1, a solid sample in a lump state is used. When a powder or powdered sample W is used, the sample W can be handled in a state where it is contained in a sample container. The number of samples W is also not limited, and multiple samples W can be subjected to heat treatment. The sample container that contains the powder or powdered sample W is not sealed so that gas components do not permeate the sample W and a pressure difference does not occur between the inside and outside of the sample container.

[0045] The sample W placed on the sample preparation stage 51 is transferred to the sample stage 20 by the sample carry-in device 41. In addition, the sample W after the heat treatment is transferred to the sample receiving stage 52 by the sample carry-out device 42. The sample carry-in device 41 and the sample carry-out device 42 are driven and controlled by the carry-in / out control unit 33.

[0046] The number of sample stages 20 is not limited, and in the present embodiment 1, three sample stages are included: a first sample stage 21, a second sample stage 22, and a third sample stage 23. This makes it possible to perform heat treatment of the first sample W1 placed on the first sample stage 21, heat treatment of the second sample W2 placed on the second sample stage 22, and heat treatment of the third sample W3 placed on the third sample stage 23 in parallel.

[0047] The first sample stage 21 is configured to be movable toward and away from the inside of the thermal processing unit 11 via a first driving device 61. The first sample stage 21 is also provided with a first temperature detector 24. The first temperature detector 24 acquires the temperature at the position of the first sample stage 21 when the first sample stage 21 moves into the inside of the thermal processing unit 11. The configuration of the first temperature detector 24 is not limited, and a known configuration such as a thermocouple or a radiation thermometer can be adopted. Similarly, the second sample stage 22 and the third sample stage 23 are also configured to be movable toward and away from the inside of the thermal processing unit 11 via a second driving device 62 and a third driving device 63. The second sample stage 22 and the third sample stage 23 are also provided with a second temperature detector 25 and a third temperature detector 26, and the second temperature detector 25 and the third temperature detector 26 acquire the temperatures at the respective positions of the second sample stage 22 and the third sample stage 23 when they move into the inside of the thermal processing unit 11.

[0048] The position control of each of the sample stages 21-23 is performed by the position control unit 31. The position control unit 31 controls each of the sample stages 21-23 so that they are located at positions in the furnace 11a that exhibit the heat treatment temperatures set for each sample W (for example, the first heat treatment temperature T1 set for the first sample W1, and the second heat treatment temperature T2 set for the second sample W2) based on the heat treatment conditions P inputted to the condition input unit 30. That is, the positions of each of the sample stages 21-23, and therefore the positions of the samples W placed on each of the sample stages 21-23 in the furnace are determined using temperature information acquired by each of the temperature detection units 24-26. The position information of each of the sample stages 21-23 and the temperature information acquired by each of the temperature detection units 24-26 are recorded in an information processing unit (not shown), and this information is fed back to the position control unit 31, whereby the positions of the sample stages 21-23 in the furnace are controlled by the position control unit 31 so that the samples W are heat-treated in accordance with the heat treatment conditions P.

[0049] For example, in the example shown in FIG. 4, the position control unit 31 controls the first sample stage 21 to be located near the center of the second zone 110b based on the heat treatment condition P, controls the second sample stage 22 to be located near the center of the first zone 110a, and controls the third sample stage 23 to be located at the boundary between the first zone 110a and the second zone 110b.

[0050] The mechanism for moving the sample stages 21-23 by the driving devices 61-63 is not particularly limited, and may be a feed screw type or a linear guide type using a motor, but may be appropriately selected in consideration of the installation space, sample weight, etc. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, the sample stages 21-23 are structured to be connected to a pedestal 28 mounted on a feed screw or a linear guide via a shaft 27. This makes it possible to prevent thermal distortion of the feed screw or guide due to heat from the heat treatment section 11.

[0051] In this embodiment, the sample carry-in device 41 and the sample preparation stage 51, and the sample unloading device 42 and the sample receiving stage 52 are arranged on both sides of the sample stages 21-23, but it is also possible for the sample carry-in device 41 and the sample unloading device 42 to have a function of holding and moving the sample performed by one device. It is also possible for the sample storage function of the sample preparation stage 51 and the sample receiving stage 52 to be performed by one stage, or for each to be installed on one side. In these cases, the sample carry-in device 41 or the sample unloading device 42 is configured to be able to carry the desired sample W to the sample stages 21-23 and to unload the desired sample W from the sample stages 21-23 regardless of the state of each of the driving devices 61-63.

[0052] 5. Processing order, delivery period and removal period for each sample W The order of heat treatment of each sample W, the carry-in period for carrying out the carry-in operation, and the carry-out period for carrying out the carry-out operation can be set appropriately and are not limited, but if the carry-in period and carry-out period of different samples W overlap with each other, the carry-in and carry-out operations may interfere with each other and the work efficiency may decrease. Therefore, it is preferable to prevent the carry-in and carry-out periods from overlapping with each other. Furthermore, in order to shorten the total processing time, it is preferable to shorten the waiting time from the end of the heat treatment of the sample W to the start of the heat treatment of the next sample W in each sample stage 21-23 as much as possible, and to shorten the total processing time Ta from the carry-in start time T0 to the carry-out end time Te for all samples W as much as possible. From these viewpoints, it is preferable to optimize the order in which the heat treatment of each sample W is performed. In order to optimize the heat treatment order of each sample W, a job shop scheduling problem, which is a type of combinatorial optimization problem, is solved. The algorithm for solving this is not limited, but for example, an algorithm using reinforcement learning or an algorithm using simulated annealing can be adopted.

[0053] An example of optimizing the heat treatment order of each sample W will be described using a time chart shown in Fig. 5(a) when heat treatment is performed without optimizing the heat treatment order, and a time chart shown in Fig. 5(b) when heat treatment is performed after optimizing the heat treatment order. In the time charts shown in Fig. 5(a) and Fig. 5(b), nine samples W are heat-treated, and the heat treatment time of the sample W is THn (n is the sample number 1 to 9), the time from when the sample carry-in device 41 transfers the sample W from the sample preparation stage 51 to when it is placed on one of the sample stages 21 to 23 is TCI, and the time from when the sample carry-out device 42 transfers the sample W from the sample stages 21 to 23 to when it is placed on the sample receiving stage 52 is TCO.

[0054] 5(a) and 5(b), when the heat treatment of any one of the sample stages 21-23 is completed, the heat-treated sample W is moved from the sample stage to the sample receiving stage 52 via the sample unloading device 42, and the next sample W before heat treatment is placed on the sample stage from the sample preparation stage 51 by the sample loading device 41, and then heat treatment is performed. In a configuration in which the sample loading device 41 and the sample unloading device 42 are provided, the sample W replacement time may be shorter than the sum of TCI and TCO by performing part or all of the loading and unloading operations of the sample W on one of the sample stages 21-23 in parallel, but in the time charts shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the sample replacement time is shown as the sum of TCI and TCO.

[0055] 5(a), the order of heat treatment is not optimized, and heat treatment is performed sequentially according to the order of input conditions without considering the heat treatment time THn set individually for each sample W. Therefore, at the timing indicated by the arrow with the symbol NG, the loading and unloading periods (i.e., sample exchange time) of the first sample stage 21 and the second sample stage 22 overlap, and therefore the loading and unloading operations may not be performed smoothly. Furthermore, near the unloading end time Te, the period during which heat treatment is performed alone on the third sample stage 23 becomes longer, and as a result, the total processing time Ta becomes longer.

[0056] On the other hand, in the time chart shown in Fig. 5(b), the order of heat treatments is optimized, and therefore the order of treatments is different from that shown in Fig. 5(a). This eliminates the overlap of sample exchange times between the first sample stage 21 and the second sample stage 22, and also shortens the period during which heat treatment is performed independently on any of the sample stages 21 to 23 near the unloading end time Te compared to the case of Fig. 5(a), resulting in a shorter total treatment time Ta.

[0057] 6.Heat treatment method Next, a heat treatment method using the heat treatment facility 1 of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the heat treatment flow shown in FIG. 6. In this heat treatment method, as shown in FIG. 6, first, in step S1, a process condition step of inputting the heat treatment condition P by the condition input unit 30 is performed. The heat treatment condition P includes the heat treatment temperature, treatment time, etc. for each of the plurality of samples W to be treated. Then, in step S2, a heat treatment order optimization step is performed to optimize the heat treatment order so that the replacement times of the plurality of samples W do not overlap based on the heat treatment condition P and the total treatment time is shortened. Next, in step S3, the temperature control unit 32 performs a temperature distribution formation step of heating the furnace 11a as the heat treatment unit based on the heat treatment condition P to form a temperature distribution in the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a. Note that the temperature distribution formation step S3 may be performed in parallel with the heat treatment order optimization step S2.

[0058] Thereafter, proceeding to step S4, a sample loading step is performed in which the sample W prepared in advance on the sample preparation table 51 is placed on each of the sample tables 21 to 23 at the initial positions outside the furnace 11a by the sample loading device 41. The order in which the samples W are placed is based on the heat treatment order optimized in the heat treatment order optimization step S2.

[0059] Next, in step S5, the position control unit 31 performs a position adjustment step of adjusting the positions of the sample tables 21 to 23 so that the sample W is positioned at a position presenting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment condition P in the furnace 11a based on the temperature distribution in the furnace 11a acquired by the temperature detection units 24 to 26. The heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment condition P may be the same temperature as the heat treatment temperature defined in the heat treatment condition P, or may be a temperature within a predetermined range including the heat treatment temperature defined in the heat treatment condition P. In the first embodiment, for example, the heat treatment temperature Tw set for the sample W placed on the first sample table 21 is compared with the furnace temperature Ts acquired by the first temperature detection unit 24. When Tw > Ts, the first sample table 21 is moved into the furnace 11a. When Tw = Ts, the entry of the first sample table 21 is stopped. When Tw < Ts, the first sample table 21 can be retracted.

[0060] Then, in step S6, a heat treatment implementation step is performed in which heat treatment is performed for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment condition P. When performing multi-stage heat treatment, a heat treatment is performed at a first heat treatment temperature and treatment time as a first heat treatment that conforms to the heat treatment condition P, and then a heat treatment is performed at a second heat treatment temperature and treatment time as a second heat treatment that conforms to the heat treatment condition P. Thereafter, a third heat treatment and a fourth heat treatment can also be performed depending on the heat treatment condition P.

[0061] Thereafter, in step S7, the sample stages 21-23 on which the samples W for which heat treatment has been completed are withdrawn from the furnace 11a and returned to their initial positions outside the furnace, and a sample carrying-out step is performed in which the sample carrying-out device 42 moves the samples W from the sample stages 21-23 to the sample receiving stage 52. The sample carrying-out step S7 can be performed sequentially starting with the samples W for which heat treatment has been completed. Then, in step S8, it is determined whether or not heat treatment has been completed for all samples W. If it is determined that heat treatment has not been completed for all samples W, the process proceeds to Yes in step S8 and returns to step S4 again to carry out the following steps S5-S8. On the other hand, if it is determined that heat treatment has been completed for all samples W in step S8, the process proceeds to No in step S8 and ends the heat treatment flow. As a result, heat treatment is performed on the multiple samples W in the order optimized in the heat treatment order optimization step S2.

[0062] 7.Heat treatment program Next, a heat treatment program for making the computer 100 execute the heat treatment by the heat treatment equipment 1 of the present embodiment 1 will be described. The heat treatment program is a heat treatment program for making the computer 100 execute a heat treatment sequence optimization procedure for carrying out the heat treatment sequence optimization step S2 described above, a temperature distribution formation procedure for carrying out the temperature distribution formation step S3 described above, a sample carry-in procedure for carrying out the sample carry-in step S4 described above, a position adjustment procedure for carrying out the position adjustment step S5 described above, a heat treatment execution procedure for carrying out the heat treatment execution step S6 described above, and a sample unloading procedure for carrying out the sample unloading step S7 described above. The program is stored in a storage device (not shown) provided in the computer 100.

[0063] 8. Effects According to the heat treatment equipment 1 of the present embodiment 1, a temperature distribution is formed in the heat treatment section 11 for heat treatment of the sample W, and the positions of the sample stages 21-23 on which the sample W is placed are controlled so that the sample W is located at a position in the temperature distribution that exhibits a temperature that is suitable for the heat treatment conditions P of the sample W, thereby making it possible to perform heat treatment at a heat treatment temperature suitable for the heat treatment conditions P. As a result, when performing heat treatment on the next sample W having different temperature conditions, the positions of the sample stages 21-23 are changed while the heat treatment section 11 is in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed, so that the heat treatment can be performed under the temperature conditions set for each sample W. Therefore, since it is not necessary to change the temperature of the heat treatment section 11 before performing heat treatment on the next sample W, the waiting time until performing heat treatment on the next sample W can be significantly shortened.

[0064] Furthermore, when subjecting the sample W to a heat treatment that changes the heat treatment temperature, such as a multi-stage heat treatment, the heat treatment temperature can be instantly changed by changing the positions of the sample stages 21-23 while leaving the heat treatment section 11 in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed. This makes it possible to easily perform a heat treatment that changes the heat treatment temperature, and also to widen the range of heat treatment conditions since faster heating and cooling than before is possible.

[0065] In the present embodiment 1, the sample stages 21-23 are provided with temperature detectors 24-26 for detecting the temperatures at the positions in the heat treatment section 11 where the sample stages 21-23 are located, and the position controller 31 controls the positions of the sample stages 21-23 so that the temperatures detected by the temperature detectors 24-26 in the heat treatment section 11 where a temperature distribution is formed coincide with the heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment condition P. This allows the sample W placed on the sample stages 21-23 to be heat treated at a heat treatment temperature that accurately matches the heat treatment condition P, improving the accuracy of the heat treatment.

[0066] In the present embodiment 1, the heat treatment section 11 includes a furnace 11a having an internal space 110 and a heating section 12 for heating the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a, and the temperature control section 32 controls the heating section 12 so that a temperature distribution is formed in the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a. This makes it possible to easily form a temperature distribution suitable for heat treatment in the furnace 11a as the heat treatment section 11, and improve the accuracy of the heat treatment.

[0067] Furthermore, in this embodiment 1, the sample W includes a first sample W1 and a second sample W2, and the heat treatment equipment 1 is configured to be able to perform heat treatment of the first sample W1 and heat treatment of the second sample W2 in parallel. The sample stage 20 includes a first sample stage 21 and a second sample stage 22, the heat treatment condition P includes a first heat treatment temperature T1 which is the heat treatment temperature of the first sample W1 placed on the first sample stage 21, and a second heat treatment temperature T2 which is the heat treatment temperature of the second sample W2 placed on the second sample stage 22, the temperature control unit 32 controls the temperature in the heat treatment unit 11 so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit 11 includes the first heat treatment temperature T1 and the second heat treatment temperature T2, and the position control unit 31 controls the position of the first sample stage 21 so that the first sample W1 is located at a position exhibiting the first heat treatment temperature T1 within the heat treatment unit 11 in which the temperature distribution is formed, and controls the position of the second sample stage 22 so that the second sample W2 is located at a position exhibiting the second heat treatment temperature T2. As a result, even if the first heat treatment temperature T1 and the second heat treatment temperature T2 are different, the heat treatment of the first sample W1 and the second sample W2 can be performed in parallel by a single heat treatment section 11, and the heat treatment can be performed efficiently.

[0068] In the first embodiment, the heat treatment equipment 1 has only one furnace 11a as the heat treatment section, but the heat treatment equipment 1 may have multiple furnaces as the heat treatment section 11. In this case, by setting the temperature distribution ranges in the multiple furnaces to be different from each other, a wider range of heat treatment conditions can be performed in a significantly shorter time. For example, when multiple furnaces 11a are arranged in parallel, a sample carry-in device 41 or a sample carry-out device 42 can be installed at a position between the furnaces 11a, so that one sample carry-in device 41 or sample carry-out device 42 can be used to carry in and out samples for both furnaces 11a.

[0069] Furthermore, the heat treatment equipment 1 of this embodiment 1 is configured to sequentially perform heat treatment on multiple samples W including samples having different heat treatment times under heat treatment condition P, and is equipped with a sample preparation stage 51 on which the sample W is placed before heat treatment, a sample loading device 41 that performs a loading operation to place the sample W placed on the sample preparation stage 51 on one of the sample stages 21-23, a sample unloading device 42 that performs an unloading operation to remove the sample W from the sample stages 21-23 after heat treatment by the heat treatment device, and a load / unload control unit 33 that controls the operation of the sample loading device 41 and the sample unloading device 42. The loading / unloading control unit 33 performs the loading and unloading operations of the samples W such that the first loading / unloading period including the period TCI during which the loading operation is performed on the first sample stage 21 and the period TCO during which the unloading operation is performed on the first sample stage 21 and the second loading / unloading period including the period TCI during which the loading operation is performed on the second sample stage 22 and the period TCO during which the unloading operation is performed on the second sample stage 22 do not overlap with each other, and performs the loading and unloading operations of the samples W in an optimized order so as to minimize the total processing time Ta from the sample loading start time T0 to the unloading end time Te for the multiple samples W. This makes it possible to further shorten the total processing time Ta when performing the heat treatment of the multiple samples W, and to perform the heat treatment more efficiently.

[0070] Furthermore, the heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on the sample W using the heat treatment equipment 1 of this embodiment 1 includes a heat treatment condition input process S1 for inputting heat treatment conditions P to the condition input unit 30, a temperature distribution formation process S3 for forming a temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit 11 using the temperature control unit 32 based on the heat treatment conditions P, a sample carry-in process S4 for placing the sample W on the sample stages 21-23, a position adjustment process S5 for adjusting the positions of the sample stages 21-23 using the position control unit 31 so that the sample W is located at a position within the heat treatment unit 11 in which the temperature distribution has been formed, which position exhibits a heat treatment temperature that conforms to the heat treatment conditions P, a heat treatment implementation process S6 for performing heat treatment for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment conditions P inputted to the condition input unit 30, and a sample removal process S7 for removing the heat-treated sample W from the sample stages 21-23.

[0071] In this heat treatment method, by using the heat treatment equipment 1 of the present embodiment 1, it is possible to significantly shorten the waiting time until the next sample W, which has different heat treatment temperature conditions, is subjected to heat treatment. Also, when the sample W is subjected to heat treatment such as multi-stage heat treatment, which changes the heat treatment temperature, the heat treatment temperature can be changed by changing the positions of the sample stages 21-23 while keeping the temperature of the heat treatment section 11 in a state in which the temperature distribution is formed. This makes it possible to easily perform heat treatment that changes the heat treatment temperature, and also makes it possible to achieve a wider range of heat treatment conditions since faster heating and cooling than ever before is possible.

[0072] In the heat treatment method of the first embodiment, the sample W includes a first sample W1 and a second sample W2, and in the sample loading step S4, the first sample W1 is placed on the first sample stage 21, and the second sample W2 is placed on the second sample stage 22. In the position adjustment step S5, the position control unit 31 adjusts the position of the first sample stage 21 so that the first sample W1 is located at a position that exhibits the first heat treatment temperature T1 in the heat treatment unit 11 where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusts the position of the second sample stage 22 so that the second sample W2 is located at a position that exhibits the second heat treatment temperature T2. In the heat treatment step S6, the first sample W1 is subjected to a heat treatment for a first treatment time that is a treatment time of the first sample W1 that conforms to the heat treatment condition P, and the second sample W2 is subjected to a heat treatment for a second treatment time that is a treatment time of the second sample W2 that conforms to the heat treatment condition P. Then, in the sample removal step S7, the heat-treated first sample W1 is removed from the first sample stage 21, and the heat-treated second sample W2 is removed from the second sample stage 22. This makes it possible to perform the heat treatment of the first sample W1 and the heat treatment of the second sample W2 in parallel by the single heat treatment unit 11, even if the first heat treatment temperature T1 and the second heat treatment temperature T2 are different, and therefore makes it possible to perform the heat treatments efficiently.

[0073] In addition, in the heat treatment method of the first embodiment, the first loading / unloading period including the period TCI for carrying in the first sample W1 to the first sample stage 21 and the period TCO for carrying out the heat-treated first sample W1 from the first sample stage 21 and the second loading / unloading period including the period TCI for carrying in the second sample W2 to the second sample stage 22 and the period TCO for carrying out the heat-treated second sample W2 from the second sample stage 22 do not overlap with each other, and further includes a heat treatment order optimization step S2 for optimizing the heat treatment order of the samples W so that the total processing time Ta from the start time T0 to the end time Te of the heat treatment of the multiple samples W is the shortest, and the sample loading step S4 and the sample unloading step S7 are performed based on the optimized heat treatment order. This prevents the loading and unloading operations from interfering with each other when the multiple samples W are heat-treated, suppresses a decrease in work efficiency, and shortens the total processing time Ta.

[0074] The heat treatment program for causing the computer 100 to execute the heat treatment by the heat treatment equipment 1 of the first embodiment includes a heat treatment order optimization procedure for optimizing the order of heat treatment of the samples W such that a first carry-in / out period including a period TCI for performing a carry-in operation to place the first sample W1 on the first sample stage 21 and a period TCO for performing a carry-out operation to remove the heat-treated first sample W1 from the first sample stage 21 and a second carry-in / out period including a period TCI for performing a carry-in operation to place the second sample W2 on the second sample stage 22 and a period for performing a carry-out operation to remove the heat-treated second sample W2 from the second sample stage 22 do not overlap with each other and a total treatment time Ta from the start time T0 to the end time Te of the heat treatment of the multiple samples W is minimized; a temperature distribution formation procedure for controlling the temperature in the heat treatment section 11 so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section 11 includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; This is a heat treatment program for executing a sample loading procedure of placing a first sample W1 on a first sample stage W1 and placing a second sample W2 on a second sample stage 22 based on the heat treatment sequence; a position adjustment procedure of adjusting the position of the first sample stage 21 so that the first sample W1 is located at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature within the heat treatment section 11 in which a temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting the position of the second sample stage 22 so that the second sample W2 is located at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; a heat treatment implementation procedure of performing heat treatment for a first treatment time, which is the treatment time of the first sample W1 that complies with the heat treatment condition P, and performing heat treatment for a second treatment time, which is the treatment time of the second sample W2 that complies with the heat treatment condition P; and a sample removal procedure of removing the heat-treated first sample W1 from the first sample stage 21 and removing the heat-treated second sample W2 from the second sample stage 22 based on the optimized heat treatment sequence.

[0075] According to the heat treatment program of this embodiment 1, when multiple samples W are heat treated using the heat treatment equipment 1 of this embodiment 1, interference between the loading and unloading operations is prevented, thereby suppressing a decrease in work efficiency and shortening the total processing time.

[0076] In the first embodiment, the furnace 11a is provided as the heat treatment section 11, and the sample W is heat-treated using the temperature distribution in the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a. Alternatively, as in the first modified embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the heat treatment section 11 may include an outside furnace region 110c, which is a region near the end of the furnace 11a on the opening 111 side, in addition to the furnace 11a. In the first modified embodiment, the outside furnace region 110c is a region from the end of the furnace 11a on the opening 111 side to 200 mm outside the furnace, and corresponds to the outside of the furnace shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, a temperature distribution is also formed in the outside furnace region 110c, and when the heat treatment temperature included in the heat treatment condition P is included in the temperature distribution of the outside furnace region 110c, the sample W may be heat-treated using the temperature distribution of the outside furnace region 110c.

[0077] As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a heat treatment apparatus 1 and a heat treatment method that can change the temperature conditions of the heat treatment in a short time to suit the sample W, facilitate multi-stage heat treatment, and widen the range of heat treatment conditions.

[0078] (Embodiment 2) 8, in the heat treatment section 11, a first movement area 101 where the first sample stage 21 moves, a second movement area 102 where the second sample stage 22 moves, and a third movement area 103 where the third sample stage 23 moves are configured to be individually sealed during heat treatment. A heat treatment atmosphere control section 34 is provided to individually control the atmosphere in the first movement area 101, the atmosphere in the second movement area 102, and the atmosphere in the third movement area 103.

[0079] The first moving region 101, the second moving region 102, and the third moving region 103 are all made of pipe-shaped members, and in this embodiment, the heat treatment unit 11 includes a furnace 11a and an outside furnace region 110c, and the pipe-shaped members constituting the moving regions 101-103 extend to the outside furnace region 110c as well as the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a. One end of the pipe-shaped member is connected to a gas exhaust unit 14 for exhausting gas during heat treatment by gas flow and is closed. The other end of the pipe-shaped member is connected to a gas supply unit 13 and is open, and each of the sample stages 21-23 can advance and retreat into the moving regions 101-103 through the opening at the other end.

[0080] The heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34 controls the flow rate of the atmospheric gas from the gas supply unit 13 to the moving regions 101-103 and the exhaust speed of the gas exhausted from the gas exhaust unit 14. The configuration of the gas exhaust unit 14 is not limited, but in the present embodiment 1, a butterfly valve, which is a pressure regulating valve, is adopted. In the present embodiment 1, the exhaust speed in the gas exhaust unit 14 is adjusted by controlling the opening degree of the butterfly valve by the heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34 on the computer 100, but instead, it may be adjusted by manually changing the opening degree of the butterfly valve.

[0081] A check valve (not shown) is provided at a connection between one end of the pipe-shaped member constituting the transfer regions 101-103 and the gas discharge section 14 in order to prevent fluctuations in the atmosphere within the transfer regions 101-103. A check valve (not shown) is also provided at a connection between the other end of the pipe-shaped member and the gas supply section 13 in order to prevent the atmospheric gas within the transfer regions 101-103 from flowing back toward the gas supply section 13.

[0082] The material of the pipe-shaped members constituting the movement areas 101-103 is not particularly limited, but glass such as quartz, metals such as stainless steel and Inconel, or ceramics such as alumina can be used and can be selected taking into consideration the process such as the desired temperature and gas type, and costs. Then, at the rear of each of the sample stages 21-23 in the forward / backward direction X, as shown in Fig. 9, covers 104, 105, and 106 are provided to close the other end of the pipe-shaped members constituting each of the movement areas 101-103 when each of the sample stages 21-23 is positioned within the movement areas 101-103. In the initial state shown in Fig. 8, the covers 104-106 are fixed to the rear of each of the sample stages 21-23 and are movable together with the sample stages 21-23.

[0083] 9, when the sample stages 21-23 are inserted from the other end of the pipe-shaped members constituting each of the moving regions 101-103 and the lids 104-106 come into contact with the ends of the pipe-shaped members, the lids 104-106 are fixed to the ends of the pipe-shaped members, and the moving regions 101-103 are sealed. As a result, when the sample stages 21-23 are moved back in the moving regions 101-103, that is, when the sample stages 21-23 are moved toward the driving devices 61-63 in the moving regions 101-103, the lids 104-106 are connected to the other ends of the pipe-shaped members constituting the moving regions 101-103, so that the atmospheric gas in the moving regions 101-103 is prevented from leaking, and the heat treatment can be continued without changing the atmosphere. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0084] The heat treatment method by the heat treatment equipment 1 of the present embodiment 2 will be described with reference to the heat treatment flow shown in Fig. 10. In this heat treatment method, similarly to the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 6, after performing steps S1 and S2, in step S21, the heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34 performs a heat treatment atmosphere adjustment process of individually adjusting the atmosphere in the first movement region 101, the atmosphere in the second movement region 102, and the atmosphere in the third movement region 103. Thereafter, similarly to the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 6, steps S3 and onwards are performed to end the heat treatment flow.

[0085] Furthermore, the heat treatment program for causing the computer 100 to execute the heat treatment using the heat treatment equipment 1 of this embodiment 2 further causes the computer 100 to execute a heat treatment atmosphere adjustment procedure for performing a heat treatment atmosphere adjustment step S21 in the heat treatment program in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0086] The heat treatment equipment 1, the heat treatment method, and the heat treatment program of the present embodiment 2, having the above-mentioned configuration, can individually control the atmosphere during heat treatment for each sample W. The present embodiment 2 also provides the same effects as the embodiment 1.

[0087] (Embodiment 3) In the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the heat treatment equipment 1 includes an oscillating and rotating device 70 for oscillating or rotating the sample stages 21 to 23. The oscillating and rotating device 70 is connected to a shaft 27 connected to the sample stages 21 to 23, and is configured to oscillate or rotate the sample stages 21 to 23 via the shaft 27. The configuration of the oscillating and rotating device 70 is not limited, and it can be configured with various motors such as an electromagnetic motor. The motor constituting the oscillating and rotating device 70 may be directly connected to the shaft 27 to oscillate or rotate the sample stages 21 to 23, but in order to increase the torque in consideration of the sample weight, etc., it may be connected to the shaft 27 via a gear or the like to oscillate or rotate the sample stages 21 to 23. The driving of the oscillating and rotating device 70 is controlled by the oscillating and rotating control unit 35. The oscillating and rotating control unit 35 drives the oscillating and rotating device 70 to oscillate or rotate the sample stages 21 to 23 during the heat treatment of the samples W placed on the sample stages 21 to 23. The swing / rotation control unit 35 is configured by a computer 100 that executes a predetermined heat treatment program.

[0088] When the sample W is a powder or powder, if the sample W is subjected to heat treatment while being left stationary, the powder or powder may locally or entirely sinter, forming an aggregate, especially at high temperatures. Therefore, it may be difficult to make each powder or powder independent and highly dispersible. However, in this embodiment 3, by rocking or rotating the sample stages 21-23 by the rocking and rotating device 70, even if the sample W is a powder or powder, the individual powder or powder can be kept independent and highly dispersible without agglomeration even after heat treatment. In addition, when heat treatment is performed to permeate the powder or powder with atmospheric components, the variation in the degree of permeation due to the powder or powder and the difference in the degree of local permeation in each powder or powder can be reduced. The sample W, which is a powder or powder, can be placed on the sample stages 21-23 in a state of being accommodated in a predetermined container.

[0089] In the third embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. Also in the third embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment are achieved.

[0090] (Embodiment 4) In the fourth embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12, in the heat treatment equipment 1, the internal space 110 of the furnace 11a is isolated from the atmosphere, and further, the area outside the furnace 11a where the sample W moves is enclosed by a housing 80 and isolated from the atmosphere. A housing atmosphere control unit 81 is provided to control the atmosphere inside the housing 80 so that a predetermined atmosphere is created inside the housing 80. The housing atmosphere control unit 81 is configured by a computer 100 that executes a predetermined heat treatment program. The atmospheric gas inside the housing 80 is supplied by a gas supply unit 82 connected to the housing 80, and the operation of the gas supply unit 82 is controlled by the housing atmosphere control unit 81.

[0091] In addition, in the fourth embodiment, a pass box is provided for moving the sample W inside and outside the housing 80, and the pass box has a function of exhausting gas inside and replacing the gas. In addition, the housing 80 is provided with a glove that allows the inside of the housing 80 to be operated while the housing 80 is sealed, although it is not shown in the figure. The glove makes it easy to manually move or open the sample W stored in the sealed container in the housing 80 to prevent exposure to the atmosphere. The glove also makes it easy to move the sample W and open the container, as well as to recover from an unexpected event during a series of heat treatment processes, such as the sample W dropping inside the housing 80. In the fourth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0092] A heat treatment method using the heat treatment equipment 1 of the present embodiment 4 will be described with reference to the heat treatment flow shown in Fig. 13. In this heat treatment method, similarly to the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 6, after performing steps S1 and S2, a housing atmosphere adjustment step is performed in step S22 in which the housing atmosphere control unit 81 adjusts the atmosphere in the housing 80 so that the inside of the housing 80 has a predetermined atmosphere. The adjustment of the atmosphere in the furnace 11a may be performed in advance by the heat treatment atmosphere control unit 34, or may be performed together with the adjustment of the atmosphere in the housing 80 in step S22. Thereafter, similarly to the embodiment 1 shown in Fig. 6, steps S3 and onwards are performed to end the heat treatment flow.

[0093] Furthermore, the heat treatment program for causing the computer 100 to execute the heat treatment using the heat treatment equipment 1 of this embodiment 4 is configured to cause the computer 100 to execute an enclosure atmosphere adjustment procedure for performing the enclosure atmosphere adjustment process S22 in addition to the heat treatment program in the above-mentioned embodiment 1.

[0094] According to the heat treatment equipment 1, the heat treatment method, and the heat treatment program of the fourth embodiment, unintended oxidation of the sample can be suppressed by the atmospheric gas in the case 80, and the accuracy of the heat treatment can be improved. Moreover, the fourth embodiment also has the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0095] (Embodiment 5) 14 and 15, the heat treatment equipment 1 of the fifth embodiment includes a sample transporting device 90 capable of reciprocating between a position near the sample carry-in device 41 and a position near the sample carry-out device 42. The sample transporting device 90 includes a transport section 91 on which the sample W can be placed, and a guide rail 92 extending between a position near the sample carry-in device 41 and a position near the sample carry-out device 42, and the transport section 91 is capable of reciprocating along the guide rail 92. Driving of the sample transporting device 90 is controlled by the carry-in / out control section 33.

[0096] In the fifth embodiment, as shown by an arrow F1 in Fig. 14, the first sample W1 taken out from the first sample stage 21 by the sample carry-in device 41 after the heat treatment is placed on the transport unit 91. Then, the carry-in / out control unit 33 moves the transport unit 91 along the guide rail 92 toward the sample carry-out device 42, and causes it to reach a position near the sample carry-out device 42 as shown in Fig. 15. Thereafter, as shown by an arrow F2 in Fig. 15, the first sample W1 is transported from the transport unit 91 to the sample receiving stage 52 by the sample carry-out device 42.

[0097] Also, although not shown, the sample W before heat treatment can be removed from the sample preparation stage 51 by the sample loading device 41, placed on the transport section 91, sent to the sample unloading device 42 side, and placed on the third sample stage 23 by the sample unloading device 42.

[0098] As a result, even in a situation where the tips of the arms of the sample loading device 41 and the sample unloading device 42 cannot reach the sample stages 21-23, the sample W can be moved smoothly by utilizing the sample transporting device 90, and heat treatment can be carried out without delay.

[0099] In the fifth embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. Also in the fifth embodiment, the same effects as those in the first embodiment are achieved.

[0100] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be applied to various embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 1. Heat treatment equipment 10 Heat treatment device 11 Heat Treatment Section 11a Furnace 12 Heating section 13 Gas supply section 14 Gas exhaust section 20 Sample stage 21 First sample stage 22 Second sample stage 23 Third sample stage 24 First temperature detection unit 25 Second temperature detection unit 26 Third temperature detection section 30 Condition input section 31 Position control section 32 Temperature control unit 33 Loading / unloading control section 34 Heat treatment atmosphere control unit 35 Swing rotation control section 41 Sample loading device 42 Sample removal device 51 Sample preparation table 52 Sample receiving table 70 Swinging and rotating device 80 Case 81 Enclosure atmosphere control unit 82 Gas Supply Section 90 Sample transport device 100 Computers 101 1st movement area 102 2nd moving area 103 Third movement area 104~106 Lid

Claims

1. a heat treatment device having a heat treatment section for heat-treating a sample; a sample stage on which the sample is placed and which is configured to be movable within the heat treatment unit; a condition input section for inputting heat treatment conditions for heat treating the sample; a temperature control unit that controls a temperature in the heat treatment unit based on the heat treatment conditions so that a temperature distribution is formed in the heat treatment unit; a position control unit that controls a position of the sample stage so that the sample is positioned at a position that exhibits a heat treatment temperature that matches the heat treatment conditions within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed; and Heat treatment equipment equipped with:

2. the sample stage is provided with a temperature detector that detects a temperature at a position in the heat treatment unit where the sample stage is located; 2. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the position control unit controls a position of the sample stage so that, within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed, the temperature detected by the temperature detection unit coincides with a heat treatment temperature that conforms to the heat treatment conditions.

3. The heat treatment unit includes a furnace having an internal space and a heating unit that heats the internal space of the furnace, The heat treatment facility according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature control unit controls the heating unit so that the temperature distribution is formed in the internal space of the furnace.

4. the samples include a first sample and a second sample, and the heat treatment equipment is configured to be able to perform heat treatment of the first sample and heat treatment of the second sample in parallel; the sample stage includes a first sample stage and a second sample stage; the heat treatment conditions include a first heat treatment temperature which is a heat treatment temperature of the first sample placed on the first sample stage, and a second heat treatment temperature which is a heat treatment temperature of the second sample placed on the second sample stage; the temperature control unit controls a temperature in the heat treatment unit such that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment unit includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; 3. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 1, wherein the position control unit controls a position of the first sample stage so that the first sample stage is located at a position exhibiting the first heat treatment temperature within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed, and controls a position of the second sample stage so that the second sample stage is located at a position exhibiting the second heat treatment temperature.

5. the heat treatment equipment is configured to sequentially perform heat treatments on a plurality of the samples, including samples having different heat treatment times under the heat treatment conditions; a sample preparation stage on which the sample is placed before the heat treatment; a sample loading device that performs a loading operation of loading the sample placed on the sample preparation stage onto either the first sample stage or the second sample stage; a sample unloading device that performs a unloading operation of unloading the sample from the first sample stage or the second sample stage after the sample has been heat-treated by the heat treatment device; a loading / unloading control unit for controlling the driving of the sample loading device and the sample unloading device; Equipped with 5. The heat treatment equipment according to claim 4, wherein the loading / unloading control unit performs the loading / unloading operation of the samples such that a first loading / unloading period including a period for performing the loading operation on the first sample stage and a period for performing the unloading operation on the first sample stage and a second loading / unloading period including a period for performing the loading operation on the second sample stage and a period for performing the unloading operation on the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and performs the loading operation and the unloading operation of the samples in an optimized order so as to minimize a total processing time from a loading start time to a unloading end time for the multiple samples.

6. Within the heat treatment section, a first movement area, which is an area where the first sample stage moves, and a second movement area, which is an area where the second sample stage moves, are configured to be individually sealed when the heat treatment is performed, The heat treatment facility according to claim 4 , further comprising a heat treatment atmosphere control unit that controls an atmosphere in the first transfer region and an atmosphere in the second transfer region separately.

7. 3. The heat treatment facility according to claim 1, further comprising a rocking and rotating device for rocking or rotating the sample stage.

8. The inside of the heat treatment section is isolated from the atmosphere, a housing that encloses an area in which the sample moves outside the heat treatment section and isolates it from the atmosphere; a housing atmosphere control unit that controls an atmosphere inside the housing so that the inside of the housing is a predetermined atmosphere; The heat treatment facility according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

9. A heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on the sample by the heat treatment equipment according to claim 1 or 2, comprising the steps of: a heat treatment condition input step of inputting the heat treatment conditions into the condition input unit; a temperature distribution forming step of forming the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section by the temperature control section based on the heat treatment conditions; a sample carrying step of placing the sample on the sample stage; a position adjusting step of adjusting a position of the sample stage by the position control unit so that the sample is located at a position exhibiting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment conditions within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed; a heat treatment implementation step of performing heat treatment for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment conditions inputted to the condition input unit; a sample carrying-out step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage; A heat treatment method comprising:

10. the sample includes a first sample and a second sample; In the sample carrying-in step, the first sample is placed on a first sample stage, and the second sample is placed on a second sample stage; In the position adjustment step, the position control unit adjusts the position of the first sample stage so that the first sample is located at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusts the position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is located at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; In the heat treatment step, a heat treatment is performed for a first treatment time, which is a treatment time of the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and a heat treatment is performed for a second treatment time, which is a treatment time of the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; 10. The heat treatment method according to claim 9, wherein in the sample unloading step, the first sample that has been heat treated is removed from the first sample stage, and the second sample that has been heat treated is removed from the second sample stage.

11. a heat treatment sequence optimization step of optimizing a heat treatment sequence of the samples so that a first carry-in / out period including a period for carrying in the first sample on the first sample stage and a period for carrying out the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and a second carry-in / out period including a period for carrying in the second sample on the second sample stage and a period for carrying out the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and a total processing time from a start time to an end time of the heat treatment of the samples is minimized, The heat treatment method according to claim 10 , wherein the sample carrying-in step and the sample carrying-out step are performed based on the optimized heat treatment sequence.

12. A heat treatment method for heat-treating the sample by the heat treatment equipment according to claim 6, comprising the steps of: a heat treatment atmosphere adjusting step of individually adjusting an atmosphere in the first movement region and an atmosphere in the second movement region by the heat treatment atmosphere control unit; a temperature distribution forming step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; a sample carrying step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage; a position adjusting step of adjusting a position of the first sample stage by the position control unit so that the first sample is located at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment unit where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting a position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is located at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; a heat treatment implementation step of performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time, which is a treatment time of the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time, which is a treatment time of the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; a sample carrying-out step of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage; A heat treatment method comprising:

13. A heat treatment method for performing heat treatment on the sample by the heat treatment equipment according to claim 8, comprising the steps of: a heat treatment condition input step of inputting the heat treatment conditions into the condition input unit; a housing atmosphere adjusting step of adjusting an atmosphere inside the housing by the housing atmosphere control unit so that the inside of the housing has a predetermined atmosphere; a temperature distribution forming step of forming the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section by the temperature control section based on the heat treatment conditions; a sample carrying step of placing the sample on the sample stage; a position adjusting step of adjusting a position of the sample stage by the position control unit so that the sample is located at a position exhibiting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment conditions within the heat treatment unit in which the temperature distribution is formed; a heat treatment implementation step of performing heat treatment for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment conditions inputted to the condition input unit; a sample carrying out step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage; A heat treatment method comprising:

14. A heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment using the heat treatment equipment according to claim 4, a heat treatment sequence optimization procedure for optimizing the heat treatment sequence of the samples such that a first carry-in / out period including a period for performing a carry-in operation to place the first sample on the first sample stage and a period for performing a carry-out operation to take out the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and a second carry-in / out period including a period for performing a carry-in operation to place the second sample on the second sample stage and a period for performing a carry-out operation to take out the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage do not overlap with each other, and a total processing time from the start time to the end time of the heat treatment of the multiple samples is minimized; a temperature distribution forming step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; a sample loading step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence; a position adjustment step of adjusting a position of the first sample stage so that the first sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment section where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting a position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; a heat treatment implementation procedure for performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time, which is a treatment time for the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time, which is a treatment time for the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; a sample removal step of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage based on the optimized heat treatment sequence; A heat treatment program for carrying out the above.

15. A heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment by the heat treatment facility according to claim 6, a heat treatment atmosphere adjusting step of individually adjusting an atmosphere in the first moving region and an atmosphere in the second moving region; a temperature distribution forming step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes the first heat treatment temperature and the second heat treatment temperature; a sample loading step of placing the first sample on the first sample stage and placing the second sample on the second sample stage; a position adjustment step of adjusting a position of the first sample stage so that the first sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a first heat treatment temperature in the heat treatment section where the temperature distribution is formed, and adjusting a position of the second sample stage so that the second sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a second heat treatment temperature; a heat treatment implementation procedure for performing a heat treatment for a first treatment time, which is a treatment time for the first sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions, and performing a heat treatment for a second treatment time, which is a treatment time for the second sample that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; a sample removal step of removing the heat-treated first sample from the first sample stage and removing the heat-treated second sample from the second sample stage; A heat treatment program for carrying out the above.

16. A heat treatment program for causing a computer to execute a heat treatment by the heat treatment facility according to claim 8, a housing atmosphere adjusting step of adjusting an atmosphere inside the housing so that the inside of the housing has a predetermined atmosphere; a temperature distribution forming step of controlling a temperature in the heat treatment section so that the temperature distribution in the heat treatment section includes a heat treatment temperature that satisfies the heat treatment conditions; a sample loading step of placing the sample on the sample stage; a position adjustment step of adjusting the position of the sample stage so that the sample is positioned at a position exhibiting a heat treatment temperature conforming to the heat treatment conditions within the heat treatment section in which the temperature distribution is formed; A heat treatment implementation procedure for performing heat treatment for a treatment time that conforms to the heat treatment conditions; a sample removal step of removing the heat-treated sample from the sample stage; A heat treatment program for carrying out the above.

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