Heat treatment device

Abstract

Provided is a heat treatment device that includes: a treatment container which is capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates; a heating unit which is provided around the treatment container and heats the plurality of substrates accommodated in the treatment container; and a cooling unit which supplies a cooling gas to a space between the treatment container and the heating unit to cool the space. The cooling unit comprises: piping through which the cooling gas can flow; a heat exchanger which is provided to the piping and exchanges heat with the cooling gas; and a plurality of blowers which are provided to the piping and supply the cooling gas to the heating unit via the piping. In the cooling unit, the heat exchanger and the plurality of blowers are installed at positions adjacent to the heating unit.

Description

Heat treatment apparatus

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat treatment apparatus.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a heat treatment apparatus that heats a plurality of substrates held on a boat in a processing container by a heating unit installed around the processing container. This heat treatment apparatus includes a cooling unit that cools the internal space (processing container) of the heating unit. The cooling unit has a plurality of blowers that supply cooling fluid for each of a plurality of zones set in the longitudinal direction of the heating unit.

[0003] Conventionally, in this type of heat treatment apparatus, the processing container and the heating unit are installed on the upper floor, while the blowers of the cooling unit and the like are installed on the lower floor. The cooling unit supplies cooling fluid to the heating unit on the upper floor through pipes that extend across floors.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022 - 179884

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of reducing the footprint of a heat treatment apparatus including a heating unit and a cooling unit.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a heat treatment apparatus including a processing container capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates, a heating unit provided around the processing container and heating the plurality of substrates accommodated in the processing container, and a cooling unit that supplies a cooling gas to a space between the processing container and the heating unit to perform cooling. The cooling unit includes a pipe through which the cooling gas can flow, a heat exchanger provided in the pipe and performing heat exchange with the cooling gas, and a plurality of blowers provided in the pipe and supplying the cooling gas to the heating unit through the pipe. The heat exchanger and the plurality of blowers are installed at positions adjacent to the heating unit.

[0007] According to one aspect, the footprint of a heat treatment apparatus including a heating unit and a cooling unit can be reduced.

[0008] It is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment. It is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the heating unit and the cooling unit of the heat treatment apparatus. It is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the cooling gas of the heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment. It is a diagram schematically showing the flow of the cooling gas of the heat treatment apparatus according to the reference example.

[0009] The following describes embodiments for implementing this disclosure with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] <Heat Treatment Apparatus> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is a vertical heat treatment apparatus (substrate processing apparatus, film deposition apparatus) that houses a plurality of substrates W arranged vertically, heats each of the housed substrates W, and processes them by supplying gas. The heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a processing container 10, a heating unit 30, a temperature detection unit 40, a cooling unit 50, and a control unit 90, etc.

[0011] The processing container 10 is a cylindrical container that is elongated in the vertical direction. Inside the processing container 10, a wafer boat 11 holding multiple substrates W is housed. The processing container 10 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz. The processing container 10 may have a single-cylinder structure or a multi-cylinder structure.

[0012] The wafer boat 11 holds multiple substrates W spaced vertically apart. Each substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer or a compound semiconductor wafer. The wafer boat 11 moves up and down between the upper floor where the processing container 10 and heating unit 30 are installed and the lower floor where a transport mechanism (not shown) for transferring substrates W to the wafer boat 11 is installed, via a boat elevator (not shown). As it rises, it is housed inside the processing container 10.

[0013] Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a gas supply unit (not shown) for introducing various gases into the processing container 10. The gas supply unit includes a pipe for introducing gas, an on / off valve, a flow rate controller, etc. The various gases are, for example, processing gases such as film-forming gases and etching gases, and purge gases such as inert gases. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 1 includes a gas discharge unit (not shown) for exhausting gas from inside the processing container 10 to reduce the pressure in the processing container 10. The gas discharge unit includes a pipe for exhausting gas, a pressure regulating valve, a vacuum pump, etc.

[0014] The heating unit 30 is provided so as to surround the processing container 10. The heating unit 30 heats each substrate W housed inside the processing container 10 from the outside of the processing container 10. This heating unit 30 includes an insulating member 31, a heating element 32, etc.

[0015] The heat insulating member 31 has a cylindrical shape that is slightly larger than the processing container 10. The cooling section 50 forms a space A between the inner surface of the heat insulating member 31 and the outer surface of the processing container 10. The heat insulating member 31 is made of a material mainly composed of silica and alumina, for example. However, the shape and material of the heat insulating member 31 are not particularly limited.

[0016] The heating element 32 is formed in a linear shape and is provided spirally or meanderingly on the inner wall of the heat insulating member 31. Alternatively, the heating element 32 may be in the form of a sheet or the like. The heating element 32 generates heat in accordance with the power supplied from a power source (not shown). Furthermore, it is preferable that the heating element 32 is divided into a plurality (for example, six) zones along the vertical direction of the processing container 10, and that the temperature of each of the plurality of zones can be controlled independently.

[0017] Furthermore, the heating section 30 may be provided with a metal outer shell, such as stainless steel, that covers the outer periphery of the heat insulating member 31. The outer shell reinforces the heat insulating member 31 and maintains its shape. Alternatively, a water-cooling jacket through which liquid refrigerant flows may be provided on the outside of the heat insulating member 31. The flow of liquid refrigerant through the water-cooling jacket suppresses the release of heat from the heating element 32 to the outside of the heat insulating member 31.

[0018] On the other hand, the temperature detection unit 40 detects the temperature of multiple substrates W (inside the processing container 10) arranged vertically during substrate processing at multiple locations in the vertical direction. The temperature detection unit 40 is, for example, a thermocouple and includes multiple (six) thermometers 41. The thermometers 41 are provided corresponding to each of the heating elements 32 which are divided into multiple zones. Alternatively, the temperature detection unit 40 may be provided in the space A outside the processing container 10 to detect the temperature of space A.

[0019] The cooling unit 50 cools the processing container 10 and each substrate W inside the processing container 10 by supplying a cooling gas to the space A of the heating unit 30. The type of cooling gas is not particularly limited, and for example, air, an inert gas, or another refrigerant can be used. Below, an example in which air is used as the cooling gas will be described.

[0020] In detail, the cooling unit 50 includes piping 51, on-off valves 52, a precooler 53, a heat exchanger 54, and a plurality of blowers 55a to 55f, etc.

[0021] The piping 51 forms a path for circulating cooling gas between the heating section 30 and the cooling section 50. The piping 51 according to this embodiment includes a circulation pipe 511 connecting the heating section 30 and the precooler 53, a relay pipe 512 connecting the precooler 53 and the heat exchanger 54, a connecting pipe 513 connecting the heat exchanger 54 and each of the blowers 55a to 55f, and a plurality of branch pipes 514a to 514f connecting each of the blowers 55a to 55f and the heating section 30.

[0022] One end of the circulation pipe 511 is connected to the vicinity of the upper end of the heating section 30, and the other end of the circulation pipe 511 is connected to the precooler 53. The flow path of the circulation pipe 511 communicates with the exhaust port 33 provided at the top of the heating section 30 and with the flow path of the internal piping of the precooler 53.

[0023] Furthermore, the circulation piping 511 according to this embodiment has a double-layer structure that allows the cooling gas and the cooling water (described later) to flow while being separated from each other. An example of this double-layer structure is a double pipe in which the cooling gas flows through the inner flow path while the cooling water flows through the outer flow path surrounding the inner flow path. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to prevent the outer surface of the circulation piping 511 from becoming hot. Also, by adopting a double-layer structure, the cooling unit 50 can have the function of heat exchange between the cooling gas and the cooling water be incorporated into the circulation piping 511 itself.

[0024] The on-off valve 52 is installed upstream of the circulation piping 511 (near the exhaust port 33) and opens and closes the flow path of the circulation piping 511 based on the control of the control unit 90. The on-off valve 52 may also be a pressure regulating valve whose opening degree can be adjusted to adjust the pressure in space A.

[0025] The precooler 53 cools the cooling gas exhausted from the heating unit 30 before it flows into the heat exchanger 54, removing excess heat (pre-cooling the cooling gas). The precooler 53 shown in Figure 1 uses cooling water flowing in from the heat exchanger 54 to exchange heat with the cooling gas circulating through the internal piping, and supplies this cooling water to the circulation piping 511. However, the precooler 53 is not limited to this, and may employ a well-known configuration capable of cooling the cooling gas in the internal piping. For example, the precooler 53 may cool the cooling gas using cooling water separate from that of the heat exchanger 54, and may have a structure equipped with multiple fins and a fan that supplies air to each fin. Also, the cooling unit 50 may not have a precooler 53.

[0026] The intermediate pipe 512 extends between the precooler 53 and the heat exchanger 54, being shorter than the circulation pipe 511 and connecting the two. The intermediate pipe 512 may have a drain section (not shown) for separating and discharging moisture generated when the cooling gas is cooled in the precooler 53.

[0027] The heat exchanger 54 is located downstream of the precooler 53 in the flow direction of the cooling gas, and cools the cooling gas to adjust it to the target temperature. For example, the heat exchanger 54 receives cooling water that has been adjusted to 25°C (room temperature) from the outside, and adjusts the temperature of the cooling gas flowing through the internal piping to about 25°C. The cooling unit 50 can adjust the temperature of the cooling gas to the target temperature well because the temperature of the cooling gas has been lowered in advance by the precooler 53. The heat exchanger 54 may also adjust the temperature of the cooling gas to a temperature lower than room temperature. Furthermore, the cooling unit 50 may use a well-known refrigerant (fluorine-based refrigerant, hydrocarbon-based refrigerant, etc.) as the refrigerant that exchanges heat with the cooling gas, not limited to water. In addition, the heat exchanger 54 may also employ well-known equipment capable of cooling the cooling gas in the internal piping, for example, a heat pump or the like may be used to adjust the temperature of the cooling gas.

[0028] Furthermore, the connecting pipe 513 distributes the cooling gas sent from the heat exchanger 54 to each of the blowers 55a to 55f. This connecting pipe 513 includes an upstream pipe 513a connected to the heat exchanger 54, and a downstream pipe 513b connected to the upstream pipe 513a and connected to each of the blowers 55a to 55f.

[0029] A temperature sensor 56 is provided inside the upstream pipe 513a. The temperature sensor 56 detects the temperature of the cooling gas flowing in from the heat exchanger 54 and transmits the detection information to the control unit 90. Based on this detection information, the control unit 90 can perform control actions such as stopping the device if the cooling gas becomes unexpectedly hot.

[0030] Furthermore, the upstream pipe 513a may be equipped with an air intake adjustment section (not shown) that can draw air into the flow path of the upstream pipe 513a from the outside. The air intake adjustment section is, for example, a small gap in the upstream pipe 513a. This air intake adjustment section draws in air when the amount of cooling gas in the upstream pipe 513a becomes insufficient and negative pressure is created during the operation of each blower 55a to 55f. As a result, the cooling section 50 can avoid a shortage of cooling gas in the piping 51.

[0031] The downstream pipe 513b extends vertically (perpendicular to the upstream pipe 513a, which extends horizontally), and connects a plurality of blowers 55a to 55f along its extension direction. The flow path of the downstream pipe 513b is connected to the cooling gas intake ports of each of the blowers 55a to 55f.

[0032] Multiple blowers 55a to 55f are provided corresponding to multiple branch pipes 514a to 514f, and draw in cooling gas from the connecting pipe 513 and send cooling gas to the corresponding branch pipes 514a to 514f. Each blower 55a to 55f is connected to the control unit 90 via a motor driver 551 (see Figure 2) and is controlled independently by the control unit 90. The rotational speed of each blower 55a to 55f changes according to the power supplied from the motor driver 551. For example, the rotational speed of each blower 55a to 55f increases as the supplied voltage increases, and the flow rate of cooling gas sent to each branch pipe 514a to 514f can be increased. Each blower 55a to 55f may simply be a fan that blows cooling gas, or it may be a compressor that compresses and pumps cooling gas.

[0033] The flow paths of each branch pipe 514a to 514f are connected to a plurality of discharge holes 34a to 34f provided in the heat insulating member 31 of the heating section 30. As a result, the cooling gas sent from each blower 55a to 55f is supplied from each branch pipe 514a to 514f to the space A of the heating section 30 via each discharge hole 34a to 34f. In addition, each of the plurality of branch pipes 514a to 514f is provided with a cooling gas relief adjustment section 57a ​​to 57f, a flow meter 58a to 58f, and a backflow prevention valve 59a to 59f in order toward the downstream side in the flow direction of the cooling gas.

[0034] Each cooling gas relief adjustment section 57a ​​to 57f is, for example, a small gap created by slightly opening each branch pipe 514a to 514f. Each cooling gas relief adjustment section 57a ​​to 57f releases the cooling gas from the corresponding branch pipes 514a to 514f to the outside when the pressure in the space A of each branch pipe 514a to 514f or the heating section 30 becomes excessively high during the operation of each blower 55a to 55f. As a result, the cooling section 50 can appropriately adjust the pressure in the flow paths of each branch pipe 514a to 514f and the pressure in the space A of the heating section 30 in conjunction with the supply of cooling gas.

[0035] Furthermore, each flow meter 58a to 58f detects the flow rate of cooling gas flowing into space A from each branch pipe 514a to 514f and transmits the detection information to the control unit 90. When controlling the operation of each blower 55a to 55f, the control unit 90 can adjust the amount of cooling gas supplied (the rotational speed of each blower 55a to 55f) to reach the target flow rate based on the detection information from each flow meter 58a to 58f.

[0036] Furthermore, each of the backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f is provided in each of the branch pipes 514a to 514f. Each of the backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f prevents cooling gas from flowing back from each of the discharge holes 34a to 34f of the heating section 30 to each of the blowers 55a to 55f in the corresponding branch pipes 514a to 514f. Each of the backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f may be a simple check valve, or it may be an opening adjustment valve that adjusts the conductance of each branch pipe 514a to 514f by controlling the opening degree by the control unit 90.

[0037] If each of the backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f is an opening degree adjustment valve, the control unit 90 independently controls the backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f in accordance with the operation of the blowers 55a to 55f. For example, if one or more of the six blowers 55a to 55f are stopped and the rest are operated, the control unit 90 controls the system to open the backflow prevention valve corresponding to the operating blower and close the backflow prevention valve corresponding to the stopped blower.

[0038] Each discharge port 34a to 34f of the heating unit 30 is provided at intervals in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the processing container 10, and discharges the cooling gas supplied by the cooling unit 50 toward the processing container 10 in a substantially horizontal direction. Each discharge port 34a to 34f is provided corresponding to each of the six zones of the heating element 32. Each discharge port 34a to 34f is connected to each branch pipe 514a to 514f, and discharges the cooling gas from multiple locations in the circumferential direction via a flow path (not shown) that circulates circumferentially within the heating unit 30.

[0039] The cooling unit 50, configured as described above, discharges cooling gas from the space A of the heating unit 30 into the circulation pipe 511, and cools the cooling gas in the precooler 53 and heat exchanger 54. Furthermore, the cooling unit 50 divides the cooling gas in the connecting pipe 513 based on the operation of each blower 55a to 55f, and sends the cooling gas to the respective branch pipes 514a to 514f. The cooling gas from each branch pipe 514a to 514f is discharged into space A from the respective discharge holes 34a to 34f of the heating unit 30, thereby cooling the processing container 10.

[0040] The control unit 90 can be a computer having a processor 91, memory 92, input / output interfaces (not shown), and communication interfaces. The processor 91 is a combination of one or more of the following: CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and circuits made of multiple discrete semiconductors. The memory 92 includes a main memory made of semiconductor memory and an auxiliary memory made of disks and semiconductor memory (flash memory). The memory 92 may be configured by appropriately combining volatile memory and non-volatile memory (for example, compact disks, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), hard disks, flash memory, etc.).

[0041] Memory 92 stores a program for operating the heat treatment apparatus 1 and a recipe for process conditions such as those for the film deposition process (substrate processing). The processor 91 controls each component of the heat treatment apparatus 1 by reading and executing the program from memory 92. In other words, the control unit 90 is an electronic circuit having a CPU, GPU, ASIC, FPGA, etc., and performs the various control operations described in this specification by executing instruction codes stored in memory 92 or by designing the circuit for special applications. The control unit 90 may be composed of a host computer or multiple client computers that communicate information via a network.

[0042] For example, the control unit 90 controls the heating of each substrate W by the heating element 32 of the heating unit 30 according to the process conditions of the substrate processing in the heat treatment apparatus 1. At this time, the control unit 90 adjusts the temperature of each heating element 32 based on the target temperature for each zone of each heating element 32 and the detection information of each temperature sensor 41 of the temperature detection unit 40.

[0043] Further, when the control unit 90 cools each substrate W after (or during) the substrate processing, the control unit 90 controls the on-off valve 52, the heat exchanger 54 of the cooling unit 50, each blower 55a to 55f, etc., to cool the inside of the processing container 10. As an example, the control unit 90 sets the operation contents (driving, non-driving, target flow rate of the cooling gas, etc.) of each blower 55a to 55f based on the detection information of each temperature sensor 41 of the temperature detection unit 40. Then, when the cooling unit 50 is operating, the control unit 90 adjusts the temperature of the cooling gas by the heat exchanger 54 based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 56, and controls the flow rate of the cooling gas by each blower 55a to 55f based on the detection information of each flow meter 58a to 58f.

[0044] Next, the state where the above cooling unit 50 is installed in the heating unit 30 will be described while referring to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the appearance of the heating unit 30 and the cooling unit 50 of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

[0045] The cooling unit 50 according to the embodiment is installed at an adjacent position (nearby position) in the horizontal direction of the heating unit 30. The cooling unit 50 includes a frame structure 60 that integrally holds a pre-cooler 53, a heat exchanger 54, each blower 55a to 55f, each cooling gas escape adjustment part 57a to 57f, each flow meter 58a to 58f, and each backflow prevention valve 59a to 59f at an adjacent position of the heating unit 30.

[0046] The frame structure 60 is adjacent to a part of the outer peripheral surface of the heating unit 30 and extends long along the vertical direction. The frame structure 60 includes a plurality of legs 61 fixed to the floor on which the heat treatment apparatus 1 (heating unit 30) is installed. Further, the frame structure 60 includes a lower frame 62 supported by the plurality of legs 61, a plurality of vertical frames 63 extending linearly upward in the vertical direction from the lower frame 62, and an upper frame 64 bridging the upper end portions of each vertical frame 63.

[0047] The lower frame 62, vertical frames 63, and upper frame 64 of the frame structure 60 are firmly assembled to each other, presenting a vertically long rectangular parallelepiped. Also, the height of the frame structure 60 is set lower than the height of the heating unit 30.

[0048] And the frame structure 60 supports the pre-cooler 53, heat exchanger 54, and motor driver 551 that controls the rotation of each blower 55a - 55f arranged vertically side by side. Specifically, the pre-cooler 53, heat exchanger 54, and motor driver 551 are installed in this order from the upper side in the vertical direction toward the lower side in the vertical direction.

[0049] The cooling unit 50 connects one end of the circulation pipe 511 to the upper part of the heating unit 30. Further, the circulation pipe 511 extends and curves downward from one end, and is connected to the upper end of the pre-cooler 53 arranged below that one end. Therefore, the cooling gas flowing out from the space A of the heating unit 30 circulates downward in the circulation pipe 511.

[0050] The cooling gas flowing into the pre-cooler 53 is cooled in the pre-cooler 53, and further moves to the heat exchanger 54 through the relay pipe 512 on the lower side in the vertical direction. That is, in the cooling unit 50, for the cooling gas recovered from the heating unit 30, it can be made to flow downward in the vertical direction as the temperature decreases, and the cooling gas can flow smoothly.

[0051] Also, the frame structure 60 installs each blower 55a - 55f at the horizontally adjacent positions of the pre-cooler 53, heat exchanger 54, and motor driver 551 arranged in the vertical direction. The frame structure 60 fixes each blower 55a - 55f vertically side by side to the vertical frame 63. Each blower 55a - 55f is arranged from the lower side in the vertical direction toward the upper side in the vertical direction in the same order as the zones of each heating element 32 of the heating unit 30.

[0052] The connection pipe 513 is connected to each blower 55a - 55f through a downstream pipe 513b that extends vertically between each blower 55a - 55f and the heating unit 30 after extending horizontally from an upstream pipe 513a connected to the lower end of the heat exchanger 54 (see FIG. 3A).

[0053] Each blower 55a to 55f is equipped with a cylindrical body 552, and a port for outputting cooling gas is provided on the side surface of the body 552. The body 552 of each blower 55a to 55f is held by a frame structure 60 at a position further away from the outer surface of the heating section 30 than the precooler 53 and heat exchanger 54. The body 552 is also connected to the downstream pipe 513b on the side opposite to the heating section 30.

[0054] Each port of each blower 55a to 55f protrudes in the same direction (horizontally) from each other and is connected to branch pipes 514a to 514f. This prevents the branch pipes 514a to 514f extending from each blower 55a from interfering with other components of the cooling unit 50, and simplifies the routing of each branch pipe 514a to 514f.

[0055] Each branch pipe 514a to 514f extends from one end connected to each blower 55a to 55f, wrapping around the outside of the frame structure 60. Each check valve 59a to 59f, located at an intermediate position along each branch pipe 514a to 514f, is installed so as to be aligned vertically with respect to each other. Furthermore, each branch pipe 514a to 514f near the installation locations of each check valve 59a to 59f is supported by the frame structure 70 provided on the outer circumferential surface of the heating section 30. Each branch pipe 514a to 514f extends vertically or horizontally from the support position of this frame structure 70 toward a position corresponding to the zone of the heating section 30, with the other end connected to the heating section 30.

[0056] In this embodiment, the frame structure 60 supporting the cooling section 50 and the frame structure 70 of the heating section 30 are separate structures, but they may be an integrated structure. In other words, the heat treatment apparatus 1 may be configured as a unit integrating the cooling section 50 and the heating section 30 by adopting an appropriate frame structure.

[0057] The heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation and effects will be explained below with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3A is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cooling gas in the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 3B is a schematic diagram showing the flow of cooling gas in the heat treatment apparatus 1' according to a reference example.

[0058] As shown in Figure 3B, the heat treatment apparatus 1' according to the reference example has a configuration in which the heating section 30 is cooled by a conventional cooling section 80. This cooling section 80 is installed on a floor below the floor where the processing container 10 and the heating section 30 are installed, and includes an RCU (Rapid Cooling Unit) which integrates a heat exchanger 82 and a blower 83. In addition to the heat exchanger 82 and the blower 83, the lower floor is also equipped with, for example, a power supply device (Power Box) and a vacuum pump for creating a vacuum inside the processing container 10.

[0059] The piping 81 of the cooling section 80 extends vertically from the top of the heating section 30 and is connected to the heat exchanger 82 and blower 83 on the lower floor. This cooling section 80 needs to have a sufficiently large flow rate of cooling gas in order to circulate cooling gas between the heating section 30 and the heat exchanger 82 and blower 83. Moreover, because the piping 81 is long, a large pressure loss occurs in the cooling gas circulating within the piping 81. As a result, the blower 83 becomes larger in size and its power consumption during operation increases. Consequently, the heat treatment apparatus 1' according to the reference example has the problem of having a large footprint overall and poor energy efficiency.

[0060] In contrast, as shown in Figures 2 and 3A, the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this embodiment has a cooling unit 50 installed adjacent to the floor where the heating unit 30 is installed. Therefore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can shorten the piping 51 of the cooling unit 50 sufficiently, and can reduce the pressure loss of the cooling gas compared to the cooling unit 80 according to the reference example. Furthermore, since the pressure loss is constant between each blower 55a to 55f, differences between each blower 55a to 55f are less likely to occur, and the cooling gas can be stably supplied from each blower 55a to 55f. In addition, effects such as eliminating the need for piping work between the upper and lower floors and eliminating the need for equipment adjustments between the upper and lower floors can be obtained. Thus, even when using miniaturized blowers 55a to 55f, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can easily secure the flow rate of cooling gas supplied to the heating unit 30, and moreover, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of each blower 55a to 55f.

[0061] Furthermore, the miniaturized blowers 55a to 55f can be positioned at approximately the same height as the heating section 30 by the frame structure 60, further shortening the length of each branch pipe 514a to 514f to the heating section 30. As a result, the cooling section 50 can smoothly supply cooling gas to the space A of the heating section 30 by reducing the temperature drop and pressure loss of the cooling gas in each branch pipe 514a to 514f.

[0062] Furthermore, even if the cooling unit 50 has a shorter circulation pipe 511 for recovering cooling gas from the heating unit 30, making it more difficult for the cooling gas to cool down during recovery, the cooling unit 50 can still cool the cooling gas in the circulation pipe 511 because cooling water is circulated through it. Therefore, the cooling unit 50 can promote the temperature reduction of the cooling gas during recovery. Moreover, the cooling unit 50 can further promote the temperature reduction of the cooling gas with the precooler 53, enabling more precise temperature control of the cooling gas in the heat exchanger 54.

[0063] Furthermore, the frame structure 60 holds the precooler 53, heat exchanger 54, and motor driver 551, which are larger structures than each of the blowers 55a to 55f, in a vertical arrangement, thereby significantly reducing the footprint of the cooling unit 50. The cooling unit 50 has the heat exchanger 54 positioned in the vertical middle of the frame structure 60, which allows for stable distribution of cooling gas to each of the blowers 55a to 55f, which are arranged vertically in adjacent positions.

[0064] The heat treatment apparatus 1 according to this disclosure is not limited to the above configuration and can be modified in various ways. For example, the heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiment was a vertical heat treatment apparatus in which the processing container 10 is long in the vertical direction, but it is not limited to this, and even if the processing container is a horizontal heat treatment apparatus in which the processing container is long in the horizontal direction, similar effects can be obtained by installing a cooling unit 50 adjacent to the heating unit 30.

[0065] Alternatively, for example, the cooling unit 50 may be configured to not circulate the cooling gas, but instead to collect the cooling gas supplied to the heating unit 30 from the heating unit 30 and then discard it. This makes it possible to easily adjust the temperature of the cooling gas by the heat exchanger 54.

[0066] <Note> The technical concept and effects of this disclosure, as described in the embodiments above, are described below.

[0067] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a heat treatment apparatus 1 comprising a processing container 10 capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates W, a heating unit 30 provided around the processing container 10 for heating the plurality of substrates W contained in the processing container 10, and a cooling unit 50 for cooling by supplying cooling gas to the space A between the processing container 10 and the heating unit 30, wherein the cooling unit 50 comprises a pipe 51 through which cooling gas can flow, a heat exchanger 54 provided in the pipe 51 for heat exchange with the cooling gas, and a plurality of blowers 55a to 55f provided in the pipe 51 for supplying cooling gas to the heating unit 30 via the pipe 51, and the heat exchanger 54 and the plurality of blowers 55a to 55f are installed adjacent to the heating unit 30.

[0068] As described above, by arranging the heat exchanger 54 and the multiple blowers 55a to 55f adjacent to the heating section 30, the piping 51 can be made sufficiently short, and the pressure loss of the cooling gas supplied to the heating section 30 can be reduced. As a result, the cooling section 50 can adopt a smaller configuration for the heat exchanger 54 and the multiple blowers 55a to 55f, which can reduce energy consumption during cooling of the heating section 30 and simplify the installation layout. Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can significantly reduce its footprint compared to a configuration in which the heat exchanger 82 and blowers 83 are installed on different floors.

[0069] Furthermore, the cooling unit 50 includes a frame structure 60 that integrally holds the heat exchanger 54 and a plurality of blowers 55a to 55f. The frame structure 60 arranges the plurality of blowers 55a to 55f adjacent to the heat exchanger 54 and holds the plurality of blowers 55a to 55f in a line along the longitudinal direction of the heating unit 30. As a result, even with a configuration that includes a plurality of blowers 55a to 55f, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can reduce its footprint while shortening the distance between the heat exchanger 54 and each of the blowers 55a to 55f.

[0070] Furthermore, the piping 51 has multiple branch pipes 514a to 514f connected to each of the multiple blowers 55a to 55f, and one end of each of the multiple branch pipes 514a to 514f is connected to the heating section 30 at intervals along its longitudinal direction. As a result, the cooling section 50 can efficiently cool the heating section 30 by supplying cooling gas to different zones along its longitudinal direction via the multiple blowers 55a to 55f and the multiple branch pipes 514a to 514f.

[0071] Furthermore, the cooling unit 50 is equipped with backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f in each of the multiple branch pipes 514a to 514f between the multiple blowers 55a to 55f and the heating unit 30 to prevent backflow of cooling gas. These backflow prevention valves 59a to 59f enable the cooling unit 50 to reliably prevent backflow of cooling gas from the heating unit 30 to the blowers 55a to 55f.

[0072] Furthermore, the frame structure 60 holds the motor driver 551, which drives the multiple blowers 55a to 55f, in a position adjacent to the heat exchanger 54 along the longitudinal direction of the heating section 30. As a result, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can integrally hold the large motor driver 551 in the frame structure 60, further reducing its footprint.

[0073] Furthermore, the piping 51 is connected to the heating section 30 and includes a circulation piping 511 that circulates the cooling gas supplied to space A to the heat exchanger 54. As a result, the heat treatment device 1 can cool the heating section 30 by adjusting the temperature of the cooling gas while circulating it, and can effectively utilize the cooling gas.

[0074] Furthermore, the heat exchanger 54 adjusts the temperature of the cooling gas by exchanging heat with the cooling gas using a refrigerant supplied from the outside, and the circulation piping 511 has a two-layer structure that allows the cooling gas discharged from the heating unit 30 and the refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger 54 to flow while being separated from each other. As a result, the cooling unit 50 can perform heat exchange between the cooling gas and the refrigerant even in the circulation piping 511, and can sufficiently promote the cooling of the cooling gas even if the circulation piping 511 is short.

[0075] Furthermore, the cooling unit 50 is equipped with a precooler 53 that pre-cools the cooling gas upstream of the heat exchanger 54 in the flow direction of the cooling gas. This allows the heat treatment device 1 to lower the temperature of the cooling gas before it flows into the heat exchanger, enabling stable temperature control of the cooling gas in the heat exchanger 54.

[0076] Furthermore, the cooling section 50 has a precooler 53 and a heat exchanger 54 arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the heating section 30. This makes it possible to reduce the footprint of the heat treatment apparatus 1 even when the precooler 53 is applied.

[0077] The heat treatment apparatus 1 according to the embodiments disclosed herein is illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be otherwise configured and combined in a non-consistent manner.

[0078] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2025-5235, which was filed with the Japan Patent Office on January 15, 2025, and the entire contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0079] 1 Heat treatment apparatus 10 Treatment container 30 Heating section 50 Cooling section 51 Piping 54 Heat exchanger 55a-55f Blower W Substrate

Claims

A processing container capable of accommodating multiple substrates, A heating unit is provided around the processing container and heats the plurality of substrates housed in the processing container, A heat treatment apparatus comprising a cooling unit that supplies cooling gas to the space between the processing container and the heating unit for cooling, The cooling unit is A pipe through which the cooling gas can flow, A heat exchanger is provided in the aforementioned piping and performs heat exchange with the cooling gas, The system includes a plurality of blowers provided in the aforementioned piping, which supply the cooling gas to the heating section via the piping, The heat exchanger and the plurality of blowers are installed adjacent to the heating section. Heat treatment equipment. 　 The cooling unit comprises a frame structure that integrally holds the heat exchanger and the plurality of blowers. The frame structure arranges the plurality of blowers adjacent to the heat exchanger and holds the plurality of blowers in a line along the longitudinal direction of the heating section. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1. 　 The piping has a plurality of branch pipes connected to each of the plurality of blowers, One end of each of the plurality of branch pipes is connected at intervals along the longitudinal direction of the heating section. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2. 　 The cooling unit is equipped with a backflow prevention valve in each of the multiple branch pipes between the multiple blowers and the heating unit to prevent backflow of the cooling gas. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3. 　 The frame structure holds the motor drivers that drive the plurality of blowers in a position adjacent to the heat exchanger along the longitudinal direction of the heating section. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2. 　 The piping is connected to the heating section and includes circulation piping for circulating the cooling gas supplied to the space to the heat exchanger. The heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. 　 The heat exchanger adjusts the temperature of the cooling gas by performing heat exchange with the cooling gas using a refrigerant supplied from an external source. The circulation piping has a two-layer structure that allows the cooling gas discharged from the heating section and the refrigerant supplied to the heat exchanger to flow through each other while being separated from one another. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6. 　 The cooling unit includes a precooler that pre-cools the cooling gas upstream of the heat exchanger in the flow direction of the cooling gas. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6. 　 The cooling section has the precooler and the heat exchanger arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the heating section. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8.

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