Magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus capable of reducing weight and utility consumption thereof

• US 6,433,661 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Futek Furnace Inc., Sumitomo Heavy Industries Limited
• Inventors: Mita, Junichi, Yamamoto, Kazuhito, Ueno, Hiroto
• Primary Examiner(s): Barrera, Ramon M.
• Application Number:
  US09/666,860
• Time in Patent Office: 691 Days
• Field of Search: 335/216, 336/DIG.1, 505/879, 505/880, 117/200, 117/208, 117/218, 117/32, 117/917
• US Class Current: 335/216
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 25/00 Nanomagnetism, e.g. magnetoimpedance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance or tunneling magnetoresistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2005/3996 large or giant magnetoresistive effects [GMR], e.g. as generated in spin-valve [SV] devices
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3163 Fabrication methods or processes specially adapted for a particular head structure, e.g. using base layers for electroplating, using functional layers for masking, using energy or particle beams for shaping the structure or modifying the properties of the basic layers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 5/3903 using magnetic thin film layers or their effects, the films being part of integrated structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 6/00 Superconducting magnets; Superconducting coils magnetic resonance assemblies using superconducting coil systems G01R33/3815
• CPC Class Codes: H01F 7/20 without armatures cores H01F3/00; coils H01F5/00 ; shaping metal by applying magnetic forces B21D26/14; electromagnets specially adapted for NMR applications G01R33/381
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 117/917 Magnetic

Abstract

A magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus is used to carry out a thermal treatment for plural substrates, which are placed in a vacuum chamber, as a magnetic field is applied to the substrates. Around the vacuum chamber, a heater and a solenoid type cryocooler-cooled superconductive magnet unit as a magnetic field generating unit are provided. The substrates held in a substrate holder are retained in the interior of the vacuum chamber so that the surfaces of the substrates become parallel to one another in a vertical direction. The superconductive magnet unit has at least one superconductive coil surrounding the vacuum chamber horizontally so as to exert the magnetic field, which is parallel to the surfaces of the substrates, on the substrates.

Claims

1. A magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus adapted to carry out a thermal treatment for object members as a magnetic field is applied to the object members, comprising:

a depressurized chamber receiving the object members,

a heater adapted to heat the object members received within the chamber, the heater being disposed around the chamber, and

a superconductive magnet unit for generating magnetic field,

the object members formed of plural sheets of substrate-like members being held in a substrate holder and retained in the chamber so that surfaces of the substrates become horizontal,

the superconductive magnetic unit having at least one pair of superconductive coils disposed vertically in an opposed state with the chamber therebetween, in such a manner that the magnetic field parallel to the surfaces of the substrate-like members to be treated is exerted on the substrate-like members,

the apparatus further comprising a cover member and wherein;

the chamber is formed of a silica tube provided so as to extend vertically and connected to a vacuum pumping system,

the chamber operable to be opened and closed at an upper portion thereof by and with the cover member,

the cover member being provided with a rotary drive unit having a rotary shaft extending into the interior of the chamber through the cover member, the substrate holder being fixed to the rotary shaft,

the apparatus being further provided with a vertical drive unit adapted to move the substrate holder to the exteriorly of the chamber by vertically moving the cover member with the rotary drive unit and the substrate holder.

2. A magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus adapted to carry out a thermal treatment for object members to be treated as a magnetic field is applied to the object members, comprising:

a depressurized chamber receiving the object members,

a heater adapted to heat the object members received within the chamber, the heater being disposed around the chamber, and

a superconductive magnet unit for generating magnetic field,

the object members formed of plural sheets of substrate-like members being held in a substrate holder and retained in the chamber so that the surfaces of the substrate-like members are disposed in a vertical direction parallel to each other,

the superconductive magnet unit having at least one superconductive coil surrounding horizontally around the chamber so that magnetic field parallel to the surfaces of the substrate-like members to be treated is exerted on the substrate-like members.

3. A magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a cover member and wherein:

the chamber is formed of a silica tube provided so as to extend vertically and connected to a vacuum pumping system,

the substrate holder being rotatably supported in the interior of the chamber via horizontal shafts of a support member so that the substrate holder can be rotated around said horizontal shafts,

the chamber operative to be opened and closed at an upper portion thereof by and with the cover member,

the cover member being provided with a rotary drive unit having a rotary shaft extending through the cover member into the interior of the chamber,

a conversion mechanism adapted to convert a rotational movement of the rotary shaft into that of the substrate holder around the horizontal shafts being provided between the substrate holder and a lower end portion of the rotary shaft,

a vertical drive unit being provided which is adapted to move the substrate holder exteriorly of the chamber by vertically moving the cover member with the rotary drive unit, the conversion mechanism and the substrate holder.

4. A magnetic-field thermal treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein:

two superconductive coils are provided in a vertically spaced manner.