Heat treatment apparatus

• US 7,179,416 B2
• Filed: 08/05/2005
• Issued: 02/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Futek Furnace Inc.
• Inventors: Ueno, Hiroto
• Primary Examiner(s): KASTLER, SCOTT R
• Application Number:
  US11/198,463
• Publication Number:
  US 20060022387A1
• Time in Patent Office: 564 Days
• Field of Search: 266/104, 219/411, 219/390
• US Class Current: 266/104
• CPC Class Codes: C21D 1/04 with simultaneous application of supersonic waves, magnetic or electric fields
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 14/08 Details peculiar to crucible or pot furnaces
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 14/14 Arrangements of heating devices
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 3/12 Travelling or movable supports or containers for the charge
• 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 41/22 Heat treatment; Thermal decomposition; Chemical vapour deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/00 Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof

Abstract

In a heat treatment apparatus, the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device in the region in which the object of treatment is heat-treated and the conveying direction of the conveying device in which the object of treatment is conveyed into the heat treatment vessel are in parallel with each other, and are in parallel with the horizontal direction of the entire heat treatment apparatus. The object of treatment is heat-treated with the main surface thereof arranged in parallel with the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device in the heat treatment region.

Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus comprising a holding device which holds an object of treatment which is a magnetic material, a generally horizontal heat treatment vessel which houses the object of treatment held by the holding device, a conveying device which conveys the holding device together with the object of treatment into the heat treatment vessel, a heating device which heats the object of treatment, and a magnetic field generating device which impresses a magnetic field onto the object of treatment wherein:

the heat treatment vessel has a horizontally extending outer peripheral surface;

the magnetic field generating device is a DC electromagnet having an air core coil which is wound around the heat treatment vessel so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the heat treatment vessel;

the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device in a region in which the object of treatment is heat-treated and the conveying direction of the conveying device in which the object of treatment is conveyed into the heat treatment vessel are in parallel with each other, and are in parallel with the horizontal direction of the entire heat treatment apparatus; and

the heat treatment is carried out so that the main surface of the object of treatment is in parallel with the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device in the heat treatment region.

2. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the object of treatment is one which deteriorates in an open-air atmosphere at a heat treatment temperature, and the heat treatment vessel can be set to contain a non-oxidizing atmosphere.

3. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is arranged so as to surround the heat treatment vessel.

4. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating device is an electric heater having a dual-wire structure, so that the magnetic field generated from the electric heater does not inhibit the magnetic field generated by the magnetic field generating device.

5. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the DC electromagnet is comprised of one of a DC normal conducting type electromagnet and a DC superconducting type electromagnet.

6. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a cooling device is provided between the magnetic field generating device and the heating device, so that the surface temperature of the magnetic field generating device in the region in which the magnetic field generating device and the heating device are close to each other does not exceed 50°

C.