# US 12,595,562 B2 · Heat treatment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,595,562 B2 - Document ID: US12595562B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/446,634 - Filed: 2023-08-09 - Published: 2024-02-22 - Granted: 2026-04-07 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-19 - Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited - Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited - Inventors: Yoshitaka Miura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12595562B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) - C23C 16/45578: {Elongated nozzles, tubes with holes} - C23C 16/4583: {the substrate being supported substantially horizontally} - C23C 16/4584: {the substrate being rotated} - H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection} - H10P 72/70: for supporting or gripping - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A heat treatment apparatus includes: a processing container having a roof in a cylindrical shape and a lower end opening, and in which a first space is formed; a lid for closing the lower end opening; a support including a shaft portion and a placement portion; a boat installed on the placement portion to vertically hold substrates; a partitioning member provided around the shaft portion with a gap left from a lower surface of the placement portion to form a second space partitioned from the first space; and a heat insulating material provided in the second space. An exhaust port is provided in a sidewall of the processing container. In a circumferential direction of the processing container, the gap includes a first gap having at least an angular position where the exhaust port is provided, and a second gap provided at an angular position excluding the first gap. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a processing container having a roof in a cylindrical shape and a lower end opening, and in which a first space is formed; a lid configured to close the lower end opening; a support provided to pass through the lid and including a shaft portion and a placement portion located above the shaft portion; a boat installed on the placement portion and configured to hold a plurality of substrates arranged in multiple stages in a vertical direction; a partitioning member provided around the shaft portion with a gap left from a lower surface of the placement portion and configured to form a second space partitioned from the first space; and a heat insulating material provided in the second space, wherein an exhaust port is provided in a portion of a sidewall of the processing container, in a circumferential direction of the processing container, the gap includes a first gap having at least an angular position where the exhaust port is provided, and a second gap provided at an angular position excluding the first gap, and the first gap is wider than the second gap. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the exhaust port is provided to include at least the same height position as the first gap. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the partitioning member includes an inner wall portion provided around the shaft portion, an outer wall portion provided coaxially with the inner wall portion around the inner wall portion, and a top wall portion configured to connect an upper end of the inner wall portion and an upper end of the outer wall portion and close an upper portion of a space between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, and the top wall portion has a groove formed on an upper surface of the top wall portion to extend from a radially inner side to a radially outer side and form the first gap. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the partitioning member includes an inner wall portion provided around the shaft portion, an outer wall portion provided coaxially with the inner wall portion around the inner wall portion, and a top wall portion configured to connect an upper end of the inner wall portion and an upper end of the outer wall portion and close an upper portion of a space between the inner wall portion and the outer wall portion, the heat treatment apparatus further comprises a plate provided on the top wall portion, and the plate has a C shape that opens toward the exhaust port in a plan view from an axial direction of the processing container. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing container includes a first cylindrical portion having a first inner diameter, a second cylindrical portion having a second inner diameter larger than the first inner diameter, and a larger diameter portion provided between the first cylindrical portion and the second cylindrical portion, the first cylindrical portion, the larger diameter portion, and the second cylindrical portion are provided sequentially from an upper side to a lower side of the processing container, and the larger diameter portion is provided to include a same height position as the first gap. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 5, wherein the exhaust port is formed to extend from the first cylindrical portion to at least the larger diameter portion. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing container includes an overhang portion overhanging radially outward from the sidewall, and the overhang portion is provided to include a same height position as the first gap. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a heater provided between the top wall portion and the heat insulating material in the second space. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 4, further comprising: a heater provided between the top wall portion and the heat insulating material in the second space. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an injector provided to extend along an arrangement direction of the plurality of substrates inside the processing container; and a heater provided inside the partitioning member and at an angular position where the injector is provided in a circumferential direction of the processing container, and provided to extend along the arrangement direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein a labyrinth structure is provided in the second gap. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a purge gas source configured to supply a purge gas between the shaft portion and the partitioning member. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a second processing container having a roofed cylindrical shape and configured to cover an outside of the processing container.