Vertical heat treatment apparatus

A vertical heat treatment apparatus comprising:

• a casing provided with a vertical heat treatment furnace;
• substrate holding means mounted in said casing for simultaneously holding a plurality of substrates to be heat-treated in said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• loading/unloading means for supporting said substrates, and for putting said substrates in and taking said substrates out of said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• transporting means for transporting at least one of said substrates between said substrate holding means and said loading/unloading means;
• clean air supplying means having an air filter disposed opposed to said loading/unloading means, for supplying clean air sideways to said substrates supported by said loading/unloading means and the substrates held by the substrate holding means through the air filter to prevent dust from being attached to the substrates when said loading/unloading means is at an unloading position;
• and
• duct means for conducting air in a clean room into said clean air supplying means, the duct means constituting a bottom portion of said casing and located below the substrate holding means and the transporting means.

A vertical heat treatment apparatus comprising:

• a casing provided with a vertical heat treatment furnace;
• substrate holding means mounted in said casing for simultaneously holding a plurality of substrates to be heat-treated in said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• loading/unloading means having substrate supporting means for supporting said substrates, and putting said substrates in and taking said substrates out of said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• transporting means for transporting said substrates between said substrate holding means and said substrate supporting means;
• and
• clean air supplying means including an air filter disposed opposed to said substrate supporting means and a heat reflector having a plurality of through-holes, located between the air filter and the substrate supporting means, for supplying clean air sideways to said substrate supported by said substrate supporting means and the substrates held by the substrate holding means through the air filter and the through-holes of the heat reflector to prevent dust from being attached to the substrates when said loading/unloading means is at an unloading position, the heat reflector reflecting heat from the substrate to prevent the heat from entering into the filter.

A vertical heat treatment apparatus comprising:

• a casing provided with a vertical heat treatment furnace;
• substrate holding means mounted in said casing for simultaneously holding a plurality of substrates to be heat-treated in said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• loading/unloading means having substrate supporting means for supporting said substrates, and putting said substrates in and taking said substrates out of said vertical heat treatment furnace;
• transporting means for transporting said substrates between said substrate holding means and said substrate supporting means;
• and
• clean air supplying means including an air filter disposed opposed to said loading/unloading means and a heat reflector having a plurality of through-holes, located between the air filter and the loading/unloading means, for supplying clean air sideways to said substrates supported by said substrate supporting means and the substrates held by the substrate holding means through the air filter and the through-holes of the heat reflector to prevent dust from being attached to the substrates when said loading/unloading means is at an unloading position,
• said substrate holding means, the loading/unloading means, the heat reflector and the filter being arranged in substantially the same level.