Continuous process furnace

A furnace for heat treating a substrate having a mass, the furnace comprising:

• a heating section, the heating section including:
• a plurality of heating coils having spacers, the spacers being disposed within individual coils of the heating coils wherein a mass of the plurality of heating coils and a mass of the spacers contributes to a heating section mass;
• working components having a working component mass, the working components including:
• a transport mechanism disposed within the furnace where a mass of the transport mechanism disposed within the heating section contributes to the working component mass;
• and
• a processing chamber disposed within the furnace such that a mass of the processing chamber disposed within the heating section contributes to the working component mass wherein the heating section mass exceeds a combined mass of a substrate disposed within the heating section and the working component mass.

A furnace for heat treating a substrate, the furnace comprising:

• an entry curtain section assembly for admittance of the substrate into the furnace;
• a heating section coupled with the entry curtain section assembly for heat treating the substrate as the substrate passes through the furnace, the heating section including heating coils for providing heat to the heating section and spacers disposed within the heating coils, the spacers being disposed within individual coils of the heating coils, the heating section having a mass;
• a transport mechanism having a mass disposed within the heating section, the transport mechanism transporting the substrate through the heating section;
• a cooling zone coupled with the heating section, the cooling zone having a reverse flow heat exchanger for cooling the substrate as the substrate passes through the cooling zone;
• an exit curtain section assembly for facilitating exit of the substrate from the furnace upon cooling of the substrate;
• and
• a processing chamber, the processing chamber extending through the heating section and coupling the heating section with both the entry curtain section assembly and the cooling zone wherein the heating section mass exceeds a combined mass of a portion of the processing chamber within the heating section, the transport mechanism mass and a mass of a substrate within the heating section.