Vertical heat treating equipment

A vertical heat-processing apparatus, which simultaneously subjects a plurality of target substrates to a heat-process, the apparatus comprising:

• an airtight process chamber configured to accommodate the target substrates, and having a load port at a bottom;
• a lid selectively open and close the load port of the process chamber;
• a holder configured to hold the target substrates stacked at intervals within the process chamber;
• a supply section configured to supply a process gas into the process chamber;
• an exhaust section configured to exhaust the process chamber;
• a heater configured to heat an atmosphere inside the process chamber;
• an elevator configured to move the lid up and down along with the holder mounted thereon and holding the target substrates;
• a rotation mechanism disposed on the lid to rotate the holder, the rotation mechanism comprising a rotary shaft having a hollow structure with a thin wall, and a support unit that supports the rotary shaft rotatably through a bearing and a sealing member, wherein an inner gas passage for cooling is formed inside the rotary shaft, while an outer gas passage for cooling is formed between the rotary shaft and the support unit;
• and
• an inactive gas supply section configured to supply an inactive gas for cooling into the inner gas passage and the outer gas passage.