# US 8,569,647 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 8,569,647 B2 - Document ID: US8569647B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/185,622 - Filed: 2011-07-19 - Published: 2012-11-15 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-10 - Assignees: Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation - Applicants: Masatoshi Miyake; Ken'etsu Yokogawa - Inventors: Masatoshi Miyake; Ken'etsu Yokogawa - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569647B2 ## CPC - H10P 95/906: {for altering the shape of semiconductors, e.g. smoothing the surface} - C23C 16/325: {Silicon carbide} - C23C 16/46: characterised by the method used for heating the substrate (C23C16/48, C23C16/50 take precedence) - C23C 16/5096: {Flat-bed apparatus} - H01J 37/32091: {the radio frequency energy being capacitively coupled to the plasma} - H01J 37/32724: {Temperature} - H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge} - H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching} - H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers} - H10D 62/8325: {Silicon carbide} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - 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) - H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H) - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract Provided is a heat treatment apparatus in which a heat treatment apparatus in which the thermal efficiency is high, the maintenance expense is low, the throughput is high, the surface roughness of a sample can be reduced, and the discharge uniformity is excellent, although the heat treatment is performed at 1200 ° C. or more. A heat treatment apparatus includes: parallel planar electrodes; a radio-frequency power supply generating plasma by applying radio-frequency power between the parallel planar electrodes; a temperature measuring section measuring the temperature of a heated sample; and a control unit controlling an output of the radio-frequency power supply, wherein at least one of the parallel planar electrodes has a space where the heated sample is installed, therein, and heats the sample in the electrode by the plasma generated between the parallel planar electrodes. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a heat processing chamber for heat processing a sample to be heated; a plate electrode disposed in the heat processing chamber; a first electrode disposed in the heat processing chamber so as to face the plate electrode so that plasma generates between first electrode and the plate electrode; a second electrode on which the sample to be heated is mounted, and is disposed in the processing chamber so as to face the plate electrode across the first electrode; and a radio-frequency power supply which supplies radio-frequency power to the plate electrode to generate plasma; wherein the plate electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode are made of a graphite base material; wherein the first electrode is electrically connected to the second electrode when the radio-frequency power is supplied to the plate electrode; and wherein the second electrode has a space where the sample to be heated is installed, and the second electrode is grounded through a feed line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the feed line is made of graphite. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plate electrode had a high-melting point and low-emissivity board on a surface which does not face the first electrode, and the second electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity board on a surface which does not face the first electrode. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plate electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity coating on a surface which does not face the first electrode, and the second electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity coating on a surface which does not face the first electrode. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the board is a graphite substrate coated with tantalum carbide. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a reflecting mirror which is disposed in the heat processing chamber so as to surround all of the plate electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode, and which reflects radiation heat from the plate electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising: a reflecting mirror which is disposed in the heat processing chamber so as to surround all of the plate electrode, the first electrode and the second electrode, and which reflects radiation heat from the plate electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 8 The heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a heat processing chamber for heat processing a sample to be heated; a first electrode which has a plate shape, and is disposed in the heat processing chamber; a second electrode on which the sample to be heated is mounted, and disposed in the processing chamber so as to face the first electrode; and a radio-frequency power supply which supplies radio-frequency power to the first electrode to generate plasma between the first electrode and the second electrode; wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are made of a graphite base material; and wherein the second electrode has a space inside where the sample to be heated is installed, and the second electrode is grounded through a feed line. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the feed line is made of graphite. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity board on a surface which does not face the second electrode, and the second electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity board on a surface which does not face the first electrode. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the first electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity coating on a surface which does not face the second electrode, and the second electrode has a high-melting point and low-emissivity coating on a surface which does not face the first electrode. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising: a reflecting mirror which is disposed in the heat processing chamber so as to surround the first electrode and the second electrode, and which reflects radiation heat from the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising: a reflecting mirror which is disposed in the heat processing chamber so as to surround the first electrode and the second electrode, and which reflects radiation heat from the first electrode and the second electrode. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the board is a graphite substrate coated with tantalum carbide.