US4950870A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Heat-treating apparatus
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd
•
Filing: 1988-11-21
•
Granted: 1990-08-21
•
Expires: 2008-11-21
Abstract
Abstract A heat-treating apparatus includes a process tube accommodating an object to be heat-treated therein, and a plurality of independent heaters including at least three heaters arranged at both end portions and the central portion of a side wall of the process tube, so as to surround the process tube and, the heating temperatures of the individual heaters being freely adjustable. In this heat-treating apparatus, no direct heat transfer is caused between the heaters, so that the heating temperature of the heater at each end portion of the process tube can be adjusted to a high value, without entailing such an uneven temperature distribution as is caused in the case of a conventional heat-treating apparatus. Thus, uniform temperature distribution can be attained in an area covering the same range for the conventional apparatus, even though the heaters at both end portions are reduced in length.
Inventors
- 👤 Hiroyuki Mitsuhashi
- 👤 Seishiro Sato
- 👤 Wataru Ohkase
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:58
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0431; H10P72/0434; F; F27; F27B; F27B17/00; F27B17/0016; F27B17/0025; C; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/10; C30B31/00; C30B31/06; C30B31/12; F27D; F27D11/00; F27D11/02; G; G05; G05D; G05D23/00; G05D23/19; G05D23/1927; G05D23/193; G05D23/1932; G05D23/1934; G05D23/20; G05D23/22; H10P72/0441
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
127 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a process tube accommodating an object to the heat-treated therein; and a plurality of independent heaters including at least three heaters comprised of a top heater, a central heater and a bottom heater which are arranged at the top portion, the central portion and the bottom portion of a side wall of the process tube respectively, so as to surround the process tube, said plurality of independent heaters being absent any electrical connection to each other, the heating temperatures of said plurality of independent heaters being freely adjustable, each of said independent heaters being formed of a resistance wire coil wound around the process tube, and the wire diameter of at least the top heater being greater than that of the central heater.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
127 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a process tube accommodating an object to the heat-treated therein; and a plurality of independent heaters including at least three heaters comprised of a top heater, a central heater and a bottom heater which are arranged at the top portion, the central portion and the bottom portion of a side wall of the process tube respectively, so as to surround the process tube, said plurality of independent heaters being absent any electrical connection to each other, the heating temperatures of said plurality of independent heaters being freely adjustable, each of said independent heaters being formed of a resistance wire coil wound around the process tube, and the wire diameter of at least the top heater being greater than that of the central heater.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating temperature of said heater at each end portion of the side wall of the process tube is higher than that of the heater at the central portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least the heaters at both end portions, among said plurality of independent heaters, have a multi-layer structure.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heater at the top portion of the process tube is shorter in length than the heater at the bottom portion.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising another independent heater located outside a plug for closing an inlet/outlet aperture at the lower end portion of the process tube.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
153 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a vertical process tube accommodating an object to be heat-treated therein; a plurality of independently powered heaters including at least three heaters arranged at both end portions and the central portion of a side wall of the process tube, so as to surround the process tube, the heating temperatures of said plurality of independently powered heaters being freely adjustable; the at least three heaters are comprised of a top heater, a central heater and a bottom heater, said top and bottom heaters having a double-coil structure, and said central heater having a single-coil structure; a plurality of frames made of an adiabatic material placed between and connected to said plurality of heaters; and said single-coil structure of said central heater increasing in density from the top of said central heater to the bottom of said central heater so as to provide uniform temperature distribution inside said vertical process tube.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
153 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a vertical process tube accommodating an object to be heat-treated therein; a plurality of independently powered heaters including at least three heaters arranged at both end portions and the central portion of a side wall of the process tube, so as to surround the process tube, the heating temperatures of said plurality of independently powered heaters being freely adjustable; the at least three heaters are comprised of a top heater, a central heater and a bottom heater, said top and bottom heaters having a double-coil structure, and said central heater having a single-coil structure; a plurality of frames made of an adiabatic material placed between and connected to said plurality of heaters; and said single-coil structure of said central heater increasing in density from the top of said central heater to the bottom of said central heater so as to provide uniform temperature distribution inside said vertical process tube.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2145324A
Cited
GB513043A
Cited
US3140965A
Cited
US3603284A
Cited
US3828722A
Cited
US3804967A
Cited
JPS53123667A
Cited
US4461783A
Cited
US4492716A
Cited
US4543267A
Cited
US4464415A
Cited
US4348580A
Cited
JPS58182A
Cited
US4545327A
Cited
US4579080A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-08-20 | 1994-02-19 | 1994-08-21 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-08-20 | 1998-02-19 | 1998-08-21 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-08-20 | 2002-02-19 | 2002-08-21 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |