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US5271732A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Heat-treating apparatus

Assignee: Tokyo Electron Ltd
•
Filing: 1992-03-26
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Granted: 1993-12-21
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Expires: 2012-03-26
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Abstract

Abstract A heat-treating apparatus comprises a heat portion which performs a required heat treating to a plural number of objects to be treated mounted on a heat-treating boat, a vacuum exhaust system which creates a vacuum inside the heat-treating portion, a load lock chamber which is connected so as to be freely openable and closable with respect to the heat-treating portion, which is filled therein with an inert gas and which is for transporting an object to be treated into and out of the heat-treating portion, and a residual treating gas exhaust system which is connected to the load lock chamber. Furthermore, in this heat-treating apparatus, there are also provided an oxygen concentration detector for detecting an oxygen concentration inside the load lock chamber, a door lock device provided in a vicinity of a maintenance door of the load lock chamber and which regulates opening and closing of the maintenance door, and a door lock control device which releases a lock of the door lock device when the oxygen concentration detector has detected a required oxygen concentration.

Inventors

  • 👤 Osamu Yokokawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 08:20
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0431; H10P72/0434; C; C30; C30B; C30B33/00; H10P72/06; H10P72/0602; H10P72/30; H10P72/33; H10P72/34; H10P72/3406

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 135 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a heat-treating region for heat treating a plural number of objects to be treated mounted on a heat-treating boat; a vacuum exhaust system for creating a vacuum inside said heat-treating region; a load lock chamber fillable with an inert gas, for transporting objects to be treated into and out of said heat-treating region; an inert gas supply system for supplying an inert gas from an inert gas supply source to said load lock chamber; a residual treating gas exhaust system connected to said load lock chamber, for exhausting residual gas from said load lock chamber; an opening portion provided at a lower end of said heat-treating region; and a manifold connected to said opening portion and said vacuum exhaust system, said manifold being provided with cooling means to cool said manifold.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 135 words
A heat-treating apparatus comprising: a heat-treating region for heat treating a plural number of objects to be treated mounted on a heat-treating boat; a vacuum exhaust system for creating a vacuum inside said heat-treating region; a load lock chamber fillable with an inert gas, for transporting objects to be treated into and out of said heat-treating region; an inert gas supply system for supplying an inert gas from an inert gas supply source to said load lock chamber; a residual treating gas exhaust system connected to said load lock chamber, for exhausting residual gas from said load lock chamber; an opening portion provided at a lower end of said heat-treating region; and a manifold connected to said opening portion and said vacuum exhaust system, said manifold being provided with cooling means to cool said manifold.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said objects to be treated is a semiconductor wafer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 25 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cooling means includes a double-walled structure forming a cooling water path for cooling water flow therein.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 30 words
The heat-treating apparatus according to claim 1, further including a treating gas inlet pipe provided at an upper portion side wall of said manifold for leading a processing gas thereinto.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4976613A Cited
US4943235A Cited
US4955808A Cited
US5131842A Cited
US5055036A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1996-12-20 1997-06-21 1997-12-21 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2000-12-20 2001-06-21 2001-12-21 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2004-12-20 2005-06-21 2005-12-21 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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