Tel Sagami Limited

Osamu Yokokawa

Eiichiro Takanabe

Katsuhiko Iwabuchi

A heat treatment apparatus used in the manufacturing of semiconductor devices and the like, for treating with a reaction gas substrates placed in a reaction tube of the apparatus. A support table is provided within the reaction tube, for supporting substrates during a treatment process, and is rotated during each treatment by a motor, via a shaft penetrating the reaction tube. That portion of the reaction tube which is penetrated by the shaft is provided with a journal bearing and a magnetic fluid seal member. The seal member is surrounded by an enclosing space which substantially separates the seal member from the reaction space within the reaction tube, the enclosing space and the reaction space communicating with each other via a narrow passage. During a heat treatment, a shield gas is supplied into the enclosing space, the pressure within the enclosing space being maintained at a higher level than that within the reaction space. As a result, the reaction gas and a gas produced during heat treatment cannot come into contact with the seal member, and thus cannot adversely affect the seal member.

Growing community of inventors

Sagamihara, Japan

Osamu Yokokawa