Vertical-type heat processing apparatus and method of controlling transfer mechanism in vertical-type heat processing apparatus

Abstract

The present invention is a vertical-type heat processing apparatus comprising: a heat processing furnace; a holder capable of being loaded into the heat processing furnace and unloaded therefrom, with holding therein a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined vertical intervals in a tier-like manner; a transfer mechanism including a base table capable of vertically moving and rotating, and a substrate supporter capable of horizontally moving on the base table; and a controller for controlling the transfer mechanism; wherein the transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer an object to be processed between a container containing a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined intervals, and the holder; the substrate supporter includes a to-and-fro driving part for driving the substrate supporter in the horizontal direction, and a pitch-change driving part for changing a pitch at which the objects to be processed are supported; the controller is adapted to monitor at least one information of position, velocity and current fed back to a motor for driving the transfer mechanism; and the controller is adapted to judge, by comparing the monitored information with predetermined information corresponding to a normal drive, that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven, and then is adapted to stop the drive of the transfer mechanism.