TW201738963A - Heat treatment device capable of uniformly carrying out temperature change of the processed article even when the temperature control conditions are changed - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides a heat treatment device capable of uniformly carrying out temperature change of the processed article even when the temperature control conditions are changed, and capable of automatically performing tuning operation for temperature change of the processed article. The heat treatment device 1 includes a chamber 4 for accommodating the processed article 100; a medium supply unit 7 including a reference damper 32 and sub-dampers 31 and 33 that supply the cooling air to the chamber 4; and a control section 18 that controls the supply mode of the cooling air by the sub-dampers 31 and 33 based on the supply mode for the reference damper 32 supplying the cooling air.

Description

Heat treatment device

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus.

A heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece such as a semiconductor substrate is known (for example, refer to Document 1 below). As an example of the heat treatment apparatus, the heat treatment apparatus described in Document 1 includes a heater surrounded by a heat insulator and a quartz tube surrounded by a heater. Further, a pipe penetrating the heat insulator is connected, and a blower is connected to the pipe.

After heat-treating the object to be treated in the quartz tube by heating of the heater, the blower is operated to introduce the cooling air into the quartz tube. Thereby, the quartz tube and the object to be treated are cooled. At this time, the control unit that controls the blower controls the output of the heater and the air volume of the blower so that the deviation between the actual temperature of the quartz tube and the target temperature is zero. Thus, a structure in which a blower is used in forced cooling of a quartz tube is known.

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.1-282619

Further, in a configuration in which a blower is used to forcibly cool a container such as a quartz tube, a configuration in which a plurality of dampers are used can be considered. For example, in this configuration, the pipe connected to the blower has a branch pipe branched into a plurality of branches. And, in each branch A damper is connected to the tube. A plurality of dampers supply cooling air from the blower to, for example, a plurality of locations along the length of the container. Each damper adjusts the opening degree by, for example, manual operation by an operator. And, after the cooling air passes through the corresponding damper from the blower, it comes into contact with the container, thereby cooling the container. In order to make the cooling rate of the container as equal as possible in each part of the container, the operator manually adjusts the opening degree of each damper.

On the other hand, the content and the number of the objects to be processed which are heat-treated in the container are not necessarily the same every time. That is, the total heat capacity of the objects to be processed in the container is not always the same every time. In addition, the target cooling temperature and the cooling area of the container (object to be treated) are not necessarily the same every time. Further, the frequency of the blower motor that drives the blower (for example, the rotational speed of the blower motor) may be different depending on the conditions of the power supply. As described above, when the difference in the cooling conditions is generated, if the opening degree of each damper is not adjusted, the cooling rate of each portion of the container varies.

On the other hand, from the viewpoint of performing uniform heat treatment, it is preferred to cool the entire container and the plurality of objects to be processed as uniformly as possible regardless of the difference in cooling conditions. Therefore, the operator adjusts the opening degree of each damper by manual work in accordance with the cooling condition. Thereby, the flow rate of the cooling air which is in contact with the container from each damper is adjusted, and more uniform cooling of the container and the workpiece is achieved.

As described above, it is preferable to realize an automatic adjustment work for the configuration in which the opening degree adjustment operation of each damper is performed by manual work.

In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a heat treatment apparatus capable of more uniformly changing a temperature of a workpiece even when temperature control conditions are changed, and automatically performing processing for processing The material is more uniformly adjusted for temperature changes.

(1) In order to solve the above problems, a heat treatment apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a container that stores the processed object during heat treatment of the workpiece, and a medium supply unit that supplies the medium for temperature adjustment to The reference valve and the sub-valve of the container; and a control unit that controls a supply form of the sub-valve to supply the medium based on a supply mode in which the reference valve supplies the medium.

According to this configuration, the supply unit of the sub valve supply medium is controlled by the control unit. Thereby, the supply form of the sub valve supply medium can be changed when the temperature control condition of the workpiece changes. As a result, even when the temperature control condition of the workpiece changes, the workpiece can be more uniformly cooled. In addition, as a result of controlling the supply form of the sub valve supply medium based on the supply form of the reference valve supply medium, it is possible to more reliably suppress the control calculation and divergence of the sub valve. Thereby, more accurate temperature control of the object to be processed is achieved. Further, since the sub valve is controlled by the control unit, it is not necessary to adjust the work of the sub valve by human power. According to the above, according to the present invention, it is possible to realize a heat treatment apparatus that can change the temperature of the workpiece more uniformly even when the temperature control condition is changed, and can automatically perform the method for making the object The treatment of the temperature change is more evenly performed.

(2) The control unit controls the opening degree of the sub valve based on the state in which the opening degree of the reference valve is fixed.

According to this configuration, the control unit does not need to change the opening degree of the reference valve in the opening degree control of the sub valve, and as a result, the calculation required for the control of the sub valve can be simplified. Further, in the opening degree control of the sub valve, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of oscillation.

(3) There is a case where the control unit is configured to: The flow rate of the medium supplied from the sub valve to the container is controlled based on the temperature at the portion where the medium is supplied from the reference valve.

According to this configuration, the degree of temperature change of the container due to the medium supplied from the sub valve to the container can be made more uniform with the degree of temperature change of the container due to the medium supplied from the reference valve to the container.

(4) The control unit controls the opening degree of the sub-valve such that the temperature of the container from the portion where the medium is supplied from the reference valve and the above-mentioned container are supplied from the sub-valve The deviation in temperature at the location of the medium is reduced.

According to this configuration, the control unit can control the sub valve such that the temperature in the container at the portion where the medium is supplied from the reference valve and the temperature at the portion of the container from the sub valve supply medium are more uniform.

(5) There is a case where the plurality of sub-valves are provided, and the control unit controls each of the sub-valves so that one of the sub-valves and the other sub-valves perform different operations.

According to this configuration, the temperature of the wider area of the container can be uniformly changed by the operation of the plurality of sub-valves. In addition, it is possible to perform temperature control more finely on each area of the container.

(6) The control unit is configured to control each of the sub-valves by proportional control, and the control unit sets the control gain of one of the sub-valves and the control gain of the other sub-valves to different values.

According to this configuration, one of the above-described sub-valves can further increase the response speed of the medium supply form for achieving the target. On the other hand, the other sub-valves described above can further reduce the response speed of the medium supply form for achieving the target. So by The combination of the sub-valves having different response speeds of the target enables a more uniform temperature change in the container which is prone to heat deviation.

(7) The medium is a cooling medium for cooling the container, and the position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the one of the sub-valves to the container is set to be supplied to the container from the other sub-valve. The control unit has a high control position, and the control unit sets the control gain for one of the sub-valves to be larger than the control gain for the other sub-valves.

According to this configuration, since the heat of the container faces upward, there is a tendency that the heat of the upper portion of the container is larger than the heat of the lower portion of the container. Therefore, by making the control gain of one of the sub-valves that cool the upper side of the container larger, more medium can be supplied more quickly toward the upper side of the container. Thereby, the upper side of the container which is easy to accumulate heat can be cooled more reliably. On the other hand, by making the control gain of the other sub-valve that cools the lower side of the container smaller, it is possible to suppress the excessive supply of the excessive medium toward the lower side of the container. Thereby, the lower side of the container which can suppress the heat from being easily escaped is cooled first than the other part of the container. As a result, the parts of the container are more evenly cooled.

(8) There is a case where the container includes an opening that is open to the outside of the container and a inner portion that is closed with respect to the outside of the container, and the medium is a cooling medium for cooling the container. A position at which the sub-valve supplies the cooling medium to the container is set to be closer to the inner portion of the opening portion and the inner portion, and a position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the other sub-valve to the container is set to be In the opening portion and the opening portion in the inner portion, the control portion sets the control gain for one of the sub valves to be larger than the control gain for the other sub valve.

According to this configuration, since the heat of the container is likely to accumulate in the inner portion, the heat in the inner portion of the container tends to be larger than the heat in the opening portion of the container. Therefore, by making the control gain of one of the sub-valves that cool the inner side of the container larger, it is possible to supply more medium more quickly toward the inner side of the container. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably cool the inner side of the container in which heat is easily accumulated. On the other hand, by making the control gain of the other sub-valve that cools the opening side of the container smaller, it is possible to suppress the supply of an excessive medium to the opening side of the container. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the case where the opening side of the container which is relatively easy to escape from heat is cooled before the other part of the container. As a result, the parts of the container are more evenly cooled.

(9) There is a case where the plurality of sub-valves are provided, and an exit position of the medium from the reference valve is set between the exit positions of the mediums from the sub-valves.

According to this configuration, it is possible to change the temperature of the wider area of the container more uniformly by the plurality of valves by using the medium. Further, in a region other than the portion of the container to which the medium from the reference valve is supplied, the ratio of the vicinity of the portion to which the medium from the reference valve is supplied can be further increased. As a result, the temperature difference between the portion to which the medium from the reference valve is supplied can be reduced for a wider area of the container.

According to the present invention, it is possible to realize a heat treatment apparatus that can change the temperature of the workpiece more uniformly even when the temperature control condition is changed, and can automatically perform the apparatus for equalizing the workpiece more uniformly. Adjustment work for temperature changes.

1‧‧‧ Heat treatment unit

2‧‧‧Base plate

2a‧‧‧through holes

3‧‧‧heater

3a‧‧‧ Sidewall

3b‧‧‧ top wall

4‧‧‧Case (container)

4a‧‧‧ upper

4b‧‧‧Intermediate

4c‧‧‧ lower

4d‧‧‧ openings

4e‧‧‧Li

5‧‧‧The boat

6‧‧‧ Lifting mechanism

7‧‧‧Media Supply Department

8‧‧‧Flange

10‧‧‧ space

11‧‧‧Air blower unit

12‧‧‧Supply tube

13‧‧‧Management

14‧‧‧damper unit

15‧‧‧Exhaust pipe

16‧‧‧Exhaust cooler

17‧‧‧Sensor unit

18‧‧‧Control Department

21‧‧‧Air blower

22‧‧‧Air blower motor

30‧‧‧ damper

31‧‧‧1st secondary damper (sub-valve; one sub-valve)

32‧‧‧Base damper (reference valve)

33‧‧‧2nd secondary damper (sub-valve; other secondary valves)

41‧‧‧Inlet pipe

42‧‧‧Valve

43‧‧‧Support shaft

44‧‧‧ valve body

45‧‧‧damper motor

46, 47‧‧‧ export pipe

48‧‧‧ motor casing

49‧‧‧ Output shaft

51~53‧‧‧temperature sensor

100‧‧‧Processed objects

A1‧‧‧ (cooling air) airflow

Kp1, kp2‧‧‧ control gain

P1‧‧‧ Fully closed position

P2‧‧‧ Fully open position

T1‧‧‧ Upper chamber temperature (in the container where the medium is supplied from the secondary valve) temperature)

T2‧‧‧The temperature in the middle of the chamber (the temperature in the container where the medium is supplied from the reference valve)

T3‧‧‧ Lower chamber temperature (temperature in the container where the medium is supplied from the sub-valve)

T1t, T3t, Tft‧‧‧ target temperature

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a part of a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention in a cross section, showing a state in which the heat treatment apparatus is viewed from the side.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the heat treatment apparatus of Fig. 1;

3 is a cross-sectional view of the damper provided in the refrigerant supply portion of the heat treatment apparatus, showing a state in which the damper is viewed from the side.

4 is a flow chart for explaining an example of a cooling operation in the heat treatment apparatus.

The form for carrying out the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Further, the present invention can be widely applied as a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a workpiece.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing a part of a heat treatment apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the heat treatment apparatus 1 is viewed from the side. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the heat treatment apparatus 1 of Fig. 1; 3 is a cross-sectional view of the damper 30 provided in the medium supply portion 7 of the heat treatment apparatus 1, and shows a state in which the damper 30 is viewed from the side.

Referring to Fig. 1, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to be capable of performing heat treatment on the workpiece 100. More specifically, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to be capable of heat-treating the surface of the workpiece 100 by supplying the heated gas toward the workpiece 100. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 1 is configured to forcibly cool the workpiece 100 by using air as a medium as cooling air.

The workpiece 100 is, for example, a glass substrate or a semiconductor substrate.

The heat treatment apparatus 1 has a base plate 2, a heater 3, a chamber 4 as a container, a boat 5, a lifting mechanism 6, and a medium supply portion 7.

The base plate 2 is provided as a member that supports the heater 3 and the chamber 4. A through hole 2a is formed in the center of the base plate 2. The heater 3 is disposed to block the through hole 2a from above.

The heater 3 is, for example, an electrothermal heater, and is configured to be capable of heating the gas to, for example, about 600 °C. The heater 3 is formed in a box shape as a whole. The heater 3 has a cylindrical side wall 3a extending in the vertical direction (vertical direction) and a top wall 3b blocking the upper end of the side wall 3a. At the lower end portion of the side wall 3a, an opening portion that is open downward is formed. The lower end portion of the side wall 3a of the heater 3 is received by the base plate 2. In the space surrounded by the heater 3, a chamber 4 is disposed.

The chamber 4 is configured as a container that accommodates the workpiece 100 during heat treatment of the workpiece 100. The chamber 4 is formed in a cylindrical shape as a whole. The upper end portion of the chamber 4 is blocked. In addition, the chamber 4 is open downward. The lower end portion of the chamber 4 is received by the base plate 2. The space inside the chamber 4 is opened to the space below the base plate 2 through the through hole 2a of the base plate 2. As such, the chamber 4 includes an opening portion 4d that is open to the outside of the chamber 4, and a rear portion 4e that is closed with respect to the outside of the chamber 4.

When the heat treatment apparatus 1 performs the heat treatment operation, the workpiece 100 is placed in the space inside the chamber 4. The workpiece 100 is supported by the wafer boat 5 in a state of being horizontally arranged, for example.

The wafer boat 5 is provided to arrange the workpiece 100 in the chamber 4. The wafer boat 5 has, for example, a plurality of slots arranged side by side, and a plurality of workpieces 100 are held in the slots. The wafer boat 5 is supported by the elevating mechanism 6 and can be displaced in the vertical direction together with the workpiece 100 by the operation of the elevating mechanism 6. By the operation of the elevating mechanism 6, the workpiece 100 and the wafer boat 5 enter and exit the chamber 4.

The state in which the wafer boat 5 and the workpiece 100 are disposed in the chamber 4 Next, the lower end portion of the chamber 4 and the through hole 2a of the base plate 2 are closed by the flange 8 coupled to the wafer boat 5. Thereby, the workpiece 100 and the boat 5 are sealed in the chamber 4. In this state, the object to be processed 100 is heated based on the heating of the heater 3. Then, after the heating of the workpiece 100 by the heater 3 is completed, the workpiece 100, the boat 5, and the chamber 4 are forcibly cooled by the cooling air supplied from the medium supply unit 7.

The medium supply unit 7 is configured to cool the chamber 4 and the workpiece 100 by forcibly supplying cooling air as a cooling medium for temperature adjustment to the space 10 formed between the heater 3 and the chamber 4. The space 10 is a space formed between the base plate 2 and the chamber 4 and the heater 3 disposed on the base plate 2. This space 10 surrounds the outer peripheral portion of the chamber 4 over the entire circumference. Further, the space 10 is a space that covers the upper end portion of the chamber 4 from above. Further, in Fig. 1, the flow of the cooling air is schematically indicated by an arrow A1. In the present embodiment, the medium supply unit 7 is configured to control the supply mode in which the cooling air is supplied toward the space 10 by electronic control.

The medium supply unit 7 includes a blower unit 11, a supply pipe 12, a manifold 13, a damper unit 14, an exhaust pipe 15, an exhaust gas cooler 16, a sensor unit 17, and a control unit 18.

The blower unit 11 is provided to take in air existing outside the heater 3 and supply the air to the supply pipe 12 as cooling air.

The blower unit 11 has a blower 21 and a blower motor 22 for driving the blower 21.

The blower 21 is, for example, a centrifugal blower, and is configured to suck air that is present outside the heater 3, pressurize the air, and output it as a cooling air in a pressurized state. The blower 21 has an impeller (not shown). The impeller is coupled to the output shaft of the blower motor 22, and is operated by the drive of the blower motor 22. give away In the present embodiment, the fan motor 22 is an electric motor. The blower motor 22 produces an output corresponding to the frequency of the supplied power.

Further, the air sucked into the blower 21 may be at normal temperature, or may be cooled in advance by a cooler (not shown). One end of the supply pipe 12 is connected to the discharge port of the blower 21.

The supply pipe 12 is a pipe that extends substantially straight. The supply pipe 12 may be a rigid metal pipe or a flexible pipe that can be elastically deformed. The other end of the supply pipe 12 is connected to the manifold 13.

The manifold 13 is provided to distribute cooling air to a plurality of dampers 30 to be described later of the damper unit 14, respectively. The manifold 13 is formed, for example, by using a cylindrical metal pipe having a predetermined diameter. In the present embodiment, both end portions of the manifold 13 are blocked. Further, in the present embodiment, the manifold 13 extends in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the supply pipe 12 extends.

More specifically, in the present embodiment, the manifold 13 extends in the vertical direction and is arranged in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction of the chamber 4. The manifold 13 is disposed on the side of the heater 3 (in other words, the side of the chamber 4).

In the present embodiment, the supply pipe 12 is connected to the outer peripheral portion of the upper end portion of the manifold 13. According to the above configuration, the cooling air that has passed through the supply pipe 12 travels downward in the manifold 13 after entering the manifold 13. Then, the cooling air is sent to the damper 30 of the damper unit 14.

The damper unit 14 is provided to supply the cooling air sent into the manifold 13 to the upper portion 4a, the intermediate portion 4b, and the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4, respectively. In the present embodiment, the damper unit 14 is disposed between the manifold 13 and the heater 3.

The damper unit 14 has a plurality of dampers 30. In this embodiment The plurality of dampers 30 include a reference damper 32 and a first sub damper 31 and a second sub damper 33 as a plurality of sub dampers. Further, in the case where the dampers 31, 32, and 33 are collectively referred to, they are referred to as dampers 30.

The reference damper 32 is provided as a reference valve for supplying cooling air to the chamber 4. In addition, the sub dampers 31, 33 are provided as a sub valve for supplying cooling air to the chamber 4. The first sub damper 31 is an example of the "one sub valve" of the present invention. The second sub damper 33 is an example of the "other sub valve" of the present invention. Each damper 30 is configured to be able to adjust the opening degree. That is, it is configured such that the flow rate of the cooling air passing through each damper 30 can be adjusted.

The first sub damper 31 is configured to supply cooling air toward the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4. The reference damper 32 is configured to supply cooling air toward the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4. The second sub damper 33 is configured to supply cooling air toward the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4.

The first sub damper 31, the reference damper 32, and the second sub damper 33 are arranged in this order along the longitudinal direction of the chamber 4, that is, in the vertical direction. That is, the reference damper 32 is disposed below the first sub damper 31. Further, the second sub damper 33 is disposed below the reference damper 32.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the damper 30 (i.e., each of the reference damper 32 and the sub dampers 31, 33) has an inlet pipe 41, a valve casing 42, a support shaft 43, a valve body 44, a damper motor 45, and an outlet. Tubes 46, 47.

Further, in the present embodiment, the configuration in which the reference damper 32 is an electric damper including the damper motor 45 will be described as an example, but the invention is not limited thereto. For example, the reference damper 32 may be a damper that is not provided with the damper motor 45 and that is capable of fixing the opening degree of the valve body 44 based on a manual manual opening degree adjustment.

The inlet pipe 41 is connected to the manifold 13 and the valve casing 42 and is configured to be future The cooling air from the manifold 13 is introduced into the valve box 42. The inner diameter of the inlet pipe 41 is set to be smaller than the inner diameter of the manifold 13. One end of the inlet pipe 41 is connected to the outer peripheral portion of the manifold 13.

The inlet pipe 41 of the first sub damper 31 is connected to the upper portion of the manifold 13. The inlet pipe 41 of the reference damper 32 is connected to the intermediate portion of the manifold 13. The inlet pipe 41 of the second sub damper 33 is connected to the lower portion of the manifold 13. The inlet tube 41 extends horizontally from the manifold 13 toward the corresponding valve box 42.

The valve box 42 is formed, for example, in a hollow quadrangular prism shape. The other end of the inlet pipe 41 is connected to a side wall of the valve casing 42. The cooling air passing through the inlet pipe 41 is introduced into the valve casing 42. The valve box 42 houses the support shaft 43 and the valve body 44.

The support shaft 43 is supported by the valve box 42, and the valve body 44 is swingably supported around the support shaft 43. In the present embodiment, the support shaft 43 and the valve body 44 are coupled to each other so as to be rotatable together. The support shaft 43 extends, for example, in the horizontal direction, and is disposed to be adjacent to the inlet pipe 41. A part of the support shaft 43 penetrates the valve box 42 and is coupled to the output shaft 49 of the damper motor 45.

The damper motor 45 is provided to set the valve opening degree of the damper 30 by swinging the valve body 44 around the support shaft 43.

The damper motor 45 has a motor housing 48 and an output shaft 49 supported by the motor housing 48.

The damper motor 45 is an electric motor configured to be capable of rotational position control such as a servo motor. The damper motor 45 is configured to receive a control signal from the control unit 18, thereby changing the rotational position of the output shaft 49 of the damper motor 45.

The motor case 48 is fixed to the valve case 42, for example. The output shaft 49 of the damper motor 45 is coupled to the support shaft 43 so as to be rotatable in conjunction therewith. The output shaft 49 may be coupled to the support shaft 43 so as to be rotatable integrally, or may be reduced by a not shown The speed mechanism and the support shaft 43 are coupled to each other in a rotationally coupled manner. According to the above configuration, the rotational position of the output shaft 49 is set by the driving of the damper motor 45, and the rotational position of the valve body 44 about the support shaft 43 (i.e., the opening degree of the damper 30) is set.

The valve body 44 is configured to open and close the other end of the inlet pipe 41. The valve body 44 is formed, for example, using a rectangular flat member. One edge of the valve body 44 is coupled to the support shaft 43. The valve body 44 is configured, for example, to block the inlet pipe 41 in a vertically rising posture.

The valve body 44 is rotated about the support shaft 43 by, for example, several tens of degrees from a vertically standing posture, thereby being disposed at the fully open position P2. That is, when the valve body 44 is in the vertical position, that is, the fully closed position P1, the opening degree of the damper 30 is zero. Further, when the valve body 44 is in the predetermined full-open position P2 rotated by several tens of degrees from the vertical position, the opening degree of the damper 30 is 100%.

Further, the relationship between the rotational position of the valve body 44 and the opening degree of the damper 30 is determined according to the structure of the damper 30. Therefore, the relationship between the rotational position of the valve body 44 and the opening degree of the damper 30 is a case where it is linear and a case where it is non-linear. In the present embodiment, the relationship between the rotational position of the valve body 44 and the rotational position of the damper 30 is stored in advance in the control unit 18.

When the valve body 44 opens the other end of the inlet pipe 41, the cooling air from the inlet pipe 41 is introduced into the valve body 44, and is guided to the outlet pipes 46, 47.

In the present embodiment, two outlet pipes (i.e., outlet pipes 46, 47) are provided in each of the dampers 31, 32, and 33. Each of the outlet pipes 46, 47 is provided to connect the space in the corresponding valve casing 42 with the space 10 formed in the heater 3. One end of each of the outlet pipes 46, 47 is connected to one side wall of the corresponding valve casing 42.

In addition, the other end of each of the outlet pipes 46, 47 penetrates the side of the heater 3 The wall 3a faces the space 10. In each of the dampers 31, 32, 33, the other end of the outlet pipe 46 and the other end of the outlet pipe 47 are equally spaced in the circumferential direction of the side wall 3a of the heater 3 (in the present embodiment, at intervals of 180 degrees) ) Configuration.

The other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the first sub damper 31 is disposed to face the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4 horizontally. The other end of the outlet tubes 46, 47 of the reference damper 32 is disposed to face the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 horizontally. The other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the second sub damper 33 is disposed to face the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 horizontally.

According to the above configuration, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the first sub damper 31 to the chamber 4 (that is, the position of the other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the first sub damper 31) is set to be smaller than the cooling air. The position supplied from the second sub damper 33 to the chamber 4 (that is, the position of the other end of the outlet pipes 46 and 47 of the second sub damper 33) is high.

Further, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the first sub damper 31 to the chamber 4 is set to be close to the inner portion 4e of the opening portion 4d and the inner portion 4e. Further, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the second sub damper 33 to the chamber 4 is set to be close to the opening portion 4d of the opening portion 4d and the inner portion 4e.

Further, the outlet of the cooling air from the reference damper 32, that is, the other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 is set at the other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 which are the outlets of the cooling air from the first sub damper 31, and The outlet of the cooling air of the second sub damper 33 is between the other end positions of the outlet pipes 46, 47.

Further, in the present embodiment, the other end of the outlet pipe 46 of each of the dampers 31, 32, 33 is aligned in the circumferential direction of the chamber 4. Also, the positions of the other ends of the outlet pipes 47 of the respective dampers 31, 32, 33 in the circumferential direction of the chamber 4 are aligned.

According to the above configuration, the cooling air passing through the first sub damper 31 It is supplied into the space 10 in such a manner as to face the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4. Further, the cooling air passing through the reference damper 32 is supplied into the space 10 so as to face the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4. Further, the cooling air that has passed through the second sub damper 33 is supplied into the space 10 so as to face the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4. The cooling air supplied into the space 10 flows toward the exhaust pipe 15 while absorbing heat from the chamber 4.

The exhaust pipe 15 penetrates the top wall 3b of the heater 3. One end of the exhaust pipe 15 faces the space 10. The exhaust pipe 15 guides the cooling air reaching the upper end of the space 10 to the other end side of the exhaust pipe 15. The exhaust pipe 15 is connected to the exhaust gas cooler 16 in a space outside the heater 3. The exhaust gas cooler 16 cools the cooling air that has absorbed the heat from the chamber 4. The cooling air cooled by the exhaust gas cooler 16 is discharged to the external space of the heat treatment apparatus 1.

According to the above configuration, the cooling air passes through the supply pipe 12 and the manifold 13 from the blower 21, passes through the corresponding dampers 31, 32, 33, and reaches the space 10, and is discharged to the exhaust pipe 15 and the exhaust gas cooler 16 to The outside of the heat treatment apparatus 1. The temperature of the chamber 4 at a position adjacent to the other end of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the respective dampers 31, 32, 33 is detected by the sensor unit 17.

More specifically, the sensor unit 17 detects the temperature of the chamber 4 at the position of the other end face of the outlet pipe 46 of the first sub damper 31, and the other end of the outlet pipe 46 of the reference damper 32, respectively. The temperature of the chamber 4 at the facing position and the temperature of the chamber 4 at the position opposite the other end surface of the outlet pipe 46 of the second sub damper 33.

The sensor unit 17 has temperature sensors 51 to 53.

The temperature sensors 51 to 53 are, for example, electrical temperature sensors such as thermocouples, and are configured to output an electrical signal specifying a detected temperature. Temperature sensors 51~53, for example It is supported by the heater 3 at a position adjacent to the chamber 4.

The temperature sensor 51 is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4, and is adjacent to the other end of the outlet pipe 46 of the first sub damper 31. The temperature sensor 51 detects the temperature of the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4 that is horizontally opposed to the outlet pipe 46 of the first sub damper 31 as the chamber upper temperature T1.

The temperature sensor 52 is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4, and is adjacent to the other end of the outlet pipe 46 of the reference damper 32. The temperature sensor 52 detects the temperature of the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 horizontally opposed to the outlet pipe 46 of the reference damper 32 as the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2.

The temperature sensor 53 is disposed adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4, and is adjacent to the other end of the outlet pipe 46 of the second sub damper 33. The temperature sensor 53 detects the temperature of the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 horizontally opposed to the outlet pipe 46 of the second sub damper 33 as the lower chamber temperature T3. The temperature detection results of the temperature sensors 51 to 53 are supplied to the control unit 18.

The control unit 18 is configured to control the supply form of the cooling air supplied to the sub dampers 31 and 33 with reference to the supply mode of the cooling air supplied from the reference damper 32. The control unit 18 is formed using a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) or the like. Further, the control unit 18 can be formed using a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). It can be formed using a sequential circuit or the like.

The control unit 18 is connected to the temperature sensors 51 to 53 and receives electrical signals specifying the temperature detection results of the temperature sensors 51 to 53, that is, the chamber temperatures T1 to T3. In addition, the control unit 18 is connected to the blower motor 22 by controlling the blower motor The drive of 22 controls the flow rate of the cooling air supplied from the blower 21.

Further, the control unit 18 is connected to the damper motor 45 of the first sub damper 31, the damper motor 45 of the reference damper 32, and the damper motor 45 of the second sub damper 33, and controls the operations of the motors 45, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the opening degrees of the first sub damper 31 and the second sub damper 33 with reference to the state in which the opening degree of the reference damper 32 is fixed. More specifically, when the operation of the medium supply unit 7 to cool the chamber 4 and the workpiece 100 is started, the control unit 18 first sets the opening degree of the reference damper 32.

The opening degree of the reference damper 32 at this time is set, for example, to 50%. Thus, the control unit 18 drives the damper motor 45 of the reference damper 32 such that the opening degree of the reference damper 32 is 50%, for example, the valve body 44 is disposed at a position halfway between the fully closed position P1 and the fully open position P2. At the office. Thus, by setting the opening degree of the reference damper 32 to 50% of the middle between 0% and 100%, the cooling air flow rate from each of the sub dampers 31, 33 can be made to be cooled with respect to the cooling from the reference damper 32. The air flow is adjusted more.

Further, the opening degree of the reference damper 32 may correspond to the heat capacity of the workpiece 100 (specifically, the number, material, and volume of the workpiece 100), the target cooling temperature of the workpiece 100, and the blower motor. The operating frequency and the like of 22 are appropriately set by the control unit 18.

Further, the control unit 18 is configured to control the outlets from the sub dampers 31 and 33 with reference to the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2 at the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 supplied with the cooling air from the reference damper 32. The flow of cooling air supplied by the tubes 46, 47 to the chamber 4. More specifically, the control unit 18 performs feedback control on the opening degrees of the respective sub dampers 31 and 33 to reduce the supply of cold from the reference damper 32 in the chamber 4. The temperature at the portion of the air (the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2) and the temperature at the upper portion 4a and the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 supplied with the cooling air from the respective sub dampers 31, 33 (the upper chamber temperature T1) Deviation of the lower chamber temperature T3).

The control unit 18 is configured to control each of the dampers 31, 32, and 33 by proportional control. In the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the damper motors 45 of the respective dampers 31, 32, 33 by PID control (Proportional Integral Differential Control), thereby controlling the dampers 31, 32, The opening of 33. Further, the control unit 18 may control the dampers 31, 32, and 33 by other control methods such as PI control (Proportional Integral Control).

The control unit 18 controls the sub dampers 31 and 33 so that the first sub damper 31 and the second sub damper 33 perform different operations. Specifically, the control unit 18 sets the control gain kp1 of the first sub damper 31 and the control gain kp2 of the second sub damper 33 to different values. In the present embodiment, the control unit 18 sets the control gain kp1 of the first sub damper 31 that supplies the cooling air to the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4 to be the second sub damper that supplies the cooling air to the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4. The control gain kp2 of 33 is large (kp1>kp2).

Next, an example of the cooling operation in the heat treatment apparatus 1 will be described. Then, for example, after the heating operation of the heater 3 is stopped, the cooling operation in the heat treatment apparatus 1 is performed. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a cooling operation in the heat treatment apparatus 1. Further, in the case of the description with reference to the flowchart, the description will be made with reference to the drawings other than the flowcharts as appropriate.

Referring to Fig. 4, at the start of the cooling operation, control unit 18 first operates blower motor 22, thereby introducing cooling air into medium supply unit 7 (step S1).

Next, the control unit 18 controls the opening degree of the reference damper 32 (step S2). In other words, the control unit 18 sets the target opening degree of the reference damper 32, and further sets the opening degree of the reference damper 32 to a value corresponding to the target opening degree by the damper motor 45 that drives the reference damper 32.

Next, the control unit 18 refers to the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2, thereby measuring the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2 (step S3).

Next, the control unit 18 controls the opening degree of the first sub damper 31 (step S4). In other words, the control unit 18 sets the target opening degree of the first sub damper 31, and further sets the opening degree of the first sub damper 31 to the target opening degree by driving the damper motor 45 of the first sub damper 31. Quite a value. At this time, the control unit 18 calculates the target temperature T1t based on the detected intermediate portion temperature T2 of the chamber. Then, the control unit 18 controls the opening degree of the first sub damper 31 so as to decrease the deviation (T1t - T1) between the target temperature T1t and the upper chamber temperature T1.

Moreover, the control unit 18 controls the opening degree of the second sub damper 33 (step S5). In other words, the control unit 18 sets the target opening degree of the second sub damper 33, and further sets the opening degree of the second sub damper 33 to the target opening degree by driving the damper motor 45 of the second sub damper 33. Quite a value. At this time, the control unit 18 calculates the target temperature T3t based on the detected intermediate portion temperature T2 of the chamber. Then, the control unit 18 controls the opening degree of the second sub damper 33 so as to decrease the deviation (T3t - T3) between the target temperature T3t and the lower chamber temperature T3.

Further, the order of the opening degree control of the first sub damper 31 (step S4) and the opening degree control of the second sub damper 33 (step S5) may be replaced, or the steps S4 and S5 may be performed in parallel.

Next, the control unit 18 detects the upper temperature of the chamber T1 and the middle of the chamber. The portion temperature T2 and the lower chamber temperature T3 (step S6). Then, the control unit 18 determines whether or not the temperatures T1 to T3 have reached the target temperature Tft at which the cooling operation is completed (step S7).

When the temperature T1 to T3 has reached the target temperature Tft (YES in step S8), the control unit 18 stops the operation of the blower motor 22 (step S8), and ends the cooling operation of the chamber 4 and the workpiece 100.

On the other hand, when the temperature T1 to T3 have not reached the target temperature Tft at which the cooling operation is completed (NO in step S8), the control unit 18 executes the control after step S3 again.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the supply form of the cooling air supplied to the sub dampers 31 and 33 with reference to the supply mode of the cooling air supplied from the reference damper 32. According to this configuration, the supply form of the cooling air supplied to the sub dampers 31 and 33 is controlled by the control unit 18. By this means, when the temperature control condition of the workpiece 100 such as the number of the workpieces 100 is changed, the supply mode of the cooling air supplied to the sub dampers 31 and 33 can be changed. As a result, even when the temperature control condition of the workpiece 100 changes, the workpiece 100 can be more uniformly cooled. In addition, as a result of controlling the supply form of the cooling air by the sub dampers 31 and 33 with reference to the supply mode of the cooling air supplied from the reference damper 32, it is possible to more reliably suppress the control calculation and divergence of the sub dampers 31 and 33. Thereby, more accurate temperature control of the workpiece 100 is achieved. Further, since the sub dampers 31 and 33 are controlled by the control unit 18, it is not necessary to manually adjust the sub dampers 31 and 33. According to the above, the heat treatment apparatus 1 can realize the temperature change of the workpiece 100 more uniformly even when the temperature control condition is changed, and can automatically perform the object to be processed. 100 more equal The adjustment of the temperature change occurs.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the opening degrees of the sub dampers 31 and 33 with reference to the state in which the opening degree of the reference damper 32 is fixed. According to this configuration, the control unit 18 does not need to change the opening degree of the reference damper 32 in the opening degree control of the sub damper 30, and as a result, the calculation required for the control of the sub dampers 31 and 33 can be simplified. Further, in the opening degree control of the sub dampers 31 and 33, it is possible to more reliably suppress the occurrence of oscillation.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 is configured to control the slave side based on the temperature (the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2) of the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 supplied with the cooling air from the reference damper 32. The flow rate of the cooling air supplied to the chamber 4 by the dampers 31, 33. According to this configuration, the degree of temperature change of the upper portion 4a and the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 due to the cooling air supplied from the sub dampers 31, 33 to the chamber 4 can be supplied to the chamber 4 from the reference damper 32. The temperature change of the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 caused by the cooling air of the intermediate portion 4b is more uniform.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the opening degrees of the sub dampers 31 and 33 such that the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2 deviates from the chamber upper temperature T1 (T2-T1) and the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2. The deviation from the lower chamber temperature T3 (T2-T3) is decreased, respectively. According to this configuration, the control unit 18 can control the sub dampers 31, 33 so that the temperature at the intermediate portion 4b of the chamber 4 of the chamber 4 supplied with the cooling air from the reference damper 32 (the chamber intermediate portion temperature T2) The temperature (the chamber upper temperature T1 and the lower chamber temperature T3) at the upper portion 4a and the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 in which the cooling air is supplied from the sub dampers 31, 33 in the chamber 4 is more uniform.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 controls the sub dampers 31 and 33 so that the first sub damper 31 and the second sub damper 33 perform different operations. According to this configuration, the temperature of the wider area of the chamber 4 can be uniformly changed by the operation of the plurality of sub dampers 31 and 33. In addition, temperature control can be performed more finely for each region of the chamber 4.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 18 is configured to control the sub dampers 31 and 33 by the proportional integral derivative control so as to control the gain kp1 of the first sub damper 31 and the control gain kp2 of the second sub damper 33. Set to a different value. According to this configuration, the first sub damper 31 can further increase the response speed of the cooling air supply mode (ie, the opening degree) for achieving the target. On the other hand, the second sub damper 33 can further reduce the response speed of the cooling air supply form (ie, the opening degree) for achieving the target. As described above, by combining the sub dampers 31 and 33 having different response speeds to the target opening degree, it is possible to cause a more uniform temperature change in the chamber 4 in which the heat variation is likely to occur.

More specifically, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the first sub damper 31 to the chamber 4 is set to be higher than the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the second sub damper 33 to the chamber 4. Further, the control unit 18 sets the control gain kp1 for the first sub damper 31 to be larger than the control gain kp2 for the second sub damper 33. According to this configuration, since the heat of the chamber 4 faces upward, there is a tendency that the heat of the upper portion 4a of the chamber 4 is larger than the heat of the lower portion 4b of the chamber 4. Therefore, by increasing the control gain kp1 of the first sub damper 31 that cools the upper portion 4a side of the chamber 4, more cooling air can be supplied more quickly toward the upper portion 4a side of the chamber 4. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably cool the upper portion 4a side of the chamber 4 where heat is easily accumulated. On the other hand, by reducing the control gain kp2 of the second sub damper 33 that cools the lower portion 4c side of the chamber 4, it is possible to suppress the sudden supply of excessive cooling air toward the lower portion 4c side of the chamber 4. Thereby, the lower portion 4c of the chamber 4 which is relatively easy to escape from heat can be suppressed. The side is cooled before the other portions of the chamber 4 are first cooled. As a result, the respective portions of the chamber 4 are more uniformly cooled.

Further, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the first sub damper 31 to the chamber 4 is set to be close to the inner portion 4e of the opening portion 4d and the inner portion 4e. Further, the position at which the cooling air is supplied from the second sub damper 33 to the chamber 4 is set to be close to the opening portion 4d of the opening portion 4d and the inner portion 4e. Further, the control unit 18 sets the control gain kp1 for the first sub damper 31 to be larger than the control gain kp2 for the second sub damper 33. According to this configuration, since the heat of the chamber 4 is easily accumulated in the inner portion 4e, the heat of the inner portion 4e tends to be larger than the heat of the opening portion 4d. Therefore, by making the control gain kp1 of the first sub damper 31 that cools the inner portion 4e side larger, it is possible to supply more cooling air more rapidly toward the inner portion 4e side of the chamber 4. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably cool the inner portion 4e side of the chamber 4 where heat is easily accumulated. On the other hand, by reducing the control gain kp2 of the second sub damper 33 that cools the opening 4d side of the chamber 4, it is possible to suppress the sudden supply of excessive cooling toward the opening 4d side of the chamber 4. air. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the case where the opening portion 4d side of the chamber 4 where the heat is relatively easy to escape is cooled earlier than the other portions of the chamber 4. As a result, the respective portions of the chamber 4 are more uniformly cooled.

Further, the other end positions of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the reference damper 32 are set at the other end position of the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the first sub damper 31 and the outlet pipes 46, 47 of the second sub damper 33. Between one end position. According to this configuration, the temperature of the wider area of the chamber 4 can be more uniformly changed by the plurality of dampers 31, 32, and 33 by the cooling air. Further, in a region other than the portion (intermediate portion 4b) to which the cooling air from the reference damper 32 is supplied, the region of the chamber 4 can be further increased in the vicinity of the portion to which the cooling air from the reference damper 32 is supplied. proportion. As a result, the temperature difference between the intermediate portion 4b to which the cooling air supplied from the reference damper 32 is supplied can be reduced for a wider area of the chamber 4.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The present invention can be variously modified as long as it is described in the patent application.

(1) In the above-described embodiment, the following embodiment has been described as an example in which the opening degree of the reference damper 32 is fixed while the opening degree control of each of the sub dampers 31 and 33 is performed. However, this may not be the case. For example, while the opening degree control of each of the sub dampers 31 and 33 is performed, the opening degree of the reference damper 32 may be periodically changed by the control unit 18 or the manpower.

(2) In the above embodiment, the form in which the air volume of the blower 21 is fixed is described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, the air volume of the blower 21 may be changed by the control unit 18 in accordance with the temperatures T1, T2, and T3 of the respective portions of the chamber 4.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the following configuration has been described as an example. After the heating operation of the heater 3 is completed, the medium supply unit 7 starts the cooling process of the chamber 4 and the workpiece 100. However, this may not be the case. For example, by operating the medium supply unit 7 in cooperation with the heater 3, cooling air can be supplied from the medium supply unit 7 toward the chamber 4 while the heater 3 is stopped.

(4) Further, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration in which two sub dampers are provided has been described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, the sub damper may be one or three or more.

(5) In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the control unit 18 controls the opening degrees of the dampers 31, 32, and 33 has been described as an example. However, it can also It's not like this. For example, the control unit 18 may control other elements such as the pressure of the cooling air passing through the dampers 31, 32, and 33.

(6) Further, in the above-described embodiment, the damper has been described as an example of a valve member for controlling the cooling air. However, this may not be the case. For example, as the valve member that controls the cooling air, another valve member having a structure capable of adjusting the opening degree of the valve body such as a solenoid valve may be used.

(7) In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a furnace used for heating vapor deposition or the like has been described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, the present invention can also be applied to a heat treatment apparatus having another furnace such as a hot air circulation furnace.

(8) In the above embodiment, the form in which air is used as the medium for heat treatment has been described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, as the medium for the heat treatment, a gas other than air may be used, or a liquid such as water may be used. In the case where a liquid is used as the medium for the heat treatment, a pump is used instead of the blower.

(9) In the above embodiment, the form in which the medium supply unit 7 cools the chamber 4 and the workpiece 100 has been described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, the structure of the present invention may be applied when the container and the workpiece 100 such as the chamber 4 are heated. In this case, each of the dampers 31, 32, and 33 supplies the medium for heat treatment such as heated air toward the chamber 4.

(10) Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the chamber 4 is a vertical furnace has been described as an example. However, this may not be the case. For example, the invention can also be applied to a heat treatment apparatus having a chamber in a lateral configuration.

(industrial availability)

The present invention can be widely applied as a heat treatment device.

1‧‧‧ Heat treatment unit

2‧‧‧Base plate

2a‧‧‧through holes

3‧‧‧heater

3a‧‧‧ Sidewall

3b‧‧‧ top wall

4‧‧‧Case (container)

4a‧‧‧ upper

4b‧‧‧Intermediate

4c‧‧‧ lower

4d‧‧‧ openings

4e‧‧‧Li

5‧‧‧The boat

6‧‧‧ Lifting mechanism

7‧‧‧Media Supply Department

8‧‧‧Flange

10‧‧‧ space

11‧‧‧Air blower unit

12‧‧‧Supply tube

13‧‧‧Management

14‧‧‧damper unit

15‧‧‧Exhaust pipe

16‧‧‧Exhaust cooler

17‧‧‧Sensor unit

18‧‧‧Control Department

21‧‧‧Air blower

22‧‧‧Air blower motor

30‧‧‧ damper

31‧‧‧1st secondary damper (sub-valve; one sub-valve)

32‧‧‧Base damper (reference valve)

33‧‧‧2nd secondary damper (sub-valve; other secondary valves)

44‧‧‧ valve body

45‧‧‧damper motor

46, 47‧‧‧ export pipe

51~53‧‧‧temperature sensor

100‧‧‧Processed objects

A1‧‧‧ (cooling air) airflow

Claims (9)

A heat treatment apparatus comprising: a container that accommodates the object to be processed during heat treatment of the object to be processed; and a medium supply unit that includes a reference valve and a pair for supplying a medium for temperature adjustment to the container And a control unit that controls a supply form of the sub-valve to supply the medium based on a supply mode in which the reference valve supplies the medium. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the opening degree of the sub valve based on a state in which the opening degree of the reference valve is fixed. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to control the medium supplied from the sub valve to the container based on a temperature of a portion of the container to which the medium is supplied from the reference valve Traffic. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit controls an opening degree of the sub valve such that a temperature of a portion of the container supplied from the reference valve to the medium and a supply of the container from the sub valve are The manner in which the deviation of the temperature at the portion of the medium is reduced is the same. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of sub-valves are provided, and the control unit controls each of the sub-valves so that one of the sub-valves and the other sub-valves perform different operations. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to control each of the sub-valves by proportional control, and the control unit sets a control gain of one of the sub-valves and a control gain of the other sub-valves to different values. The heat treatment device of claim 6, wherein the medium is a cooling medium for cooling the container, The position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the one sub valve to the container is set higher than a position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the other sub valve to the container, and the control unit sets the control gain for one of the sub valves. The above control gain is larger than that of the other sub-valves. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the container comprises: an opening that is open to the outside of the container, and a inside that is closed with respect to an outer portion of the container, the medium being a cooling medium for cooling the container The position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the one of the sub-valves to the container is set to be the inner portion of the opening portion and the inner portion, and the position at which the cooling medium is supplied from the other sub-valve to the container is set. The control unit sets the control gain for one of the sub-valves to be larger than the control gain for the other sub-valves by the opening in the opening and the opening in the inner portion. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of sub-valves are provided, and an outlet position of the medium from the reference valve is set between an exit position of the medium from each of the sub-valves.