초록 ▼

A hydrogen vacuum furnace (100) is provided with a process chamber (1) wherein a subject (10) to be heated is stored; a heating chamber (2) wherein a heater lamp (25) is stored; and a crystal board (3) for separating the subject (10) and the heater lamp (25) one from the other. In the hydrogen vacuu

A hydrogen vacuum furnace (100) is provided with a process chamber (1) wherein a subject (10) to be heated is stored; a heating chamber (2) wherein a heater lamp (25) is stored; and a crystal board (3) for separating the subject (10) and the heater lamp (25) one from the other. In the hydrogen vacuum furnace (100), the subject (10) is heated by a radiant ray applied from the heater lamp (25). The process chamber (1) and the heating chamber (2) are provided with gas feed ports (11, 21) and exhaust ports (12, 22), respectively, for feeding and exhausting a gas. When the subject (10) is being heated, atmospheric pressure in each chamber is adjusted so that the heating chamber (2) is under positive pressure to the process chamber (1) by feeding or exhausting the gas.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A heating furnace for heating a subject to be heated by radiation, comprising: a first chamber in which the subject will be placed, the first chamber including a first gas feed port configured to feed a first gas and a first gas exhaust port configured to exhaust the first gas;a second chamber pl

1. A heating furnace for heating a subject to be heated by radiation, comprising: a first chamber in which the subject will be placed, the first chamber including a first gas feed port configured to feed a first gas and a first gas exhaust port configured to exhaust the first gas;a second chamber placed adjacent to the first chamber and housing a heating source, and including a second gas feed port configured to feed a second gas and a second gas exhaust port configured to exhaust the second gas, the second gas being different from the first gas;a separation member for separating the first chamber and the second chamber and allowing a radiant ray from the heating source to pass through;a control section for changing atmospheric gas and atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the second chamber by feeding the first gas into and out of the first chamber through the first feed port and the first exhaust port, respectively, and feeding the second gas into and out of the second chamber through the second feed port and the second exhaust port, respectively; anda gas sensing section provided in the second chamber or in an exhaust path to which gas is discharged from the second chamber to detect a concentration of the first gas in the second chamber or exhaust path, wherein:when the gas sensing section detects that the first gas is a predetermined concentration value or higher, the control section performs safety control to prevent the concentration of the first gas in the second chamber or the exhaust path from increasing, andthe safety control includes stopping feeding of the first gas into the first chamber. 2. The heating furnace according to claim 1, wherein during a heating process of the subject, the control section controls the atmospheric gas and the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the second chamber so that the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber. 3. The heating furnace according to claim 1, wherein when the subject in the first chamber is subjected to a heating process using the heating source in the second chamber, the control section performs control to feed inert gas into the second chamber through the feed port and discharge the inert gas out of the second chamber through the exhaust port, to form a flow of inert gas going from the feed port of the second chamber toward the exhaust port of the second chamber. 4. The heating furnace according to claim 1, further comprising: a first pressure gauge for detecting atmospheric pressure in the first chamber; anda second pressure gauge for detecting atmospheric pressure in the second chamber,wherein the control section controls the atmospheric pressure of the first chamber and the atmospheric pressure of the second chamber based on a measurement result of the first pressure gauge and a measurement result of the second pressure gauge so that, during the heating processing of the subject, the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and a pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is a predetermined value or lower. 5. A heating furnace for heating a subject to be heated by radiation, comprising: a first chamber in which the subject will be placed, the first chamber including a first gas feed port configured to feed a first gas and a first gas exhaust port configured to exhaust the first gas;a second chamber placed adjacent to the first chamber and housing a heating source, and including a second gas feed port configured to feed a second gas and a second gas exhaust port configured to exhaust the second gas, the second gas being different from the first gas;a separation member for separating the first chamber and the second chamber and allowing a radiant ray from the heating source to pass through;a control section for changing atmospheric gas and atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the second chamber by feeding the first gas into and out of the first chamber through the first feed port and the first exhaust port, respectively, and feeding the second gas into and out of the second chamber through the second feed port and the second exhaust port, respectively; anda gas sensing section provided in the second chamber or in an exhaust path to which gas is discharged from the second chamber to detect a concentration of the first gas in the second chamber or exhaust path, wherein:when the gas sensing section detects that the first gas is a predetermined concentration value or higher, the control section performs safety control to prevent the concentration of the first gas in the second chamber or the exhaust path from increasing, andthe safety control includes increasing a flow velocity of inert gas into the second chamber. 6. The heating furnace according to claim 5, wherein during a heating process of the subject, the control section controls the atmospheric gas and the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the second chamber so that the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber. 7. The heating furnace according to claim 5, wherein when the subject in the first chamber is subjected to a heating process using the heating source in the second chamber, the control section performs control to feed inert gas into the second chamber through the feed port and discharge the inert gas out of the second chamber through the exhaust port, to form a flow of inert gas going from the feed port of the second chamber toward the exhaust port of the second chamber. 8. The heating furnace according to claim 5, further comprising: a first pressure gauge for detecting atmospheric pressure in the first chamber; anda second pressure gauge for detecting atmospheric pressure in the second chamber,wherein the control section controls the atmospheric pressure of the first chamber and the atmospheric pressure of the second chamber based on a measurement result of the first pressure gauge and a measurement result of the second pressure gauge so that, during the heating processing of the subject, the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and a pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is a predetermined value or lower. 9. A heating method employed by a heating furnace for heating a subject to be heated by radiation, the heating furnace comprising a first chamber for accommodating the subject to be heated, a second chamber placed adjacent to the first chamber and housing a heating source, and a separation member for separating the first chamber and the second chamber and allowing a radiant ray from the heating source to pass through, the method comprising: a preparation step before delivering the subject to be heated into the first chamber, the preparation step including replacing inside of the second chamber with an inert gas atmosphere and then increasing atmospheric pressure in the second chamber greater than outside atmospheric pressure;an evacuation step after delivering the subject to be heated into the first chamber, the evacuation step including evacuating the first chamber to reduce the atmosphere thereof to a predetermined pressure; anda heating step after the first chamber is evacuated, the heating step including heating the subject to a predetermined temperature. 10. The heating method employed by the heating furnace, according to claim 9, the method comprising a blowing control step of keeping the second chamber at a predetermined atmospheric pressure and forming a flow of inert gas going from a feed port of the second chamber toward an exhaust port of the second chamber. 11. The heating method employed by the heating furnace, according to claim 9, comprising a pressure difference control step of controlling the atmospheric pressure in each of the first chamber and the second chamber in sync with variations in atmospheric pressure in the first chamber so that the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is higher than the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and a pressure difference between the atmospheric pressure in the first chamber and the atmospheric pressure in the second chamber is a predetermined value or lower. 12. The heating method employed by the heating furnace, according to claim 9, further comprising a safety control step of preventing a content of a first gas in the second chamber from increasing when the content of the first gas is detected to be a predetermined value or more by a gas sensing section provided in the second chamber or in an exhaust path to which the gas is discharged from the second chamber to detect the content of the first gas to be fed into the first chamber in the exhaust path.