JP2762465B2 - Atmosphere shielding device - Google Patents

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 産業上の利用分野 本発明は、厚膜混成集積回路を製造する際に用いられ
る雰囲気焼成炉及び雰囲気硬化炉、及び雰囲気乾燥炉等
のベルト搬送型雰囲気炉、特にその雰囲気遮蔽装置に関
するものである。Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a belt transfer type atmosphere furnace such as an atmosphere sintering furnace and an atmosphere hardening furnace, and an atmosphere drying furnace used for manufacturing a thick film hybrid integrated circuit, The present invention relates to an atmosphere shielding device.

従来の技術 従来より、アルミナ基板・ホーロー基板を用いた厚膜
混成集積回路において、配線用導体材料としてAg、Ag・
Pt、Ag・Pd、Auが使用されて来たが、近年Cuを用いるよ
うになり、その製造において窒素ガス雰囲気中にて、前
記基板上に印刷形成されたCu導体の乾燥、雰囲気焼成、
保護膜の雰囲気硬化が行なわれるようになった。これら
の雰囲気乾燥、雰囲気焼成、雰囲気硬化に用いる網目状
ベルト（メッシュベルトとも呼ぶ）搬送型のマッフルを
有する雰囲気炉においては、マッフル内へ窒素ガスを導
入し内部雰囲気の酸素濃度を低下させるとともに、網目
状ベルトの入口部、出口部からの大気の流入を遮蔽する
ことが必要である。2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a thick-film hybrid integrated circuit using an alumina substrate and an enamel substrate, Ag, Ag.
Although Pt, AgPd, and Au have been used, Cu has recently been used, and in the production thereof, in a nitrogen gas atmosphere, drying of a Cu conductor printed and formed on the substrate, firing in an atmosphere,
Atmosphere hardening of the protective film is performed. In an atmosphere furnace having a mesh-type belt (also referred to as a mesh belt) transport type muffle used for atmosphere drying, atmosphere baking, and atmosphere curing, nitrogen gas is introduced into the muffle to reduce the oxygen concentration in the internal atmosphere, It is necessary to shield the inflow of air from the entrance and exit of the mesh belt.

第６図は従来の雰囲気遮蔽装置を示すものである。ま
た第５図は雰囲気焼成炉の構度を示すものであり、図中
１はマッフル部、２は網目状ベルト、10は入口部、11は
バーンアウト部、12はファイアリング部、13は冷却部、
14は出口部を示す。この入口部10と出口部14においての
雰囲気遮蔽手段を第６図に示す。マッフル部１、基板15
を搬送する網目状ベルト２は第５図と同様である。３は
マッフル部１の入口部10上面に設けられた遮蔽用雰囲気
ガス吹き出し部、５はマッフル部の出口部上面に設けら
れた遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し部、７は雰囲気ガスで例
えば窒素ガスの流入経路を示す。８は入口部雰囲気ガス
吹き出し部３及び出口部雰囲気ガス吹き出し部５より流
入された雰囲気ガスを拡散させる為の拡散板を示す。９
は雰囲気炉の外部、即ち大気の雰囲気炉内へ流入する流
れを示す。なお、第７図はマッフル部１の下面側から見
た底面図を示す。FIG. 6 shows a conventional atmosphere shielding device. FIG. 5 shows the structure of the atmosphere firing furnace, wherein 1 is a muffle portion, 2 is a mesh belt, 10 is an inlet portion, 11 is a burnout portion, 12 is a firing portion, and 13 is a cooling portion. Department,
14 indicates an exit part. FIG. 6 shows the atmosphere shielding means at the entrance 10 and the exit 14. Muffle part 1, substrate 15
Is the same as that in FIG. Reference numeral 3 denotes a shielding atmosphere gas blowing section provided on the upper surface of the inlet section 10 of the muffle section 1, 5 denotes a shielding atmosphere gas blowing section provided on the upper surface of the exit section of the muffle section, and 7 denotes an atmosphere gas such as nitrogen gas. Indicates a route. Reference numeral 8 denotes a diffusion plate for diffusing the atmospheric gas flowing from the inlet ambient gas blow-out unit 3 and the outlet ambient gas blow-out unit 5. 9
Indicates a flow flowing into the atmosphere furnace outside the atmosphere furnace, that is, into the atmosphere furnace. FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the muffle portion 1 as viewed from the lower surface side.

以上のように構成された雰囲気遮蔽装置について、以
下その動作について説明する。雰囲気炉の入口部10、出
口部14の外部大気９の流入を遮蔽するには、第６図に示
すように、入口部10及び出口部14のマッフル上面に設け
られた雰囲気ガス吹き出し部３、５より雰囲気ガスを流
入し、拡散板８を通してマッフル１の入口部10、出口部
14を雰囲気ガス７で満たし、外部からの大気９の流入を
遮蔽していた。外部からの大気９は、入口部10、出口部
14の空間部及び網目状ベルト２に付着した状態でマッフ
ル１内へ流入し、これを遮蔽する為には多量の遮蔽用雰
囲気ガス７を流入しなければならない。The operation of the thus configured atmosphere shielding device will be described below. In order to block the inflow of the external atmosphere 9 from the inlet 10 and the outlet 14 of the atmosphere furnace, as shown in FIG. 6, the atmosphere gas blowout 3 provided on the upper surface of the muffle of the inlet 10 and the outlet 14, Atmospheric gas flows into the muffle 1 through the diffusion plate 8, and the inlet 10 and the outlet of the muffle 1
14 was filled with the atmosphere gas 7 to block the inflow of the atmosphere 9 from the outside. Atmosphere 9 from the outside, entrance 10, exit
After flowing into the muffle 1 while being attached to the space 14 and the mesh belt 2, a large amount of the shielding atmosphere gas 7 must be flowed in order to shield this.

発明が解決しようとする課題 しかるに、上記のような手段では、網目状ベルト２に
付着、即ち網目状に織った構造の為、その隙間に付着し
た大気９が入口部で遮蔽されにくく、基板15を搬送する
為に網目状ベルト２が動いており、網目状ベルト２とマ
ッフル１の底面のすき間から大気９が流入する為に、流
入する大気９を遮蔽するには多量の雰囲気ガス７を吹き
出し部３、５より流入させる必要があった。However, according to the above-described means, the air 9 adhered to the mesh belt 2, that is, the mesh woven structure, is hardly shielded at the entrance portion because of the structure woven in a mesh shape. Belt 2 is moving to convey the air, and the air 9 flows into the gap between the mesh belt 2 and the bottom of the muffle 1, so that a large amount of atmospheric gas 7 is blown out to shield the flowing air 9 It was necessary to flow in from parts 3 and 5.

本発明は上記問題点に鑑み、遮蔽に要する雰囲気ガス
の流入量を減少させ、遮蔽効果を高めることのできる雰
囲気遮蔽装置を提供するものである。SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides an atmosphere shielding device that can reduce the amount of inflow of atmosphere gas required for shielding and enhance the shielding effect.

課題を解決するための手段 この目的を達成するために本発明の雰囲気遮蔽装置
は、雰囲気を形成する為のマッフルと試料搬送用の網目
状ベルトを有する雰囲気炉と、網目状ベルトの入口部と
出口部のマッフル部上面部と下面部にマッフル外部雰囲
気とマッフル内部雰囲気とを遮蔽（パージ）する為の内
部への雰囲気ガス吹き出し部を設け、マッフル部下面部
のガス吹き出し部は網目状ベルトの下に位置し、１か所
以上配列されており、その吹き出し量は上面部吹き出し
部よりも多い流量になるよう流量制御された構成になっ
ている。Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve this object, an atmosphere shielding device of the present invention comprises: an atmosphere furnace having a muffle for forming an atmosphere and a mesh belt for transferring a sample; and an inlet portion of the mesh belt. Atmosphere gas blow-off portions are provided on the upper and lower portions of the muffle portion at the outlet to shield (purge) the atmosphere outside the muffle and the atmosphere inside the muffle, and the gas blow-off portion at the lower portion of the muffle portion is a mesh belt. It is located below, and is arranged at one or more places, and has a configuration in which the flow rate is controlled such that the flow rate is larger than that of the upper-surface blow-out section.

作用 本発明の構成により、網目状ベルトとマッフルの底面
の隙間及び、網目状ベルトの隙間に存在する外部雰囲
気、即ち大気をマッフル部下面部のガス吹き出し部より
流入する雰囲気ガスの流量を上面部吹き出し部より多く
することにより、前記部分より追い出し遮蔽することが
でき、マッフル上面部の吹き出し部からの雰囲気ガスと
合せて、マッフル入口部、出口部空間からの外部雰囲
気、大気を確実に遮蔽することができるものである。According to the configuration of the present invention, the external atmosphere existing in the gap between the mesh belt and the bottom surface of the muffle and the gap between the mesh belts, that is, the atmosphere, is supplied to the upper surface of the muffle section by changing the flow rate of the atmosphere gas flowing from the gas blowout section on the lower surface. By making it more than the blowing part, it can be expelled and shielded from the above-mentioned part, and together with the atmosphere gas from the blowing part on the upper surface of the muffle, the external atmosphere and the atmosphere from the muffle inlet part and the outlet part space are surely shielded. Is what you can do.

実施例 以下本発明の一実施例について、図面を参照しながら
説明する。第１図は本発明の一実施例における雰囲気遮
蔽装置の断面図を示すものである。第１図において、１
はステンレスまたはインコネル製マッフル、２はステン
レスまたはインコネル製網目状ベルト（メッシュベル
ト）、３は入口部の上面に設けられた遮蔽用雰囲気ガス
吹き出し部、４は入口部の下面の網目状ベルト２の下に
位置するように設けられた遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し
部、５は出口部の上面に設けられた遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹
き出し部、６は出口部の下面の網目状ベルト２の下に位
置するように設けられた遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し部、
７は遮蔽用雰囲気ガス、８は入口部上面の雰囲気ガス吹
き出し部３及び出口部上面の雰囲気ガス吹き出し部５よ
り流入された雰囲気ガスを拡散させる為の拡散板、９は
雰囲気炉の外部、即ち大気の流入を示す。15は雰囲気炉
内を網目状ベルト２に載置されて通る基板を示す。なお
遮蔽用雰囲気ガス７には窒素ガスを用いた。An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an atmosphere shielding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1
Is a muffle made of stainless steel or Inconel, 2 is a mesh belt made of stainless steel or Inconel (mesh belt), 3 is a shielding atmosphere gas blowout portion provided on the upper surface of the inlet portion, and 4 is a mesh belt 2 on the lower surface of the inlet portion. A shielding atmosphere gas blowout portion provided so as to be located below, a shielding atmosphere gas blowout portion provided on the upper surface of the outlet portion, and 6 below the mesh belt 2 on the lower surface of the outlet portion. Atmosphere gas blowing part for shielding provided in
7 is a shielding atmosphere gas, 8 is a diffusion plate for diffusing the atmosphere gas blown out from the atmosphere gas blowout part 3 on the upper surface of the inlet part and the atmosphere gas blowout part 5 on the upper part of the outlet part, and 9 is outside the atmosphere furnace, that is, 9. Indicates the inflow of air. Reference numeral 15 denotes a substrate placed on the mesh belt 2 and passing through the atmosphere furnace. Note that nitrogen gas was used as the shielding atmosphere gas 7.

遮蔽効果は第５図に示される入口部10の次のバーンア
ウト部11及び、出口部14の前の冷却部13のマッフル内に
設けた雰囲気サンプリング管により雰囲気ガス７を採取
し、酸素濃度計により酸素濃度を測定して行なった。The shielding effect is obtained by collecting the atmospheric gas 7 with an atmosphere sampling pipe provided in the muffle of the cooling section 13 before the outlet section 14 and the cooling section 13 before the outlet section 10 shown in FIG. The measurement was performed by measuring the oxygen concentration.

第２図はマッフル１の下面側から見た底面図を示す。
このときのマッフル幅は65cmである。表１に、入口部1
0、出口部14の上面部、下面部の吹き出し部３、５、
４、６の窒素ガス流量を変えて、バーンアウト部11と冷
却部13の雰囲気の酸素濃度を調べた結果を示す。FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the muffle 1 as viewed from the lower surface side.
The muffle width at this time is 65 cm. Table 1 shows the entrance 1
0, outlets 3 and 5 on the upper surface and lower surface of the outlet 14
The results of examining the oxygen concentration in the atmosphere of the burnout section 11 and the cooling section 13 by changing the nitrogen gas flow rates of 4 and 6 are shown.

No.1の実施例に示されるように、上面部のみでは十分
な遮蔽効果が得られず、No.7、２のように上面部からの
流量を多くしても酸素濃度は低下せず、No.6の下面部だ
けでは遮蔽効果が十分ではない。No.3、４、５のごとく
下面部の流量を多くすることにより、酸素濃度も低下し
その遮蔽効果が表われていることがわかる。しかも、入
口部10、出口部14に流す窒素ガス７の流量は、従来法よ
りも少なくてその遮蔽効果が現われている。これは入口
部10、出口部14の網目状ベルト２からの大気９の巻き込
みを、下面部の吹き出し部４、６により遮蔽しているた
めである。 As shown in the example of No. 1, a sufficient shielding effect was not obtained only with the upper surface portion, and even when the flow rate from the upper surface portion was increased as in Nos. 7 and 2, the oxygen concentration did not decrease, No. 6 alone does not have sufficient shielding effect. It can be seen that by increasing the flow rate of the lower surface portion as in Nos. 3, 4, and 5, the oxygen concentration is also reduced and the shielding effect is exhibited. In addition, the flow rate of the nitrogen gas 7 flowing through the inlet 10 and the outlet 14 is smaller than that of the conventional method, and the shielding effect appears. This is because the entrainment of the atmosphere 9 from the mesh belt 2 at the entrance 10 and the exit 14 is blocked by the blowouts 4 and 6 on the lower surface.

第３図、第４図に本発明の第２の実施例を示す。第２
の実施例では、マッフル下面部の吹き出し部４、６を数
を増加させて配列した構成にしていることを特徴とす
る。遮蔽効果は表１と同様の結果を得、No.4、５の流量
設定の時、バーンアウト部11の酸素濃度は1ppm以下であ
った。3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention. Second
Is characterized in that the number of blowout portions 4 and 6 on the lower surface of the muffle is arranged in an increased number. The same shielding effect was obtained as in Table 1. When the flow rates of No. 4 and No. 5 were set, the oxygen concentration in the burnout section 11 was 1 ppm or less.

発明の効果 以上のように本発明によれば、雰囲気を形成する為の
マッフルと試料搬送用の網目状ベルトを有する雰囲気炉
に網目状ベルトの入口部と出口部のマッフル部上面部と
下面部にマッフル外部雰囲気とマッフル内部雰囲気とを
遮蔽する為の内部への雰囲気ガス吹き出し部を設け、マ
ッフル部下面部のガス吹き出し部は網目状ベルトの下に
配置して１ケ所以上配列し、その吹き出し量は上面部吹
き出し部よりも多い流量であるように流量制御すること
により、マッフル内の雰囲気を外部雰囲気と遮蔽し、か
つ遮蔽に必要な雰囲気ガスの流量が少なくなり、効率が
高められるとともに、雰囲気ガスの使用を少なくするこ
とができ、その実用的効果は大なるものがある。Effect of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, a muffle portion for forming an atmosphere and a muffle portion of an inlet portion and an outlet portion of the mesh belt are provided in an atmosphere furnace having a mesh belt for conveying a sample. Atmosphere gas blow-out part to shield the outside atmosphere of muffle and the inside atmosphere of muffle is provided, and the gas blow-out part on the lower part of muffle part is arranged under mesh belt and arranged at one or more places. By controlling the flow rate so that the flow rate is higher than that of the top blow-out section, the atmosphere in the muffle is shielded from the external atmosphere, and the flow rate of the atmosphere gas required for shielding is reduced, and the efficiency is improved. The use of atmospheric gas can be reduced, and its practical effect is significant.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief description of the drawings]

第１図は本発明の一実施例における雰囲気遮蔽装置を示
す断面図、第２図はそのマッフルの底面図、第３図は本
発明の遮蔽装置の第２の実施例を示す断面図、第４図は
そのマッフルの底面図、第５図は本発明が適用される雰
囲気炉の模式図、第６図は従来の雰囲気遮蔽装置を示す
断面図、第７図はそのマッフルの底面図である。 １……マッフル、２……網目状ベルト、３……入口部上
面の遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し部、４……入口部下面の
網目状ベルトの下に位置する遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し
部、５……出口部上面の遮蔽用雰囲気ガス吹き出し部、
６……出口部下面の網目状ベルトの下に位置する遮蔽用
雰囲気ガス吹き出し部。FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an atmosphere shielding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the muffle, FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the shielding device of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a bottom view of the muffle, FIG. 5 is a schematic view of an atmosphere furnace to which the present invention is applied, FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional atmosphere shielding device, and FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the muffle. . 1 ... muffle, 2 ... mesh belt, 3 ... shielding atmosphere gas blowing section on the upper surface of the inlet section, 4 ... shielding atmosphere gas blowing section located below the mesh belt on the lower face of the inlet section, 5 ... … The atmosphere gas blowing part for shielding on the upper surface of the outlet part,
6 ... A shielding gas blowing section located below the mesh belt on the lower surface of the outlet section.

Claims (1)

(57)【特許請求の範囲】(57) [Claims] 【請求項１】雰囲気を形成する為のマッフルと試料搬送
用の網目状ベルトを有し、網目状ベルトの入口部と出口
部のマッフル部の上面部と下面部にマッフル外部雰囲気
とマッフル内部雰囲気とを遮蔽するための内部への雰囲
気ガス吹き出し部を設け、マッフル部下面部の雰囲気ガ
ス吹き出し部は網目状ベルトの下に位置し、その吹き出
し量は上面部の雰囲気ガス吹き出し部のそれよりも多い
流量であるように流量制御された事を特徴とする雰囲気
遮蔽装置。1. A muffle for forming an atmosphere and a mesh belt for transporting a sample, and an upper atmosphere and a lower atmosphere of a muffle portion at an inlet portion and an outlet portion of the mesh belt have an external muffle atmosphere and an internal muffle atmosphere. The atmosphere gas blow-out part to shield the inside is provided, the atmosphere gas blow-out part on the lower surface of the muffle part is located below the mesh belt, and the amount of blow-out is larger than that of the atmosphere gas blow-out part on the upper part. An atmosphere shielding device characterized in that the flow rate is controlled so that the flow rate is large.