An atmosphere furnace including a plurality of divided furnace units, work transfer devices connecting the adjacent divided furnace units and those for the divided furnace units at both ends of the furnace. Each transfer device includes a tubular connecting frame and a work transfer member housed therein and the work transfer member has a work housing space in it. The work transfer member is rotatable, receives at a first position the work from outside or from an adjacent divided furnace unit into its work housing space, and send it out of the furnace or pass it to the adjacent divided furnace unit at a second position. When the work transfer member is at a middle position between the first and the second positions, the work housing space thereof faces an inner surface of the connecting frame so as to be sealed against the both end openings of the frame. Furthermore, it is provided with a channel for receiving the atmosphere from any divided furnace unit or outside space when the transfer member is at the middle position so as to have the work in the work housing space gradually heated or cooled through introduction of the atmosphere.
A processing system is disclosed which includes first and second chambers, each for accommodating a processing apparatus therein, each chamber being able to be kept gas tight, a coupling member for coupling the processing apparatuses accommodated in the first and second chambers with each other, and an elastic gas tightness holding member for gas tightly sealing portions between the coupling member and the first and second chambers.
An apparatus through which a substrate may be transferred between a first chamber and a second chamber in which the first chamber is maintained at a high temperature relative to the ambient temperature of the second chamber. The apparatus comprises a passageway for receiving the substrate and a thermally isolating interface. The thermally isolating interface reduces heat transfer from the first chamber to the second chamber and allows for transfer of the substrate between the apparatus and the second chamber. The thermally isolating interface includes a hole having dimensions such that the substrate is transferrable through the thermally isolating interface.
