Patent ID: 7384595

Claim:
A heat-treating apparatus, comprising: a table having a heating element buried therein, a plate-like target object to be processed being disposed on a support face of the table so as to be heated to a prescribed temperature; a support member for supporting the target object and movable in a vertical direction relative to the support face to assist transfer of the target object relative to the support face; a cover having a ceiling plate and a side wall and surrounding an upper portion of the table; a casing surrounding a lower portion of the table and combined with the cover so as to form a process chamber; and a control section for controlling an opening-closing of the process chamber and for controlling the movement of the support member, wherein the control section is preset to form a first state in which the support member is positioned below the support face of the table when a heat treatment is performed on the target object placed on the support face, and form a second state in which the support member is projected upward from the support face of the table by a first distance, and separate the cover and the casing to open the process chamber, when loading/unloading of the target object relative to the process chamber is performed, and wherein the control section is preset to prepare for unloading of the target object relative to the process chamber, by forming a third state in which the support member is projected upward from the support face of the table by a second distance lager than the first distance, so as to keep a state in which the target object is present above a lower end of the side wall of the cover and thus is housed inside the cover, while separating the cover and the casing, and then returning the support member from the third state to the second state, so as to allow unloading of the target object relative to the process chamber.