A process for heating articles includes sequentially passing loaded carriers in a continuous manner through a first processing section and sequentially passing said plurality of loaded carriers in an incremental manner through a second processing section using an incremental convey segment. The incremental convey segment includes sequential carrier-receiving slots, each carrier-receiving slot configured to receive one of the loaded carriers. The incremental convey segment is further configured to be move incrementally at multiples of discrete intervals corresponding to the carrier-receiving slots. The process further includes sequentially passing the loaded carriers in a continuous manner through a third processing section and heating articles supported by the carriers with microwave energy in at least one of the processing sections, the heating of the articles occurring while the articles are at least partially submerged in a liquid bath and at an pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

Disclosed is a magnetic annealing apparatus including a processing container having a horizontally-elongated tubular shape and configured to perform a magnetic annealing processing on a plurality of substrates accommodated therein in a magnetic field; a heating unit provided to cover at least a part of a surface of the processing container that extends in a longitudinal direction, from outside; a magnet provided to cover the heating unit from the outside of the heating unit; a substrate holder configured to hold the plurality of substrates within the processing container; and a heat shielding plate provided to surround a part of the substrate holder.

An electron beam (EB) gun assembly for an EB furnace is provided. The EB gun assembly includes an EB gun-frame assembly including a skeleton frame and at least one EB gun mounted to the skeleton frame, and the EB gun-frame assembly is configured to rigidly mount onto a first EB chamber lid and melt material in a first EB chamber and be removed and rigidly mount onto a second EB chamber lid and melt material in a second EB chamber. In some forms, the EB gun assembly includes at least one mounting frame and the at least one EB gun is mounted to the at least one mounting frame and the at least one mounting frame is mounted to the skeleton frame.

An electron beam (EB) gun assembly for an EB furnace is provided. The EB gun assembly includes an EB gun-frame assembly including a skeleton frame and at least one EB gun mounted to the skeleton frame, and the EB gun-frame assembly is configured to rigidly mount onto a first EB chamber lid and melt material in a first EB chamber and be removed and rigidly mount onto a second EB chamber lid and melt material in a second EB chamber. In some forms, the EB gun assembly includes at least one mounting frame and the at least one EB gun is mounted to the at least one mounting frame and the at least one mounting frame is mounted to the skeleton frame.

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber body having a passage, through which substrates are transferred, in one side thereof, the chamber body having opened upper and lower portions, an inner reaction tube disposed above the chamber body to provide a process space in which a process with respect to the substrates is performed, the inner reaction tube having an opened lower portion, a substrate holder disposed in the opened lower portion of the chamber to move between a stacking position at which the substrates transferred through the passage are vertically stacked and a process position at which the substrate holder ascends toward the process space to perform the process with respect to the stacked substrates, a blocking plate connected to a lower portion of the substrate holder to ascend or descend together with the substrate holder, the blocking plate closing the opened lower portion of the inner reaction tube at the process position, a connection cylinder vertically disposed on a lower portion of the blocking plate to ascend or descend together with the blocking plate, and a blocking member connected between the opened lower portion of the chamber body and the connection cylinder to isolate the opened lower portion of the chamber body from the outside.

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a chamber body having a passage, through which substrates are transferred, in one side thereof, the chamber body having opened upper and lower portions, an inner reaction tube disposed above the chamber body to provide a process space in which a process with respect to the substrates is performed, the inner reaction tube having an opened lower portion, a substrate holder disposed in the opened lower portion of the chamber to move between a stacking position at which the substrates transferred through the passage are vertically stacked and a process position at which the substrate holder ascends toward the process space to perform the process with respect to the stacked substrates, a blocking plate connected to a lower portion of the substrate holder to ascend or descend together with the substrate holder, the blocking plate closing the opened lower portion of the inner reaction tube at the process position, a connection cylinder vertically disposed on a lower portion of the blocking plate to ascend or descend together with the blocking plate, and a blocking member connected between the opened lower portion of the chamber body and the connection cylinder to isolate the opened lower portion of the chamber body from the outside.

The invention relates to a dental furnace comprising a firing hood equipped with a heating device that is movably supported for the opening and closing of the dental furnace relative to a base intended for receiving a dental restoration part, and further comprising a heat detection device that is directed towards an area above the base, in particular towards one or more dental restoration parts, and further comprising a control or regulating device for the dental furnace that is coupled to the heat detection device, wherein the heat detection device is configured as a thermal imaging camera (30) which is directed towards the area above the base while the firing hood (12) is partially or completely opened, and which feeds an at least two-dimensional image in the form of a matrix of the one or more inserted dental restoration parts (60) to the control or regulating device and/or to a muffle (26) that is intended for the generation of the dental restoration parts (60).

The invention relates to a dental furnace comprising a firing hood equipped with a heating device that is movably supported for the opening and closing of the dental furnace relative to a base intended for receiving a dental restoration part, and further comprising a heat detection device that is directed towards an area above the base, in particular towards one or more dental restoration parts, and further comprising a control or regulating device for the dental furnace that is coupled to the heat detection device, wherein the heat detection device is configured as a thermal imaging camera (30) which is directed towards the area above the base while the firing hood (12) is partially or completely opened, and which feeds an at least two-dimensional image in the form of a matrix of the one or more inserted dental restoration parts (60) to the control or regulating device and/or to a muffle (26) that is intended for the generation of the dental restoration parts (60).

A microwave reduction furnace including a reaction furnace provided with a refractory chamber of silica or silicon carbide for storing a material therein, a supply section for supplying the material into the refractory chamber, the material being a mixture of a silica powder and a graphite powder or a mixture of a silica powder, a silicon carbide powder and a graphite powder, a discharge section for discharging molten silicon, obtained through reduction, out of the chamber, and a microwave oscillator for outputting microwave toward the refractory chamber in the reaction furnace with a degree of directionality by virtue of a helical antenna or a waveguide.

A microwave reduction furnace including a reaction furnace provided with a refractory chamber of silica or silicon carbide for storing a material therein, a supply section for supplying the material into the refractory chamber, the material being a mixture of a silica powder and a graphite powder or a mixture of a silica powder, a silicon carbide powder and a graphite powder, a discharge section for discharging molten silicon, obtained through reduction, out of the chamber, and a microwave oscillator for outputting microwave toward the refractory chamber in the reaction furnace with a degree of directionality by virtue of a helical antenna or a waveguide.