The present disclosure includes a furnace for heating and/or sintering one or more three-dimensional printed metal parts. The furnace includes a furnace chamber, insulation within the furnace chamber, a retort within the furnace chamber, and one or more getters containing getter material. The retort is configured to receive the one or more three-dimensional printed metal parts.

A thermal process system includes a retort assembly and a heating assembly. The retort assembly includes a retort chamber defining a longitudinal axis, and is configured to substantially contain one or more gases in the retort chamber during a thermal process house substrate material within the retort chamber. The heating assembly includes a plurality of heating elements adjacent to the retort chamber that is configured to selectively generate two or more heating zones at different axial positions along the longitudinal axis within a heating region.

A thermal process system includes a retort assembly and a heating assembly. The retort assembly includes a retort chamber defining a longitudinal axis, and is configured to substantially contain one or more gases in the retort chamber during a thermal process house substrate material within the retort chamber. The heating assembly includes a plurality of heating elements adjacent to the retort chamber that is configured to selectively generate two or more heating zones at different axial positions along the longitudinal axis within a heating region.

To provide a method of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. To provide a manufacturing apparatus capable of forming a positive electrode active material with high productivity. Provided is a method of forming a positive electrode active material including lithium, a transition metal, oxygen, and fluorine. An adhesion preventing step is performed during heating of an object. Examples of the adhesion preventing step include stirring by rotating a furnace during the heating, stirring by vibrating a container containing an object during the heating, and crushing performed between the plurality of heating steps. By these manufacturing methods, a positive electrode active material having favorable distribution of an additive at the surface portion can be formed.

The invention relates to an injector configured for arrangement within a reaction chamber of a substrate processing apparatus to inject gas in the reaction chamber. The injector may be elongated along a first axis and configured with an internal gas conduction channel extending along the first axis and provided with at least one gas entrance opening and at least one gas exit opening. The injector may have a width extending along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis substantially larger than a depth of the injector extending along a third axis perpendicular to the first and second axis. The wall of the injector may have a varying thickness.

An apparatus 1 for processing a plurality of substrates 3 is provided. The apparatus may have a process tube 5 creating a process chamber 7; a heater 9 surrounding the process tube 5; a flange 11 for supporting the process tube; and a door 15 configured to support a wafer boat 17 with a plurality of substrates 3 in the process chamber and to seal the process chamber 7. An exhaust operably connected to the process chamber 7 may be provided to remove gas from the process chamber via a first exhaust duct 19. The apparatus may be provided with an extractor chamber 21 surrounding the first exhaust duct where it connects to the process chamber and connected to a second exhaust duct 23 to remove gas from the extractor chamber.

An apparatus 1 for processing a plurality of substrates 3 is provided. The apparatus may have a process tube 5 creating a process chamber 7; a heater 9 surrounding the process tube 5; a flange 11 for supporting the process tube; and a door 15 configured to support a wafer boat 17 with a plurality of substrates 3 in the process chamber and to seal the process chamber 7. An exhaust operably connected to the process chamber 7 may be provided to remove gas from the process chamber via a first exhaust duct 19. The apparatus may be provided with an extractor chamber 21 surrounding the first exhaust duct where it connects to the process chamber and connected to a second exhaust duct 23 to remove gas from the extractor chamber.

A method is provided in which a lower box comprising a base, walls that surround the base and an open side, and an upper box comprising a cover, walls that surround the cover and an open side are provided. One or more objects are arranged on the base of the lower box. The object(s) are covered with the upper box such that the open side of the upper is oriented towards the base of the box, the walls of the upper box are arranged on the base of the lower box and a gap is formed between the walls of the upper box and the walls of the lower box. A powder material is introduced into the gap in order to form an assembly having an interior. The powder material provides a mechanical obstacle to gas exchange between the interior and the environment. This assembly is then heat treated.

A furnace for producing a graphite product and associated processes are provided. The furnace can include a furnace housing, an array of crucibles provided within the furnace housing and each having a crucible cavity for receiving a starting material, the crucibles being distributed longitudinally spaced-apart from one another with adjacent ones of the crucibles being distanced from one another to define a gap having a predetermined width therebetween, an electrically conductive packing medium received in the furnace housing to fill each of the gaps and to at least partially surround the crucibles, and first and second electrodes each partially extending into the electrically conductive packing medium. The predetermined width is such that upon passage of an electrical current from the first electrode to the second electrode, resistive heating is generated through both the electrically conductive packing medium and the crucible sidewalls to heat the starting material.

A furnace for producing a graphite product and associated processes are provided. The furnace can include a furnace housing, an array of crucibles provided within the furnace housing and each having a crucible cavity for receiving a starting material, the crucibles being distributed longitudinally spaced-apart from one another with adjacent ones of the crucibles being distanced from one another to define a gap having a predetermined width therebetween, an electrically conductive packing medium received in the furnace housing to fill each of the gaps and to at least partially surround the crucibles, and first and second electrodes each partially extending into the electrically conductive packing medium. The predetermined width is such that upon passage of an electrical current from the first electrode to the second electrode, resistive heating is generated through both the electrically conductive packing medium and the crucible sidewalls to heat the starting material.