To conduct temperature rising, insulation and the like and prevent defects in a substrate, such as strain, cracking, chipping and the like in the state where the surface temperature is controlled with precision.

A continuous heating furnace for a large size glass substrate comprises a plurality of heating chambers 1 each having a heating means which is capable of conducting temperature control, and a conveying means 6 for intermittently conveying an object 3 to be heated to the adjacent heating chamber. In each of the heating chambers 1, the heating means 2 and its control system are divided into some portions at least in respect of the moving direction of the object 3. Further, there are provided partition walls 4 for sectioning the inside of the heating chamber 1 so that the individual definitions correspond to the divided portions of the heating means 2, respectively.