Patent ID: 6805748
Filing Date: 2004-10-19
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
A substrate processing system comprising:a process chamber having a process station for performing a predetermined process to a substrate in a predetermined ambience; first and second load-lock chambers for receiving an unprocessed substrate from outside of said process chamber and subsequently, after replacement with the predetermined ambience, transferring the unprocessed substrate into an inside of said process chamber, said first and second load-lock chambers further being operable to receive a processed substrate from the inside of said process chamber in a state being replaced with the predetermined ambience, and subsequently to transfer the processed substrate to the outside of said process chamber; a first conveying device for performing substrate conveyance between said first load-lock chamber and said process station and between said second load-lock chamber and said process station; and a second conveying device for performing substrate conveyance between said first load-lock chamber and the outside of said process chamber and between said second load-lock chamber and the outside of said process chamber, wherein said first conveying device operates to transfer the processed substrate to one of said first and second load-lock chambers, being replaced with the predetermined ambience, on the basis of a detection result made with respect to ambiences of said first and second load-lock chambers, respectively, and wherein said second conveying device operates to transfer the unprocessed substrate to one of said first and second load-lock chambers, having an ambience approximately equivalent to that of the outside of said process chamber, on the basis of a detection result made with respect to ambiences of said first and second load-lock chambers, respectively.