Patent ID: 6268900
Filing Date: 2001-07-31
Classification: G03F

Abstract:
An accommodating apparatus for temporarily accommodating a substrate on which a plurality of layers are formed at steps for forming the layers, the accommodating apparatus comprising:a conveying path having a first end and a second end, the substrates successively conveyed from the first end, the second end connected to a predetermined substrate processing device;a plurality of accommodating portions disposed corresponding to a plurality of layers of the substrates, said accommodating portions disposed along said conveying path, each of said accommodating portions accommodates a predetermined number of substrates;a conveyor travelable on said conveying path, said conveyor conveying, loading, and unloading the substrates among the first end and the second end of said conveying path and each of said accommodating portions; anda reader connected to the conveyor that reads layer information that represents a currently processed layer of each substrate conveyed from the first end of said conveying path;said conveyor responsive to the layer information and loads a substrate conveyed from the first end of said conveying path to a relevant accommodating portion corresponding to the layer of the substrate through said conveyor and successively unloading substrates from the relevant accommodating portion to the predetermined substrate processing device through said conveyor when the relevant accommodating portion accommodates a predetermined number of substrates.