Patent ID: 8303232
Filing Date: 2012-11-06
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing system comprising: a plurality of substrate processing units each of which is configured to process a substrate, the substrate processing units being divided into a plurality of groups that are disposed along an up and down direction; a substrate accommodating part configured to temporarily accommodate a plurality of substrates such that the substrates are separated from each other in the up and down direction; a first substrate transferring apparatus configured to transfer a substrate that is not yet processed by the substrate processing unit, to the substrate accommodating part, and to take out a substrate that has been processed by the substrate processing unit, from the substrate accommodating part; a plurality of second substrate transferring apparatuses disposed in tiers in the up and down direction so as to correspond to the respective groups in the up and down direction, each of the second substrate transferring apparatuses being configured to transfer a substrate between the substrate processing unit of the corresponding group and the substrate accommodating part; and a substrate displacing apparatus configured to displace a substrate, which has been transferred by the first substrate transferring apparatus to the substrate accommodating part and is not yet processed by the substrate processing unit, to another position in the up and down direction in the substrate accommodating part, as well as displace a substrate, which has been processed by the substrate processing unit and transferred by the second substrate transferring apparatus to the substrate accommodating part, to another position in the up and down direction in the substrate accommodating part.