Patent ID: 6746197
Filing Date: 2004-06-08
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A substrate processing apparatus comprising:a processing unit that performs a process on a substrate; a carrier stage for delivering and receiving a substrate carrier to and from an external carrier conveyer, the carrier stage being configured to support the substrate carrier thereon at a first level with the substrate being horizontally accommodated in the substrate carrier; a carrier container having a plurality of shelves arranged in a vertical direction, each of the shelves being adapted to support the substrate carrier thereon while the substrate is horizontally accommodated in the substrate carrier; a container elevating mechanism adapted to vertically move the carrier container in order to locate the substrate carrier supported on any one of the shelves at the first level; a substrate transfer arm that horizontally removes a substrate, which is to be processed in the processing unit, from the substrate carrier located at the first level in the carrier container, and that horizontally inserts a processed substrate, which has been processed in the processing unit, into the substrate carrier located at the first level in the carrier container; and a carrier transfer mechanism adapted to horizontally move the substrate carrier located on one of the shelves at the first level to the carrier stage and vise versa without changing an attitude of the substrate carrier.