Patent ID: 7299104
Filing Date: 2007-11-20
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein a first vacuum chamber is connected to a second vacuum chamber through a transferring port, which is opened and closed by a gate valve, and a wafer is transferred between the first and the second vacuum chamber by a substrate transfer device through the transferring port, and a vacuum process is performed on substrates, the apparatus comprising: a first pressure detection unit for detecting an inner pressure of the first vacuum chamber; a second pressure detection unit for detecting an inner pressure of the second vacuum chamber; a purge gas supply unit for pressure control, which supplies a purge gas for pressure control into one of the first and the second vacuum chamber; and a control unit for outputting a control signal to open the gate valve under a condition that both pressure detection values of the first and the second pressure detection unit are less than 66.5 Pa and a higher one of the pressure detection values is less than twice a lower one of the pressure detection values.