Patent ID: 6853872

Claim:
A vacuum processing method using a vacuum processing system having a plurality of processing units for conducting wafer processing, one transfer processing unit for transferring wafers to each of the processing units, an atmospheric transfer unit for mounting a plurality of cassettes which store wafers therein, a transfer unit for enabling a wafer to be removed from any of the cassettes of the atmospheric transfer unit, and a control unit for controlling an automatic operation including transfer of a wafer from any one of the cassettes to the transfer unit, the transfer processing unit and the processing units, wherein the vacuum processing system includes a processing order information storing device for storing a processing order of the wafers in the processing units, an operational information signal generating device for generating an operational information signal indicating an operable or inoperable state of each of the processing units, an operational information signal storing device for storing the operational information signal indicating an operable or inoperable state of each of the processing units, and a system control device for matching and processing the processing order information and the operational information signal, and continuing operation without using an inoperable processing unit while using other operable processing units, the method comprising the steps of: setting the operational information signal of one of the processing units having been set to the operable state to the inoperable state, during operation of the processing unit; setting the inoperable set operational information signal of the processing units having been set to the inoperable state to the operable state; and incorporating the processing units into a processing mute of the wafers so as to continue the processing of the wafers.