Patent ID: 6981808

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a first process unit for applying a first processing to a substrate; a second process unit for applying a second processing to the substrate upon completion of the first processing applied by said first process unit; a substrate transfer device for transferring the substrate between the first process unit and the second process unit; a control device for controlling said substrate transfer device; a detecting mechanism for detecting whether the second process unit is in the state of permitting or inhibiting the transfer of the substrate thereinto so as to transmit to the control device a permitting signal for permitting the transfer of the substrate into the second process unit and an inhibiting signal for inhibiting the transfer of the substrate into the second process unit; and a provisional substrate disposing unit for provisionally disposing the substrate transferred out of the first process unit; wherein, the control device controls the substrate transfer device such that the substrate is disposed on the provisional substrate disposing unit where the control device has received the inhibiting signal transmitted from the detecting mechanism after the control device has permitted the substrate transfer device to take out the substrate from the first process unit in accordance with the permitting signal transmitted from the detecting mechanism; and wherein the control device controls the substrate transfer device such that the substrate transfer device takes out the substrate from the first unit after the control device confirms again that a signal transmitted from the detecting mechanism to the control device is the permitting signal immediately before the substrate transfer device is allowed to gain access to the first unit.