Patent ID: 8702370

Claim:
A substrate transfer method for transferring target substrates in a substrate processing system for performing processes including a photolithography sequence on the target substrates, the substrate processing system including a first automated substrate transfer line configured to transfer the target substrates among a plurality of process sections for respectively performing processes on the target substrates, and a second automated substrate transfer line dedicated to transferring the target substrates among a plurality of process apparatuses of a photolithography process section, which are configured to perform a series of processes in the photolithography sequence, wherein the second automated substrate transfer line is a cyclical substrate transfer line, which is formed as a loop independent of the first automated substrate transfer line and connects the process apparatuses in the photolithography process section to each other, the first automated substrate transfer line includes an outer line portion, which is present outside the loop of the second automated substrate transfer line and is connected to another process section of the plurality of process sections, and an intervening line portion having a U-shape, which projects from the outer line portion into the loop and extends along the loop inside the loop, and the intervening line portion of the first automated substrate transfer line is connected to the loop of the second automated substrate transfer line by a plurality of transit portions each including a handling robot for giving over the target substrates therebetween, the substrate transfer method comprising: transferring the target substrates among the process apparatuses in the photolithography process section by use of the second automated substrate transfer line to proceed with the photolithography sequence; then giving over photolithographed target substrates from the loop of the second automated substrate transfer line to the intervening line portion of the first automated substrate transfer line through one of the transit portions; and then transferring the photolithographed target substrates to a subsequent process section, which is one of the process sections, by use of the first automated substrate transfer line.