Patent ID: 8715417

Claim:
A film forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of vacuum chambers connected to form a closed square loop; a closed square loop path provided in the plurality of vacuum chambers; a plurality of substrate holders which move along the path in a vertical position, and each of which is configured to support a substrate in an upright position; a drive unit for transferring the substrate holders; a stock chamber which feeds the substrate holders to the path or retrieves the substrate holders from the path in the vertical position, and which is connected to one of the plurality of vacuum chambers; and a transport unit for horizontally transporting the substrate holders in the vertical position between the path and the stock chamber wherein the stock chamber includes: a plurality of guide portions which support the substrate holders in the vertical position, and which are positioned to enable horizontal transport of the substrate holders to or from the path at a same vertical level as the path; and a rotary table on which the plurality of guide portions are radially arranged, and which aligns one of the plurality of guide portions with the transport unit to enable the horizontal transport of a substrate holder to or from the path when the rotary table is rotated by a predetermined angle.