Patent ID: 7880859

Claim:
A substrate processing system capable of processing a plurality of substrates in a single-substrate processing mode, the substrate processing system carrying out a plurality of processes successively, and the substrate processing system having a plurality of same modules for carrying out each process of said plurality of processes, said substrate processing system comprising: a substrate carrying means for carrying substrate in one of at least two carrying modes, each carrying mode of the at least two carrying modes specifying a method of assigning receiving modules to sending modules, the receiving modules being a part of said plurality of same modules for carrying out one process of said plurality of processes, and the sending modules being a part of said plurality of same modules for carrying out another process of said plurality of processes, and each of the receiving modules being corresponding to each of the sending modules respectively, the substrate being transferred by a transfer arm commonly used in each carrying mode of the at least two carrying modes; and a control means for controlling the substrate carrying means on the basis of one of at least two carrying modes each assigning receiving modules to sending modules; wherein the control means changes the carrying mode in effect and operative for the other carrying mode upon the reception of a carrying mode change command while substrates are being processed and makes the substrate carrying means carry substrates in the carrying mode newly brought into effect and operative.