Patent ID: 8444368

Claim:
A substrate transport apparatus which transports a substrate placed on a hand portion to one of a processing apparatus and a predetermined storage unit, comprising: moving means for supporting a proximal side of the hand portion serving as one end of the hand portion, and reciprocally moving the hand portion in a direction of an extension thereof; tilt detection means for detecting a tilt of a distal end of the hand portion with respect to a horizontal direction in real time during a horizontal movement of the hand portion, which accompanies flexure of the hand portion upon reciprocally moving the hand portion; tilt correction means for generating a pitching motion of the hand portion as a whole in the direction in which the tilt of the distal end of the hand portion is canceled; and controlling means for controlling the pitching motion of said tilt correction means to move the hand portion in the condition in which the tilt of the hand portion is canceled, wherein said tilt detection means comprises irradiation means for emitting a light beam toward the distal end of the hand portion, reflecting means, disposed near the distal end of the hand portion, for reflecting the light beam, and shift amount detection means for receiving the light beam reflected by said reflecting means, and detecting an amount of shift of a light-receiving position of the light beam and a predetermined light-receiving reference position.