Patent ID: 7090741

Claim:
A semiconductor processing system comprising: an airtight common transfer chamber; a partition wall that partitions an interior of the common transfer chamber and forms first and second compartments inside the common transfer chamber, the partition wall including a gate valve configured to selectively cause the first and second compartments to communicate with each other; a first vacuum processing apparatus connected to the first compartment, and configured to process a target substrate at a first process pressure therein; a second vacuum processing apparatus connected to the second compartment, and configured to process the target substrate at a second process pressure therein, the second process pressure being lower than the first process pressure; first and second load-lock chambers configured to adjust pressure therein, and connected to the first compartment; a first transfer arm device disposed in the first compartment to transfer the target substrate into the first vacuum processing apparatus; a second transfer arm device disposed in the second compartment to transfer the target substrate into the second vacuum processing apparatus; a buffer disposed within at least one of the first and second compartments to temporarily hold the target substrate, and located to be accessible by the first and second transfer arm devices; and a pressure control section configured to control pressure inside the first and second compartments, wherein the pressure control section comprises first and second vacuum pumps respectively connected to the first and second compartments, each of the first and second vacuum pumps configured to vacuum-exhaust an inside of its respective compartment to a high vacuum level, a line connecting a delivery side of the second vacuum pump to a suction side of the first vacuum pump, and a third vacuum pump connected downstream from the first vacuum pump and commonly used for the first and second compartments, and the pressure control section performs a setting such that a second ultimate pressure, which is a lowest operational pressure of the second compartment, is lower than a first ultimate pressure, which is a lowest operational pressure of the first compartment.