Abstract: One of reverse passing parts provided in a substrate passing part comprises a first holding mechanism and a second holding mechanism. The first holding mechanism and the second holding mechanism are arranged in vertically symmetry with respect to a rotary central axis and rotate 180 degrees about the rotary central axis, to replace each other in position. A transport robot on the loading side passes a substrate to a third holding mechanism or a fourth holding mechanism at a first vertical position. The substrate reversed in the reverse passing part is passed to a transport robot on the unloading side from the third holding mechanism or the fourth holding mechanism at a second vertical position. Before a reverse process on the preceding substrate is finished, the transport robot on the loading side can start the transfer of the following substrate.

Abstract: By a first transport robot, n substrates are unloaded from a first retaining portion, then simultaneously transported, and respectively loaded into n substrate holders consecutively arranged from one side defined with respect to an arrangement direction. Thereafter, a rotation mechanism rotates n+m substrate holders so as to perform a substrate inverting operation and so as to arrange the n+m substrate holders along the arrangement direction in an arrangement sequence reverse to a pre-rotation arrangement sequence. Thereafter, the n substrates loaded into the n substrate holders are unloaded in a group of m in a sequence from the one side, and loaded into a second retaining unit by a second transport robot. After the substrate inverting operation, n substrates are unloaded from the first retaining unit, and loaded again into n substrate holders consecutively arranged from the one side by the first transport robot.

Abstract: One of reverse passing parts provided in a substrate passing part comprises a first holding mechanism and a second holding mechanism. The first holding mechanism and the second holding mechanism are arranged in vertically symmetry with respect to a rotary central axis and rotate 180 degrees about the rotary central axis, to replace each other in position. A transport robot on the loading side passes a substrate to a third holding mechanism or a fourth holding mechanism at a first vertical position. The substrate reversed in the reverse passing part is passed to a transport robot on the unloading side from the third holding mechanism or the fourth holding mechanism at a second vertical position. Before a reverse process on the preceding substrate is finished, the transport robot on the loading side can start the transfer of the following substrate.

Abstract: By a first transport robot, n substrates are unloaded from a first retaining portion, then simultaneously transported, and respectively loaded into n substrate holders consecutively arranged from one side defined with respect to an arrangement direction. Thereafter, a rotation mechanism rotates n+m substrate holders so as to perform a substrate inverting operation and so as to arrange the n+m substrate holders along the arrangement direction in an arrangement sequence reverse to a pre-rotation arrangement sequence. Thereafter, the n substrates loaded into the n substrate holders are unloaded in a group of m in a sequence from the one side, and loaded into a second retaining unit by a second transport robot. After the substrate inverting operation, n substrates are unloaded from the first retaining unit, and loaded again into n substrate holders consecutively arranged from the one side by the first transport robot.

Abstract: An indexer robot includes two transport arms. The indexer robot simultaneously transports two unprocessed substrates from a cassette to a substrate transfer part in such a manner that each of the two transport arms holds a single unprocessed substrate. Also, the indexer robot simultaneously receives two processed substrates from the substrate transfer part and simultaneously transports the two processed substrate to a cassette in such a manner that each of the two transport arms holds a single processed substrate. The provision of three sending substrate rest parts and three returning substrate rest parts in the substrate transfer part enables the indexer robot to smoothly accomplish the simultaneous two-substrate transport, thereby reducing the time required for the transport of substrates in an entire substrate processing apparatus.

Abstract: One of reverse passing parts provided in a substrate passing part comprises a first holding mechanism and a second holding mechanism. The first holding mechanism and the second holding mechanism are arranged in vertically symmetry with respect to a rotary central axis and rotate 180 degrees about the rotary central axis, to replace each other in position. A transport robot on the loading side passes a substrate to a third holding mechanism or a fourth holding mechanism at a first vertical position. The substrate reversed in the reverse passing part is passed to a transport robot on the unloading side from the third holding mechanism or the fourth holding mechanism at a second vertical position. Before a reverse process on the preceding substrate is finished, the transport robot on the loading side can start the transfer of the following substrate.

Abstract: An indexer robot includes two transport arms. The indexer robot simultaneously transports two unprocessed substrates from a cassette to a substrate transfer part in such a manner that each of the two transport arms holds a single unprocessed substrate. Also, the indexer robot simultaneously receives two processed substrates from the substrate transfer part and simultaneously transports the two processed substrate to a cassette in such a manner that each of the two transport arms holds a single processed substrate. The provision of three sending substrate rest parts and three returning substrate rest parts in the substrate transfer part enables the indexer robot to smoothly accomplish the simultaneous two-substrate transport, thereby reducing the time required for the transport of substrates in an entire substrate processing apparatus.