Abstract: A process system comprises cassette housing chambers 33A and 33B, each of which houses therein a cassette C having housed an object W to be processed, and process chambers 26A through 26D for carrying out a predetermined process for the object W. The cassette housing chambers 30A and 30B are connected to the process chambers 26A through 26D via a transfer chamber 28. In the transfer chamber 28, there are provided a first transfer unit 32 for delivering the object W between the cassette housing chambers 30A and 30B and the transfer chambers 26A through 26D, and a second transfer unit 34 for delivering the object W between the process chambers 20A through 26D and the transfer chamber 28. In the overlapping range 36 of transfer ranges of the first and second transfer units 32 and 34, an aligning unit 38 for aligning the object W is arranged.

Abstract: An auxiliary vacuum chamber 12 according to the invention comprises a container 30 having an opening 10, 14 for taking an object to be processed W into and out of the container. A holder 33a is movably placed in the container 30, which can hold the object W taken therein. The holder 33a can also form a hermetically closed space 32a with a portion of the container 30 when moved in the container 30. The container 30 is provided with supplying means 38a for supplying a gas from the outside of the container 30 into the hermetically closed space 32a. The container 30 is also provided with exhaust means 37 for exhausting the gas from the hermetically closed space 32a to the outside of the container 30. According to the invention, the auxiliary vacuum chamber 12 need not have gate-valves for being opened and shut to the other chambers 4 and 16.