Vacuum processing apparatus and substrate transfer method

A vacuum processing apparatus comprising:

• a load lock module including one housing and a plurality of substrate holding sections, wherein the inside of the housing is switchable between a normal pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, the housing has openable/closeable first substrate transfer ports formed on both of right and left sides thereof and an openable/closeable second substrate transfer port formed on a rear side thereof, and each of the plurality of substrate holding sections is configured to hold a substrate on a right or left side in the housing;
• a vacuum transfer chamber having a vacuum atmosphere, wherein the vacuum transfer chamber is connected to the rear side of the housing and the second substrate transfer port is opened to the vacuum transfer chamber;
• a processing module, connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, for vacuum-processing the substrate;
• a vacuum transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate between the load lock module, the vacuum transfer chamber, and the processing module;
• a normal pressure transfer chamber having a normal pressure atmosphere, wherein the normal pressure transfer chamber extends over or under the housing from one of the right and left sides of the housing to the other one thereof so that each of the first substrate transfer ports is opened, the normal pressure transfer chamber includes a stacked transfer region, and the stacked transfer region is a region overlapping the housing to which the substrate is transferred;
• a plurality of loading/unloading ports, provided on right and left outer sides of the normal pressure transfer chamber, for loading or unloading a transfer container accommodating the substrate;
• and
• a normal pressure transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate between each of the substrate holding sections and the transfer container carried into each of the loading/unloading ports via the stacked transfer region.