System and method of producing wafer

A wafer manufacturing system, the system comprising a plurality of processing units arranged in a line and each having therein a conveying mechanism, and a conveyer device for conveying objects to be processed to the processing units, wherein:

• the conveyer device comprises loader conveying means laid along object transferring ports of the plurality of processing units arranged in a line, and across the object transferring ports of not less than two of the processing units, and a running robot adapted to run across not less than two of the object transferring ports, and a transferring robot for transferring an object to be processed from the running robot to the processing unit through the transferring port are arranged in the loader conveying means,
• other loader conveying means or conveying and transferring means are arranged in a direction orthogonal to the load conveying means arranged in a line in a plurality of systems;
• the loader conveying means include a conveying robot and a buffer cassette arranged at one end thereof,
• the loader conveying means and the conveying and transferring means are shielded and provided with a purifying means so as to define an atmospheric pressure conveying path, and are arranged in the atmospheric air, and
• an object to be processed is transferred between the loader conveying means and between the loader conveying means and the conveying and transferring means through the buffer cassette.

A wafer manufacturing method with the use of a wafer manufacturing apparatus comprising a plurality of processing units each having therein a conveying mechanism, and a conveyer device for conveying objects to be processed to the processing units in an atmospheric pressure space which is arranged in the atmospheric air, being shielded therefrom and which is provided therein with a purifying device, comprising the steps of:

• temporarily holding the objects to be processed in an mini-environment type object storage container in order to introduce or deliver the object to be processed;
• transferring the objects to be processed between the mini-environment type object storage container and the conveyer device;
• conveying an object to be processed to a position around a desired one of the plurality of processing units through an atmospheric pressure space conveying path in the conveyer device,
• transferring the object to be processed between the desired processing unit and the conveyer device with a timing which is different among the plurality of processing units;
• processing the objects to be processed with the use of the plurality of processing units each having at least one processing chamber and the conveying mechanism;
• and
• transferring the objects to be processed between the processing units through the atmospheric pressure conveying path.