Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus, in which each process chamber has a different process time, loads substrates into the process chambers at fixed intervals and does not produce substrate dwell at the process chambers. It is equipped with a conveyor chamber forming a substrate convey space, a plurality of process chambers, each of which has a different substrate process time and in which substrate processing by each can be carried out in parallel and in which processing of a substrate is carried out by each in order, and substrate convey means provided in the conveyor chamber having the function of conveying substrates; also, with respect to one or more processes of conveying a substrate from one process chamber to another process chamber, with time intervals at which substrates are loaded into the same process chamber being fixed, and after processing of a substrate by one process chamber is finished the substrate is conveyed to another process chamber, a substrate convey control means controls the process of substrate convey by the substrate convey means so that compared to a standard convey time required for said convey process, a longer time is taken to complete the convey process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.