Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transport method

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a load port in which a substrate accommodation container accommodating at least one substrate is placed, the load port being included in an atmospheric portion in which the substrates are processed under atmospheric pressure;
• a load lock chamber through which the substrates are delivered between the atmospheric portion and a decompressed portion in which the substrate is processed under a reduced pressure;
• a processing module configured to process the substrates in the atmospheric portion;
• a substrate transport mechanism configured to transport the substrates between the load port, the load lock chamber, and the processing module;
• and
• a controller configured to control operations of the substrate transport mechanism,
• wherein the substrate transport mechanism includes a plurality of substrate holders, each of which is configured to hold one substrate, and
• wherein the controller is configured to:
• control, when the processing module is configured to process one substrate at a time, the substrate transport mechanism such that a first substrate holder transports the substrate between the load port and the processing module and a second substrate holder transports the substrate between the load lock chamber and the processing module;
• and
• control, when the processing module is configured to simultaneously process a plurality of substrates, the substrate transport mechanism such that the plurality of substrate holders simultaneously transport the plurality of substrates between the load port, the load lock chamber, and the processing module.

A substrate transport method performed in a substrate processing apparatus, which includes:

• a load port in which a substrate accommodation container accommodating at least one substrate is placed, the load port being included in an atmospheric portion in which the substrates are processed under atmospheric pressure;
• a load lock chamber through which the substrates are delivered between the atmospheric portion and a decompressed portion in which the substrate is processed under a reduced pressure;
• a processing module configured to process the substrates in the atmospheric portion;
• and a substrate transport mechanism configured to transport the substrates between the load port, the load lock chamber, and the processing module, the substrate transport mechanism including a plurality of substrate holders, each of which is configured to hold one substrate, the substrate transport method comprising:
• when the processing module is configured to process one substrate at a time, transporting the substrate between the load port and the processing module using a first substrate holder, and transporting the substrate between the load lock chamber and the processing module using a second substrate holder;
• and
• when the processing module is configured to simultaneously process a plurality of substrates, simultaneously transporting the plurality of substrates between the load port, the load lock chamber, and the processing module using the plurality of substrate holders.