Transfer apparatus and vertical heat-processing system using the same

A vertical heat treatment system comprising:

• (a) a heat treatment furnace for storing a plurality of substrates, which belong to a group of substrates having substantially the same outline size, to subject the plurality of substrates to heat treatment all together, the substrates being supported on a boat in said heat treatment furnace in a stacked state with gaps therebetween;
• (b) a boat transport mechanism for transporting said boat together with the substrates, between a position in said heat treatment furnace and a transfer station outside said heat treatment furnace;
• (c) an in/out section for loading/unloading a container storing the plurality of substrates belonging to the group in/from said system;
• (d) a container placing station for placing said container in said system;
• and
• (e) a transfer apparatus used to transfer said container between said in/out section and said container placing station and to transfer the substrates between said container arranged on said container placing station and said boat placed on said transfer station, said transfer apparatus comprising,
• a base disposed to be vertically movable and rotatable within a horizontal plane,
• a substrate arm disposed on said base to transfer a single substrate, which belongs to the group, while being in contact with the substrate, said substrate arm having a root portion attached to said base and a support portion extending from said root portion to support the substrate,
• a first drive mechanism for reciprocally moving said substrate arm on said base between a standby position and an advanced position in a horizontal direction,
• a container arm disposed on said base to transfer said container while being in contact with said container, said container arm having a proximal portion attached to said base and a holding portion extending from said proximal portion to hold said container, and
• a second drive mechanism for reciprocally moving said container arm on said base between a retreat position and a protruded position in a horizontal direction, wherein
• a direction along which said substrate arm moves from said standby position to said advanced position and a direction along which said container arm moves from said retreat position to said protruded position are substantially opposite to each other, and while said substrate arm and said container arm are located at said standby position and said retreat position, respectively, said holding portion of said container arm is present immediately above said substrate arm.