Substrate processing apparatus and maintenance method therefor

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus comprises a semiconductor wafer processing chamber, a wafer transfer device, a wafer cassette holding unit, a wafer cassette transfer device and a wafer cassette bringing in/out section disposed in this order and a housing. The wafer cassette holding unit is movable between a wafer processing time position and a maintenance time position thereof and the wafer cassette transfer device is movable between a wafer processing time position and a maintenance time position thereof. The wafer cassette bringing in/out section is capable of rotating forward of the housing, whereby the front face of said housing is opened. With the wafer cassette holding unit being positioned at the maintenance time position thereof, the wafer cassette transfer device being positioned at the maintenance time position thereof and the wafer cassette bringing in/out section being rotated forward of the housing to open the front face thereof, maintenance of the wafer transfer device can be performed from the front face of the housing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.