Substrate transferring mechanism

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus comprises a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate processing chamber disposed on a first side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; an intermediate substrate holding chamber disposed on a second side wall of the substrate transfer chamber; a first substrate holder disposed within the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a second substrate holder disposed within the substrate processing chamber; a first substrate transfer robot, disposed within the substrate transfer chamber, for transferring the substrate between the substrate processing chamber and the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a first gate valve disposed between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate transfer chamber; a second gate valve disposed between the substrate transfer chamber and the intermediate substrate holding chamber; an atmospheric pressure section located opposite to the substrate transfer chamber with respect to the intermediate substrate holding chamber; a third valve disposed between the intermediate substrate holding chamber and the atmospheric pressure section; a cassette holder disposed within the atmospheric pressure section; and a second substrate transfer robot disposed within the atmospheric pressure section, for transferring the substrate between a cassette held in the cassette holder and the intermediate substrate holding chamber.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.