Substrate processing system, substrate processing method and storage medium

A substrate processing system comprising:

• a carrier table for supporting thereon a plurality of substrates;
• a vacuum processing chamber in which a substrate is processed by a vacuum process in a vacuum atmosphere;
• a vacuum carrying chamber, having a longitudinal axis and a plurality of joints, in which a carrying arm is installed, for carrying a substrate to and from the vacuum processing chamber by the carrying arm, wherein the vacuum carrying chamber is adjoined with the vacuum processing chamber through a first gate valve;
• first and second load lock chambers disposed symmetrically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vacuum carrying chamber and capable of being selectively set in either of a vacuum atmosphere and a normal pressure atmosphere, each separately adjoined with the vacuum carrying chamber through second and third gate valves, respectively, through which a substrate is sent out to and received from the vacuum carrying chamber;
• a posttreatment chamber disposed between the first and second load-lock chambers via respective chevron-shaped gateways bent with respect to the longitudinal axis of the vacuum carrying chamber, wherein the posttreatment chamber is provided to process in an atmospheric atmosphere a processed substrate processed by the vacuum processing chamber;
• fourth and fifth gate valves provided at each of the respective chevron-shaped gateways to separate the first and second load-lock chambers, respectively, from the posttreatment chamber, wherein the fourth and fifth gate valves are bent so as to conform to the shape of the respective chevron-shaped gateways;
• an atmospheric transfer chamber having an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis and interposed between the first load-lock chamber, the second load lock chamber and the carrier table and provided with a carrying means for sending out and receiving a substrate from in an atmospheric atmosphere, wherein the carrying arm can carry a processed substrate from either of the first load-lock chamber or the second load-lock chamber to the posttreatment chamber directly by transversely moving the processed substrate through chevron-shaped gateways and the fourth and fifth gate valve;
• and a partition wall separating the post treatment chamber and the atmospheric carrying chamber that is provided a partition wall and a third opening in the partition wall having the shape of a slit, wherein the carrying means and a substrate can pass through the slit without passing through the posttreatment chamber directly.