Substrate processing apparatus and substrate transfer method

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a cassette placing table for receiving a plurality of cassettes for each housing a substrate, placed in a predetermined arrangement direction;

a first transfer mechanism, having a first substrate holding hand which is capable of advancing and retreating with respect to a cassette placed on the cassette placing table, for transferring a substrate with respect to the cassette with the first substrate holding hand;

a substrate processing unit for executing a predetermined process on a substrate;

a second transfer mechanism, having a second substrate holding hand which is capable of advancing and retreating with respect to the first transfer mechanism and the substrate processing unit and which is pivotable about a vertical axis, for transferring a substrate with respect to the first transfer mechanism and the substrate processing unit with the second substrate holding hand, the vertical axis being fixed in a predetermined position at all times;

a moving mechanism for moving the first transfer mechanism in the predetermined arrangement direction; and

a control unit for controlling transfer of a substrate between the first transfer mechanism and the second transfer mechanism in all positions where the first transfer mechanism is opposed to the plurality of cassettes, wherein

the control unit is programmed to select any one of a plurality of substrate transfer positions respectively opposed to the plurality of cassettes placed on the cassette placing table, to control the moving mechanism so as to move the first transfer mechanism to the selected substrate transfer position, and to cause the first and second transfer mechanisms to transfer a substrate between the first and second transfer mechanisms with the first transfer mechanism positioned at the selected substrate transfer position,

the first and second transfer mechanisms are arranged to transfer a substrate at a position opposed to any one of the plurality of cassettes from which the first transfer mechanism has carried out the substrate.

2. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first transfer mechanism further includes a first hand pivot mechanism for pivoting the first substrate holding hand to a posture opposed to a cassette placed on the cassette placing table and to a posture opposed to the second transfer mechanism, and

the control unit controls the first hand pivot mechanism, thereby controlling the first substrate holding hand to be in the posture opposed to the second transfer mechanism when a substrate is transferred between the first transfer mechanism and the second transfer mechanism.

3. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the first and second transfer mechanisms such that the substrate is transferred between the first and second transfer mechanisms with both the first and second substrate holding hands being advanced.

4. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing unit is disposed on a side opposite to the first transfer mechanism with respect to the second transfer mechanism.

5. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of substrate processing units, wherein the plurality of substrate processing units are vertically laminated.

6. A substrate transfer method, comprising:

a first substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate between a first substrate holding hand provided in a first transfer mechanism and a predetermined cassette among a plurality of cassettes for each housing a substrate, by advancing and retreating the first substrate holding hand to and from the predetermined cassette;

a second substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate between a second substrate holding hand provided in a second transfer mechanism and a substrate processing unit for executing a predetermined process on a substrate, by advancing and retreating the second substrate holding hand to and from the substrate processing unit; and

a third substrate transfer step of transferring a substrate between the first substrate holding hand and the second substrate holding hand, with the second substrate holding hand opposed to the first transfer mechanism located in a position opposed to the predetermined cassette among the plurality of cassettes, by pivoting the second substrate holding hand of the second transfer mechanism about a vertical axis which is fixed in a predetermined position at all times; wherein

the plurality of cassettes are placed in a predetermined arrangement direction,

the first transfer mechanism is movable in the predetermined arrangement direction, and

the third substrate transfer step includes the steps of:

selecting any one of a plurality of substrate transfer positions respectively opposed to the plurality of cassettes,

moving the first transfer mechanism to the selected substrate transfer position, and carrying a substrate out of the corresponding said cassette with said first transfer mechanism, at the selected substrate transfer position, and

transferring said substrate between the first and second transfer mechanisms with the first transfer mechanism positioned at the selected substrate transfer position, opposed to said corresponding cassette from which the first transfer mechanism has carried out the substrate.

7. A substrate transfer method according to claim 6 , wherein the first substrate holding hand is pivotable to a posture opposed to a cassette placed on the cassette placing table and to a posture opposed to the second transfer mechanism, and

the third substrate transfer step further includes the step of pivoting the first substrate holding hand to be in the posture opposed to the second transfer mechanism.