Importance

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Abstract

An apparatus for automatically sequentially processing a large number of substrates. A plurality of substrate processing stages are arranged around a single imaginary circle, and a substrate attaching/detaching stage has its center as one position on the single imaginary circle. A conveyor transports substrates to or from the substrate attaching/detaching stage. A substrate holder receives each substrate from the conveyor and transfers each substrate to the conveyor after processing. The holder includes a mechanism for changing the attitude of a substrate from horizontal to vertical, for conveying the substrate in the vertical attitude to the processing stages, and for changing the attitude of a processed substrate from vertical to horizontal. A revolving mechanism sequentially conveys the holder in the vertical attitude from the attaching/detaching stage to each processing stage and returns the holder to the substrate attaching/detaching stage. The revolving mechanism has a ring arranged such that a periphery thereof is aligned with the single imaginary circle and is intermittently rotated in one horizontal direction.

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First Claim