PROCESSING OBJECT CONVEYANCE SYSTEM, AND SUBSTRATE INSPECTION SYSTEM

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily change a processing content and a processing performance to a processing object.SOLUTION: A processing object conveyance system includes processing units 12, 13, 14 comprising: a conveyance mechanism 2 which conveys a substrate to be inspected W along a conveyance path extending approximately horizontally; a lift mechanism 5 which lifts the substrate to be inspected W to a height position P1 at a set position P2 on the conveyance path; and processing sections A, B which execute a predetermined processing to the substrate to be inspected W positioned at the height position P1. The processing units 12, 13, 14 are arranged such that the conveyance path of each processing unit connects with each other in a row, and conveyance directions are set in the same direction. Between adjacent two conveyance paths, the substrate to be inspected W is transferred from a conveyance path on an upstream side to a conveyance path on a downstream side, and in the processing unit corresponding to each path, another substrate to be inspected W different from the substrate to be inspected W is made conveyable through a space below the substrate to be inspected W during a period when the substrate to be inspected W is positioned at the height position P1 by the lift mechanism 5. 【課題】処理対象物に対する処理内容や処理能力を変更することを容易にする。【解決手段】被検査基板Ｗを、略水平に延びる搬送経路に沿って搬送する搬送機構２と、搬送経路の設定位置Ｐ２で、被検査基板Ｗを高さ位置Ｐ１へ上昇させるリフト機構５と、高さ位置Ｐ１に位置する被検査基板Ｗに対して所定の処理を実行する処理部Ａ，Ｂとを備える処理ユニット１２，１３，１４を含み、処理ユニット１２，１３，１４は、各処理ユニットの搬送経路が一列に連なり、かつ搬送方向が互いに同一方向となるように配置され、隣接する二つの搬送経路間では、上流側の搬送経路から下流側の搬送経路に被検査基板Ｗを受け渡し、それぞれに対応する前記処理ユニットにおいて、リフト機構５により被検査基板Ｗが高さ位置Ｐ１に位置している期間中、被検査基板Ｗの下方を通って当該被検査基板Ｗとは別の被検査基板Ｗを搬送可能に構成されている。【選択図】図１