SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD

To reduce the frequency of delivery of a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus comprising a pitch change mechanism.SOLUTION: In a substrate processing system 70 having a plurality of liquid processing units 10 built therein, the liquid processing unit (substrate processing apparatus) comprises: a substrate holding section 18 that holds a plurality of substrates parallel to each other at a first constant pitch in a processing place; a substrate conveying device 76 that takes out a plurality of substrates stored at a second constant pitch collectively from a substrate storage container C mounted on a container mounting section; and a transfer mechanism 77 that receives the substrates arranged side by side at the second constant pitch from the substrate conveying device, converts the pitch to the first constant pitch, and passes the pitch-converted substrates to the substrate holding section. The transfer mechanism has: a pitch conversion unit 771 having a plurality of chucks that each hold one substrate, and a pitch change mechanism that changes the interval between the chucks between the first constant pitch and the second constant pitch; and a moving mechanism that moves the pitch conversion unit between the substrate conveying device and the substrate holding section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8A 【課題】ピッチチェンジ機構を備えた基板処理装置において、基板の受け渡し回数を削減する。【解決手段】複数の液処理ユニット１０が組み込まれた基板処理システム７０において、液処理ユニット（基板処理装置）は、処理場所で複数の基板を互いに平行に第１の等ピッチで保持する基板保持部１８と、容器載置部に載置された基板収納容器Ｃから第２の等ピッチで収納された複数の基板を一括して取り出す基板搬送装置７６と、基板搬送装置から第２の等ピッチで並んだ基板を受け取り、ピッチを第１の等ピッチに変換し、ピッチ変換済み基板を基板保持部に渡す移載機構７７と、を備える。移載機構は、各１枚の基板を保持する複数のチャックと、チャック同士の間隔を第１の等ピッチと第２の等ピッチとの間で変更するピッチチェンジ機構とを有するピッチ変換ユニット７７１と、ピッチ変換ユニットを、基板搬送装置－基板保持部間で移動させる移動機構と、を有する。【選択図】図８Ａ