An apparatus includes a row of substrate transfer devices 3 which can deliver a wafer W within a transfer chamber; and rows of process modules PM, arranged at right and left sides of the row of the substrate transfer devices along the row, configured to perform processes to the wafer W. The rows of the process modules PM are arranged such that each of the processes can be performed by at least two process modules PM. Thus, when a single process module PM cannot be used, the wafer W can be rapidly transferred to another process module PM which can perform the same process as performed in the corresponding process module. Therefore, even when the single process module PM cannot be used, the processes can be continued to the wafers W without stopping an operation of the apparatus, so that the number of wasted wafers W can be reduced.