Next, each of the pushing stages 252 moves upward to enter the exclusive carrier EC through the backward opening part Eb2 of the exclusive carrier EC, and pushes the substrates W out of the exclusive carrier EC through the forward opening part Eb1. Then, the two pushing stages 252 approach each other in the axial Y direction to lessen the space between the groups of substrates W thereon. The substrates W are then transferred to the substrate transport robot 31 as shown in FIG. 8B and the pushing stages 252 move downward. This operation is performed at the two pushing-out parts 25 at the same time, so that the substrate transport robot 31 receives the substrates W held in the two exclusive carriers at the same time. The pushing stage 252 has grooves (abutting on the exterior of the substrate W) provided for each of the substrates W to support the substrates W in the vertical attitude. Further, the emptied exclusive carrier EC is transported to the carrier cleaning part 26 by the exclusive carrier transport robot 24 for cleaning, and, after the cleaning, placed again on the pushing-out part 25 to hold the cleaned substrates W.