PURPOSE: To prevent unversatility of performance of CVD films due to a fixed pitch of batch transfer, by varying a pitch between movable bases, namely a pitch between chucks as desired.

CONSTITUTION: A motor 11 rotates a rotary threaded shaft 5 coupled thereto, whereby rotary threaded shafts 5 of respective movable bases 2 are rotated by rotation transmitting sections 6 each consisting of a spline shaft 6a and a boss 6b provided between the rotary threaded shafts 5. The movable bases 2 having nuts 8 engaged with respective screws 5a move along a guide 9 to change a pitch distance S between chucks 3. The pitch distance S can be varied by direction and a number of rotation in a range of S ±α when α is a variable pitch width. The variable pitch width α may be determined as desired by changing a number of rotation. In this manner, platelike materials 4 can be transferred in batch between wafer receiving containers having different receiving pitches. Therefore, the wafers 4 can be transferred in a short time and efficiently.