Patent ID: 7608152
Filing Date: 2009-10-27
Classification: B08B,G03F,G11B,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing apparatus which performs predetermined processing by supplying a processing liquid to a substrate while rotating said substrate, comprising: a rotary member which has a vertical axis and is structured to rotate freely about the vertical axis; a rotating element which rotates said rotary member; a support element which is disposed upward to said rotary member and which comprises at least three supporting members disposed so as to abut on a bottom surface of said substrate at positions inward from an edge of said substrate to thereby support said substrate with a distance from said rotary member; and a pressing element which presses said substrate against said supporting members by supplying gas to a top surface of said substrate and accordingly makes said rotary member hold said substrate; wherein said pressing element is arranged to control a press-holding condition to cause a friction force developing between the bottom surface of said substrate and said supporting members to be greater than a centrifugal force acting upon said substrate, wherein the friction force increases in response to an increased flow rate of gas supplied by said pressing element, and wherein the centrifugal force increases in response to an increased speed of rotation of said rotary member rotated by said rotating element.