Patent ID: 7445543

Claim:
A polishing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding device configured to hold a substrate on a substrate holding surface so as to allow the substrate to be polished by a polishing surface, said substrate holding device including (i) a support member, (ii) an elastic pad having the substrate holding surface, wherein said elastic pad is supported by said support member, and (iii) a retainer ring surrounding the substrate when the substrate is held by said elastic pad; and a substrate relay device configured to deliver the substrate to said substrate holding device and receive the substrate from said substrate holding device, said substrate relay device including (i) a substrate placement section having a substrate placement surface on which the substrate is to be placed, (ii) a moving mechanism configured to vertically move said substrate placement section, and (iii) a fluid port configured to eject a pressurized fluid to a peripheral portion of the substrate, to remove the substrate from said elastic pad, when the substrate is positioned below a lower surface of said retainer ring and is held by said substrate holding device such that the substrate is in contact with said substrate holding surface except for the peripheral portion of the substrate.