Patent ID: 7547053

Claim:
A substrate gripping apparatus for gripping a substrate from above the substrate, the substrate being supported on a substrate support member below the substrate, said substrate gripping apparatus comprising: a hand body having a predetermined reference axis and formed in the shape of a flat plate perpendicular to the reference axis; a hand body driving means for driving the hand body for displacement; a plurality of holding members including at least one movable one, arranged on a lower side of the hand body around the reference axis at angular intervals and capable of coming into contact with the circumference of the substrate to hold the substrate and of being separated from the circumference of the substrate to release the substrate; a movable holding member driving means for driving the movable holding member for an approaching movement toward the reference axis and a parting movement away from the reference axis; and a control means for controlling the hand body driving means and the movable holding member driving means; wherein in a state where the hand body is disposed so as to face an upper surface of the substrate supported on the substrate support member, and the reference axis of the hand body being aligned with a central axis of the substrate, each of the holding members having a first guide part including a first guide surface inclining downwardly toward the reference axis, and a second guide part including a second guide surface facing the upper surface of the substrate and inclining upwardly toward the reference axis, so that the first and second guide surfaces define a substantially V-shaped groove for receiving a peripheral part of the substrate, and the first guide surface having a length that is greater than a distance the movable holding member is capable of moving relative to the reference axis, and the first guide part being provided with a protrusion located at a lower end of the first guide part, the protrusion protruding from the first guide part and protruding from the first guide surface toward the reference axis.