Patent ID: 7402227

Claim:
A plating apparatus, comprising: a cassette table for loading a cassette housing a substrate therein; a substrate holder for holding the substrate such that the front surface of the substrate is exposed while the back side and the edge thereof are hermetically sealed; a substrate loading/unloading unit that is structured to support said substrate holder for loading and unloading of the substrate to and from said substrate holder; a substrate transferring device for transferring the substrate between said cassette table and said substrate loading/unloading unit; wherein said substrate loading/unloading unit is located at a position in said plating apparatus within a transfer movement range of said substrate transferring device so that said substrate transferring device can transfer the substrate to and from said substrate holder supported on said substrate loading/unloading unit; a plating tank for accommodating said substrate holder while the substrate is vertically held by said substrate holder and plating the surface of the substrate while facing toward an anode; and a substrate holder transferring device having a transporter that grips the substrate holder, is vertically moveable, and transfers said substrate holder, said substrate holder transferring device being movable to and from said position of said substrate loading/unloading unit to transfer said substrate holder to and from said substrate loading/unloading unit.