Patent ID: 7886685

Claim:
A substrate holding apparatus comprising: a substrate holding section for supporting a substrate with a front surface of the substrate facing downward; and an attraction head provided with an attraction seal for attracting and holding the substrate supported by the substrate holding section while sealing a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate in a ring; wherein the substrate holding section includes a plurality of pressing mechanisms disposed at locations along a circumferential direction of the substrate holding section, the pressing mechanisms being configured to contact a peripheral portion of the front surface of the substrate supported by the substrate holding section and to press the substrate against the attraction head, each of the pressing mechanisms including a movable claw arranged so that, as the substrate holding section moves relatively and closer to the attraction head, the moving claw comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the front surface of the substrate and presses the substrate against the attraction head; and wherein the movable claw is supported by a pivot shaft so as to be vertically pivotable and disposed along the diametrical direction of the substrate holding section, the movable claw being biased downwardly by an elastic body on the outer side of the pivot shaft, and being arranged to make contact with a peripheral portion of the front surface of the substrate on an inner side of the pivot shaft.