Patent ID: 7367873

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a polishing tape; a rotation mechanism for rotating a substrate; a polishing head for pressing said polishing tape against a bevel portion of the substrate rotated by said rotation mechanism, said polishing head comprising: a support member having two support portions forming a recess; and an elastic member, attached to ends of said two support portions and extending between said ends of said two support portions, for supporting said polishing tape; a moving mechanism for moving said polishing head in a radial direction of the substrate, said moving mechanism comprising a pressing mechanism for pressing said polishing head against the substrate; and a pressing plate for pressing said elastic member and said polishing tape against an edge portion of the substrate, said pressing plate being disposed between said support portions wherein said polishing head is moved in said radial direction of the substrate by said moving mechanism to allow said elastic member, said polishing tape and the bevel portion of the substrate to enter said recess of said support member, and to elongate said elastic member to thus produce a tension in said elastic member for pressing said polishing tape against the bevel portion of the substrate so that a constant force is applied to said polishing tape during polishing; and wherein the bevel portion of the substrate is polished by sliding contact between said polishing tape and the substrate rotated by said rotation mechanism.