Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention includes a substrate holder (32) configured to hold and rotate a substrate (W), a press pad (50) configured to press a polishing tape (41) having a polishing surface against a bevel portion of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a feeding mechanism (45) configured to cause the polishing tape to travel in its longitudinal direction. The press pad (50) includes a hard member (51) having a pressing surface (51a) for pressing the bevel portion of the substrate through the polishing tape, and at least one elastic member (53) for pressing the hard member against the bevel portion of the substrate through the belt-shaped polishing tool.

Abstract: A substrate holder is a mechanism for holding a substrate, to be polished, by vacuum suction. The substrate holder includes a substrate-holding stage having a suction surface for the substrate, and a fluid passage selectively coupled to a vacuum source and a fluid supply source. The suction surface has a plurality of closed sections surrounded by convexities, and the fluid passage includes a plurality of communication passages which are in fluid communication with the plurality of closed segments respectively and independently.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus having a polishing unit for polishing a periphery of a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a polishing unit configured to polish a periphery of a substrate; an imaging module configured to take an image of the periphery of the substrate polished by the polishing unit; and an image processing section configured to inspect a polished state of the substrate based on the image taken by the imaging module. The imaging module is configured to take the image of the periphery of the substrate when the polishing unit is not polishing the periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing apparatus and a polishing method capable of calculating outside diameters of rolls of a polishing tape on a polishing-tape supply reel and a polishing-tape recovery reel and capable of calculating a remaining amount of the polishing tape and a consumption of the polishing tape from the outside diameters of the rolls. This polishing apparatus includes a polishing-tape supply reel (46), a polishing head (44), a polishing-tape drawing-out mechanism G1, and a polishing-tape supply and recovery mechanism (45) configured to recover the polishing tape (43) from the polishing-tape supply reel (46) via the polishing head (44).

Abstract: A polishing apparatus polishes a periphery of a substrate by bringing a polishing tool into sliding contact with the substrate. The polishing apparatus includes a substrate-holding mechanism configured to hold a substrate and rotate the substrate, a polishing mechanism configured to press a polishing tool against a periphery of the substrate so as to polish the periphery, and a periphery-supporting mechanism configured to support the periphery of the substrate by a fluid. The periphery-supporting mechanism is configured to support a surface of the substrate from an opposite side or the same side of the periphery of the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polishing apparatus for polishing a periphery of a substrate. This polishing apparatus includes a rotary holding mechanism configured to hold the substrate horizontally and rotate the substrate, plural polishing head assemblies provided around the substrate, plural tape supplying and recovering mechanisms configured to supply polishing tapes to the plural polishing head assemblies and recover the polishing tapes from the plural polishing head assemblies, and plural moving mechanisms configured to move the plural polishing head assemblies in radial directions of the substrate held by the rotary holding mechanism. The tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are located outwardly of the plural polishing head assemblies in the radial directions of the substrate, and the tape supplying and recovering mechanisms are fixed in position.

Abstract: A polishing apparatus according to the present invention is suitable for use in polishing a periphery of a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. The polishing apparatus includes a holding section configured to hold the workpiece, a polishing head configured to bring the polishing tape into contact with the workpiece, a supply reel configured to supply the polishing tape to the polishing head, a rewind reel configured to rewind the polishing tape that has contacted the workpiece, and a swinging mechanism configured to cause the polishing head to perform a swinging motion with its pivot lying on a predetermined point.