Abstract: A centering device has three or more contact members each having a contact surface capable of contacting an end face of a substrate supported by a substrate support. These contact members are arranged to surround the substrate support in a horizontal plane with the contact surfaces facing an end face of the substrate. These contact members move toward the substrate in the mutually different directions to sandwich the substrate. Each contact surface is finished such that a contactable region formed to intersect the horizontal plane has a linear shape or a curved shape having a center of curvature located on the substrate side and having the radius of curvature larger than the radius of the substrate and is longer than an arc formed by cutting out the circumference of the substrate by the cut.

Abstract: In processing a peripheral edge part of a substrate by a processing liquid, upward scattered liquid droplets may be produced. Accordingly, in the invention, the processing liquid is caused to land on the peripheral edge part of the substrate from a discharge port while the discharge port is positioned to a bevel processing position lower than an eaves part of a cup in a vertical direction with the peripheral edge part of the substrate covered vertically from above by the eaves part. Thus, the eaves part collects upward scattered liquid droplets. As a result, the re-adhesion of the upward scattered liquid droplets to the substrate and the scattering thereof to a surrounding atmosphere are suppressed.

Abstract: The invention includes a gas supplier for discharging a gas into a space sandwiched between a substrate and a shielding plate by supplying the gas to a gas discharge nozzle provided in the shielding plate to form a flow of the gas from a central part toward a radially outer side of the substrate. This gas supplier is controlled such that a flow velocity of the gas into a discharge space at a peripheral edge part of the substrate becomes larger than zero.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a substrate is surrounded in a horizontal plane on an upper surface of a substrate support by a first abutting member located at a first reference position, a second abutting member located at a second reference position, and a third abutting member located at a third reference position. The three abutting members make tiny movements repeatedly to get closer to the substrate gradually while distances from the center of the substrate support are kept equally. While the abutting members make the movements of getting closer to the substrate, the abutting members abut on the substrate successively to move the substrate horizontally toward the center of the substrate support. As a result, at a time when the substrate is nipped with the three abutting members, the center of the substrate is aligned with the center of the substrate support to complete a centering operation.

Abstract: Force for biasing a roller member is changed according to the contact state of first and second plate-like bodies during the travel of the roller member. By that, the pressing force per unit area given from the second plate-like body to the first plate-like body during travel is suppressed. An object to be transferred is satisfactorily transferred despite a change in the contact state of the plate-like bodies during the travel of the roller member.

Abstract: A first movable body is provided movably in a separation direction and a first engaging member is provided for each suction unit. When the first movable body is moved in the separation direction, the plurality of first engaging members are respectively engaged with the first movable body in the same sequence as an array sequence of the suction units. Thereafter, the suction units are moved in the separation direction together with the first movable body.

Abstract: Force for biasing a roller member is changed according to the contact state of first and second plate-like bodies during the travel of the roller member. By that, the pressing force per unit area given from the second plate-like body to the first plate-like body during travel is suppressed. An object to be transferred is satisfactorily transferred despite a change in the contact state of the plate-like bodies during the travel of the roller member.

Abstract: It is aimed to provide a technique enabling a roller member to press a plate body with a uniform and stable pressing force. A transfer roller 431 configured to come into contact with a blanket BL and press the blanket BL against a substrate SB is rotatably supported by a pair of supports 430 on opposite end parts thereof. Supporting angles 4334 configured to support a rotary shaft of the transfer roller 431 are supported movably upward and downward by linear guides 4332, 4333 and biased upwardly by biasing portions 434. Displacements of the supporting angles 4334 by biasing forces are restrained at a predetermined height by stoppers 435, and the posture of the transfer roller 431 (inclination of the rotary shaft) when the transfer roller 431 approaches the blanket BL from below is controlled. Restraint by the stoppers 435 is released when the blanket BL is pressed against the substrate SB and a constant pressing force is applied to the blanket BL by the biasing forces.

Abstract: It is aimed to suppress the influence of a positional deviation occurring in bringing two plate bodies aligned in advance into contact in a transfer apparatus for bringing two plate bodies into contact by pressing by a roller member. Alignment mechanisms 71 are mounted on a main frame 10 and an alignment stage 36 is mounted on the alignment mechanisms 71. A lower stage block 3, a transfer roller block 4 and a roller travel driver 5 are placed via a detachable stage 37 on the alignment stage 36. A positional relationship between a blanket BL held on a lower stage 31 and a transfer roller 431 for pushing up the blanket BL does not vary by an alignment adjustment. Thus, the influence of a positional deviation, a magnitude of which changes according to the amount of deflection of the blanket BL, can be suppressed.

Abstract: A plurality of through holes are provided between upstream ejection ports and downstream ejection ports. Thereby, when a rear end portion and therearound of a paper sheet is opposed to the downstream ejection ports, gas sucked to suction holes exposed at an upstream side of the paper sheet can be absorbed from the through holes. This can suppress an airflow occurring between a housing and the paper sheet. As a result, deviation of ink droplets ejected from the downstream ejection ports can be suppressed.

Abstract: Mutually different plural kinds of processing liquid are sequentially supplied to a gap space in which a substrate is arranged to perform a wet processing to the substrate with respect to each processing liquid. Further, the processing liquid used in the wet processing is sequentially released from the communicating portion upon execution of each wet processing. The liquid retrieval tanks are selectively positioned at a retrieval position corresponding to the kind of processing liquid released from the communicating portion by relatively moving the processing unit and the liquid retrieval unit. The liquid retrieval unit is separated from the processing unit and is arranged below the processing unit. The processing liquid is released from the communicating portion of the processing unit to below the gap space downwards vertically.

Abstract: A plurality of through holes are provided between upstream ejection ports and downstream ejection ports. Thereby, when a rear end portion and therearound of a paper sheet is opposed to the downstream ejection ports, gas sucked to suction holes exposed at an upstream side of the paper sheet can be absorbed from the through holes. This can suppress an airflow occurring between a housing and the paper sheet. As a result, deviation of ink droplets ejected from the downstream ejection ports can be suppressed.

Abstract: A substrate (W) is held and rotated in its horizontal position on a spin base (10). A processing liquid can be supplied from a processing liquid lower nozzle 15 to the lower surface of the substrate (W). The upper surface of the substrate (W) is covered with an atmosphere blocking plate (30). A splash guard (50) is disposed so as to circumscribe the substrate (W). A guard (52) is curved such that the vertical cross section of a recovery port (52f) of the splash guard (50) is of substantially U-shape opening to the center of the splash guard (50), so that the maximum internal diameter part of the recovery port (52f) is brought near a guard (53). The space between the internal wall surface of the recovery port (52f) and the substrate (W) is increased to thereby suppress the bounce of the processing liquid flying spattering from the substrate (W) in rotation.

Abstract: Mutually different plural kinds of processing liquid are sequentially supplied to a gap space in which a substrate is arranged to perform a wet processing to the substrate with respect to each processing liquid. Further, the processing liquid used in the wet processing is sequentially released from the communicating portion upon execution of each wet processing. The liquid retrieval tanks are selectively positioned at a retrieval position corresponding to the kind of processing liquid released from the communicating portion by relatively moving the processing unit and the liquid retrieval unit. The liquid retrieval unit is separated from the processing unit and is arranged below the processing unit. The processing liquid is released from the communicating portion of the processing unit to below the gap space downwards vertically.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus is provided with a spin base for rotationally holding a substrate, an atmosphere cutoff plate for cutting off a top surface of the substrate from the outer atmosphere, a splash guard for receiving a processing solution spun off from the substrate or the like, a guard up-and-down moving mechanism for vertically moving the splash guard. In performing processing with a processing solution while rotating a substrate, the splash guard is disposed by the guard up-and-down moving mechanism so that the level of a top surface of the splash guard should not be higher than the level of a top surface of the atmosphere cutoff plate and it is thereby possible to prevent the atmosphere above the atmosphere cutoff plate from being involved in the recovery duct through rotation of the atmosphere cutoff plate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus injects gas from an injection port formed on a shielding surface of an atmosphere shielding part and sucks a substrate by Bernoulli effect. The substrate is sucked in a state coming into contact with a contact supporting surface of a support member provided on the atmosphere shielding part, and rotated with the upper surface shielded by a shielding surface of the shielding part. A solution supply part supplies a chemical solution to the lower surface of the substrate. Therefore, mist of a processing solution or the processing solution can be reliably prevented from reaching the upper surface of the substrate. Thus provided is a substrate processing apparatus capable of reliably preventing the mist of the processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate (W) is held and rotated in its horizontal position on a spin base (10). A processing liquid can be supplied from a processing liquid lower nozzle 15 to the lower surface of the substrate (W). The upper surface of the substrate (W) is covered with an atmosphere blocking plate (30). A splash guard (50) is disposed so as to circumscribe the substrate (W). A guard (52) is curved such that the vertical cross section of a recovery port (52f) of the splash guard (50) is of substantially U-shape opening to the center of the splash guard (50), so that the maximum internal diameter part of the recovery port (52f) is brought near a guard (53). The space between the internal wall surface of the recovery port (52f) and the substrate (W) is increased to thereby suppress the bounce of the processing liquid flying spattering from the substrate (W) in rotation.

Abstract: A support member of a rotary base member engages with a substrate for preventing the substrate from horizontal movement and rotation with respect to the rotary base member while allowing vertical movement of the substrate, and a proximity suction plate is provided above the rotary base member so that the lower surface thereof is formed on a plane on the rotary base member parallel to the substrate for downwardly and outwardly injecting gas toward the overall upper surface of the substrate and sucking the substrate in a proximity state by Bernoulli effect. It is possible to provide an apparatus capable of reliably preventing mist of a processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate when rotating the substrate and supplying the processing solution to the lower surface for processing the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus injects gas from an injection port formed on a shielding surface of an atmosphere shielding part and sucks a substrate by Bernoulli effect. The substrate is sucked in a state coming into contact with a contact supporting surface of a support member provided on the atmosphere shielding part, and rotated with the upper surface shielded by a shielding surface of the shielding part. A solution supply part supplies a chemical solution to the lower surface of the substrate. Therefore, mist of a processing solution or the processing solution can be reliably prevented from reaching the upper surface of the substrate. Thus provided is a substrate processing apparatus capable of reliably preventing the mist of the processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A support member of a rotary base member engages with a substrate for preventing the substrate from horizontal movement and rotation with respect to the rotary base member while allowing vertical movement of the substrate, and a proximity suction plate is provided above the rotary base member so that the lower surface thereof is formed on a plane on the rotary base member parallel to the substrate for downwardly and outwardly injecting gas toward the overall upper surface of the substrate and sucking the substrate in a proximity state by Bernoulli effect. It is possible to provide an apparatus capable of reliably preventing mist of a processing solution or the processing solution from reaching the upper surface of the substrate when rotating the substrate and supplying the processing solution to the lower surface for processing the substrate.