Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, a heating mechanism for heating a substrate includes a gas discharge nozzle arranged in an internal space, a heater attached to an outer wall of a chamber, and a pipe feeding to the discharge nozzle. An observing mechanism includes a light source part and an image pickup part which are arranged at a separation position away from an attachment portion in the outer wall of the chamber. Thus, the light source part and the image pickup part become less susceptible to an effect of heat generated by the heater. In other words, it is possible to prevent the reduction in the observation accuracy due to an effect of temperature change.

Abstract: This invention includes a substrate holder provided rotatably about an axis of rotation extending in a vertical direction while sucking and holding a central part of a lower surface of a substrate, a rotating mechanism for outputting a rotational driving force for rotating the substrate holder, a processing mechanism for processing the substrate by supplying a processing liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a rotating cup provided rotatably about the axis of rotation while surrounding an outer periphery of the rotating substrate and configured to collect liquid droplets of the processing liquid scattered from the substrate. The rotating mechanism includes a power transmitter for transmitting a part of the rotational driving force as a cup driving force to the rotating cup, and simultaneously rotates the substrate holder and the rotating cup by the rotational driving force.

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: In the invention, a rotating cup includes a lower cup to be rotated about the axis of rotation by receiving a cup driving force applied from a rotating mechanism and an upper cup for collecting the liquid droplets scattered through the collection space while rotating about the axis of rotation integrally with the lower cup by being coupled to the lower cup. The upper cup includes a first coupling part allowing communication between the collection space and a discharge space by being located above the lower cup and forming a gap between the lower cup and the first coupling part, and an inclined part provided obliquely upward of a peripheral edge part of the substrate from the first coupling part and configured to collect the liquid droplets by an inclined surface facing the collection space.

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 an upper sealing member fixed near a ceiling wall of a processing chamber and a lower sealing member provided movably in a vertical direction below the upper sealing member. A sealed space is formed by moving down the lower sealing member to a lower limit position where an upper end part of the lower sealing member is aligned or partially overlapped with a lower end part of the upper sealing member in the vertical direction. On the other hand, a conveyance space for carrying the substrate to and from a substrate holder is formed by moving up the lower sealing member to a retracted position above the lower limit position.

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: Provided is a harness protector, wherein a wire harness can easily be formed into a planar shape (with an oblate cross section), and maintained in that state. The harness protector is provided with: a protector body further provided with a roughly tabular-shaped bottom-plate section onto which a wire harness is to be placed, and a holding plate section that is integrally formed on one side of the bottom-plate section in pivotable state, and crushes the wire harness into an oblate cross-section shape, along with the bottom-plate section; and tying bands that anchor the holding plate section onto the bottom-plate section, in a state of having the holding plate section crushing the wire harness into an oblate cross-section shape.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holders respectively coming into contact with a carrier and a roller member. Each of the holders is sequentially separated from the carrier in accordance with a movement of the roller member, moves to a retracted position where the holder does not interfere with the roller member, comes into contact with the other surface of the carrier again after the passage of the roller member, and moves in the direction away from the carrier while sucking the carrier by the suction unit.

Abstract: A pattern forming apparatus comprises: a first holder which holds a blanket carrying a pattern forming material on one surface in a horizontal posture with a carrying surface for the pattern forming material faced up; a second holder which holds a plate for patterning the pattern forming material or a substrate, to which a pattern is transferred, as a processing object such that the processing object is proximate to and facing the carrying surface of the blanket held on the first holder; and a push-up unit which partially pushes up an effective area in a central part of the blanket from a lower surface side of the blanket to bring the effective area into contact with the processing object held on the second holder and moves along the lower surface of the blanket to change a push-up position of the blanket.

Abstract: In a detaching apparatus, a detachment starter bends one end part of a first plate-like body into a cylindrical or prismatic surface in a direction opposite to a second plate-like body, thereby forming a single and straight boundary line between an adhering region and a detached region. A separator increases a distance between a first holder holding the first plate-like body and a second holder holding the second plate-like body to separate the first and second plate-like bodies.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a circuit for equalizing voltages of energy storage cells, with less number of element and simpler circuit configuration than ever before. A plurality of field-effect transistors are arranged such that each of a plurality of parallel circuits formed, in one of connection states attained by switching of the switches, by connecting in parallel energy storage cells to perform mutual charging and discharging, includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits. This makes it possible to perform a voltage equalization operation using a small number of transistors.

Abstract: Provided is a harness protector, wherein a wire harness can easily be formed into a planar shape (with an oblate cross section), and maintained in that state. The harness protector is provided with: a protector body further provided with a roughly tabular-shaped bottom-plate section onto which a wire harness is to be placed, and a holding plate section that is integrally formed on one side of the bottom-plate section in pivotable state, and crushes the wire harness into an oblate cross-section shape, along with the bottom-plate section; and tying bands that anchor the holding plate section onto the bottom-plate section, in a state of having the holding plate section crushing the wire harness into an oblate cross-section shape.

Abstract: [Object] It is an object to provide a circuit for equalizing voltages of energy storage cells, with less number of element and simpler circuit configuration than ever before. [Solution] A plurality of field-effect transistors are arranged such that each of a plurality of parallel circuits formed, in one of connection states attained by switching of the switches, by connecting in parallel energy storage cells to perform mutual charging and discharging, includes a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having one of opposite polarities in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits, and a field-effect transistor adapted to avoid blocking a current having the other polarity in the each of the plurality of parallel circuits. This makes it possible to perform a voltage equalization operation using a small number of transistors.

Abstract: The wire harness installing structure has a wire harness, which includes a cylindrical protection sheath that holds a plurality of wires in a bundled state, wired across two structures, by making the wire harness stride over a movable linking part that links the two structures in a pivotable state. A movable part wiring section of the wire harness, which is to be installed for a prescribed length section that strides over the movable linking part, includes a non bundled part in which the protection sheath is peeled off to make each of the wires therein movable; and a stretchable protective member that covers the outer circumference of the non bundled part so as not to restrict a movable state of each of the wires.