Centering device, centering method, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To improve the positioning accuracy of a substrate in the direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction in a substrate processing apparatus utilizing a centering technique in which the positioning of the substrate in a direction parallel to the first horizontal direction in a horizontal plane is performed by clamping the substrate between a first abutment member and a second abutment member and a third abutment member, and the positioning of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction is performed by the second abutment member and the third abutment member.SOLUTION: At least one of the second reference position and the third reference position is adjustable in a horizontal plane, and thus a second contact member and a third contact member are positioned in appropriate positions in the horizontal plane by the adjustment, and a centering process is performed in that appropriate state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11D

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a centering technique for aligning the center of a disk-shaped substrate placed on the upper surface of a substrate support with the center of the substrate support, and to a substrate processing apparatus that processes the substrate using the centering technique. The processing includes a bevel etching process. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a substrate processing apparatus that rotates a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer and supplies a processing liquid to the peripheral portion of the substrate to perform chemical processing, cleaning processing, etc. For example, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the substrate is supported from below by a spin chuck (corresponding to an example of a "substrate support portion" of the present invention) and held by suction. At this time, if the center of the spin chuck and the center of the substrate are misaligned, this leads to a decrease in processing quality. Therefore, the above apparatus is equipped with a centering device.

[0003] The centering device performs a so-called centering process to reduce the eccentricity of the substrate relative to the spin chuck. More specifically, the centering device uses three contact members to surround the substrate placed on the upper surface of the substrate support part. Among these, the first contact member is provided so as to be movable in a first horizontal direction from a first reference position toward the center of the substrate support part in a horizontal plane, the first reference position being a reference distance longer than the radius of the substrate from the center of the substrate support part. Meanwhile, the remaining second and third contact members are provided on the opposite side of the first contact member with respect to the center of the substrate support part in a horizontal plane as follows. That is, the second contact member is provided so as to be movable in a second horizontal direction different from the direction from the second reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, the second contact member being deviated from a virtual line extending from the center of the substrate support part in the first horizontal direction and being a reference distance away from the center of the substrate support part. The third contact member is provided on the opposite side of the second contact member with respect to the imaginary line, away from the center of the substrate support part by a reference distance, and movable in a third horizontal direction different from the direction from the third reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate. By repeating the minute movements of these three contact members, each contact member gradually approaches the substrate while maintaining the same distance from the center of the substrate support part. During this approaching movement, the contact members sequentially come into contact with the substrate, and move the substrate horizontally toward the center of the substrate support part. As a result, when the substrate is sandwiched between these three contact members, the center of the substrate coincides with the center of the substrate support part, and the centering process is completed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-114594 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the centering device, the positioning of the substrate in the direction X, which is parallel to the first horizontal direction among the horizontal directions, is performed by pinching the substrate between the first contact member and the second and third contact members. Meanwhile, the positioning of the substrate in the direction Y (corresponding to the "fourth horizontal direction" of the present invention), which is perpendicular to the direction X, which is parallel to the first horizontal direction among the horizontal directions, is performed by the second and third contact members. For example, if the center of the substrate is eccentric from the center of the substrate support part on the Y2 direction side of Patent Document 1, the second contact member will contact the end surface of the substrate while the minute movement is repeated. If the minute movement is further repeated while maintaining the contact state, the substrate is displaced so that the center of the substrate shifts to the Y1 direction side, and eventually the third contact member will contact the end surface of the substrate. Centering in the direction Y is performed by such an operation. That is, the center of the substrate in the direction Y is determined by the positional relationship between the second and third contact members in the horizontal plane.

[0006] Therefore, when a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a centering device is newly installed or relocated, the frame supporting the centering device may be deformed. In addition, the second and third contact members may be worn down due to friction between the second and third contact members and the edge faces of the substrate. These factors may cause the positional relationship between the second and third contact members in the horizontal plane to fluctuate, which reduces the centering accuracy in the direction Y.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to improve the positioning accuracy of a substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction in a substrate processing apparatus that utilizes centering technology and centering technology in which the positioning of a substrate in a first horizontal direction in a horizontal plane is performed by clamping the substrate between a first abutment member and a second abutment member and a third abutment member, and the positioning of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction is performed by the second abutment member and the third abutment member. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention is a centering device that positions a substrate on a substrate support part so that the center of the substrate, which is placed in a horizontal position on the upper surface of the substrate support part, coincides with the center of the substrate support part, the centering device including a first abutment member that is movable in a first horizontal direction from a first reference position that is a reference distance away from the center of the substrate support part by a reference distance longer than the radius of the substrate, toward the center of the substrate support part in a horizontal plane, a second abutment member that is movable in a second horizontal direction different from the direction toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, from a second reference position that is away from an imaginary line extending from the center of the substrate support part in the first horizontal direction and is a reference distance away from the center of the substrate support part on the opposite side of the first abutment member with respect to the center of the substrate support part in the horizontal plane, and a second abutment member that is movable in a second horizontal direction different from the direction toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, from a second reference position that is away from an imaginary line extending from the center of the substrate support part in the first horizontal direction and is a reference distance away from the center of the substrate support part the third contact member being movable from a third reference position a reference distance away from the center of the holding part in a third horizontal direction different from the direction toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate; a moving mechanism which moves the first contact member, the second contact member and the third contact member in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction, respectively; and a movement control part which repeats micro-movements by which the moving mechanism moves the first contact member, the second contact member and the third contact member by a first movement amount, a second movement amount and a third movement amount, respectively, so that the distances of the first contact member, the second contact member and the third contact member from the center of the substrate support part are kept constant, until all of the first contact member, the second contact member and the third contact member have completed contacting the substrate, and at least one of the second reference position and the third reference position is adjustable within the horizontal plane.

[0009] A second aspect of the present invention is a centering method for positioning a substrate on a substrate support part so that the center of the substrate, which is placed in a horizontal position on an upper surface of the substrate support part, coincides with the center of the substrate support part, the method comprising: (a) positioning a first abutment member at a first reference position in a horizontal plane that is a reference distance away from the center of the substrate support part by a reference distance longer than a radius of the substrate; and (b) positioning a first abutment member at a first reference position on the opposite side of the first abutment member with respect to the center of the substrate support part, which is deviated from an imaginary line extending from the first reference position through the center of the substrate support part and is also deviated from the reference distance from the center of the substrate support part. (b) placing a substrate on the upper surface of the substrate support part in a state where the second contact member is positioned at a second reference position spaced a reference distance from the center of the substrate support part by a virtual line on the opposite side of the first contact member with respect to the center of the substrate support part and the opposite side of the second contact member with respect to the virtual line, and the third contact member is positioned at a third reference position spaced a reference distance from the center of the substrate support part; and (b) moving the substrate from the first reference position to the center of the substrate support part by a virtual line on the opposite side of the first contact member with respect to the center of the substrate support part so that the distances of the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member from the center of the substrate support part are kept constant. a step of repeating the micro-movements, (c) moving the first contact member in a first horizontal direction toward the substrate, moving the second contact member by a second movement amount in a second horizontal direction different from a direction from the second reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, and moving the third contact member by a third movement amount in a third horizontal direction different from a direction from the third reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate; and (d) stopping the micro-movements when it is confirmed that the substrate is sandwiched between the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member during the repetition of the micro-movements; and d) after performing steps (a) to (c), determining an amount of eccentricity of the center of the substrate from the center of the substrate support part in a fourth horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction based on peripheral information obtained by measuring the peripheral portion of the substrate placed on the upper surface of the substrate support part, wherein when the amount of eccentricity exceeds a preset allowable value, at least one of the second reference position and the third reference position is moved in the horizontal plane by a distance corresponding to the amount of eccentricity, and then steps (a) to (c) are performed again.

[0010] Furthermore, a third aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate support section having an upper surface for supporting a substrate in a horizontal position; a centering device; a suction section for evacuating the space between the substrate positioned by the centering device and the substrate support section to adsorb and hold the substrate on the substrate support section; a rotational drive section for rotating the substrate support section which adsorbs and holds the substrate, about a center of the substrate support section; and a processing liquid supply mechanism for supplying processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate which is rotated around the center of the substrate support section integrally with the substrate support section.

[0011] In the invention configured in this manner, similar to the centering device described in Patent Document 1, the positioning of the substrate in a direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction in the horizontal plane is performed by the second and third contact members. Therefore, if the positional relationship between the second and third contact members at the start of the micro-movement is deviated from the proper state for the centering process of the substrate, it becomes difficult to align the center of the substrate with the center of the substrate support part. In consideration of this point, in the present invention, at least one of the second and third reference positions is provided so as to be adjustable in the horizontal plane. Therefore, the second and third contact members are positioned at the proper positions in the horizontal plane by the adjustment, and the centering process is performed in that proper state. Effect of the Invention

[0012] As described above, according to the present invention, even if the positional relationship between the second and third contact members in the horizontal plane deviates from the appropriate state, the positional relationship can be adjusted, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. [Diagram 3]2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a substrate holding unit and a centering mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus; FIG. [Figure 4] 11A to 11C are diagrams illustrating the configuration of a contact member that can be used in the centering mechanism and its relationship with a notch in a substrate. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of a centering mechanism. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating the positional relationship between the contact member and the center of the spin base before and after a minute movement. [Figure 7] 5 is a graph showing a change in load torque with respect to a change in distance from the center of the base to the contact surface in the first embodiment. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing an initial adjustment process of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 9A] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operations of the various parts of the apparatus in the initial adjustment process. [Figure 9B] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operations of the various parts of the apparatus in the initial adjustment process. [Figure 9C] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operations of the various parts of the apparatus in the initial adjustment process. [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart showing substrate processing in the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 11A] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus during substrate processing. [Figure 11B] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus during substrate processing. [Figure 11C] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus during substrate processing. [Figure 11D] 2A to 2C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus during substrate processing. [Figure 12] 13 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a substrate holding part and a centering mechanism in a second embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 13A] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus in substrate processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13B] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus in substrate processing according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of movement of the contact member and the amount of movement of the center of the substrate in the second embodiment. [Figure 15] 13 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a substrate holding part and a centering mechanism in a third embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. [Figure 16A] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus in substrate processing according to the third embodiment. [Figure 16B] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the operation of each part of the apparatus in substrate processing according to the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 13 is a graph showing the relationship between the amount of movement of the contact member and the amount of movement of the center of the substrate in the third embodiment. [Figure 18] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating schematic configurations and operations of various parts of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] 13A to 13C are views each showing a schematic configuration and operation of each portion of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system equipped with a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. This is not an external view of the substrate processing system 100, but a schematic view showing the internal structure of the substrate processing system 100 by removing the outer wall panel and other parts of the substrate processing system 100. The substrate processing system 100 is a single-wafer processing apparatus that is installed, for example, in a clean room and processes substrates S having a circuit pattern or the like (hereinafter referred to as a "pattern") formed only on one main surface thereof one by one. Then, in a processing unit equipped in the substrate processing system 100, substrate processing is performed using a processing liquid. In this specification, the pattern-formed surface (one main surface) of both main surfaces of the substrate on which a pattern is formed is referred to as the "front surface", and the other main surface on the opposite side on which a pattern is not formed is referred to as the "rear surface". In addition, the surface facing downward is referred to as the "lower surface", and the surface facing upward is referred to as the "upper surface". In addition, in this specification, the "pattern-formed surface" means a surface of the substrate on which a concave-convex pattern is formed in an arbitrary region.

[0015] Here, the "substrate" in this embodiment can be any of various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for a photomask, a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display, a glass substrate for a plasma display, a substrate for an FED (Field Emission Display), a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, etc. In the following, a substrate processing apparatus used mainly for processing semiconductor wafers will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention can be similarly applied to the processing of the various substrates exemplified above.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 100 has a substrate processing area 110 where a disk-shaped substrate S is processed. An indexer unit 120 is provided adjacent to the substrate processing area 110. The indexer unit 120 has a container holding unit 121 capable of holding a plurality of containers C (FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface) pod, OC (Open Cassette), etc., which contain a plurality of substrates S in a sealed state) for containing the substrates S. The indexer unit 120 also has an indexer robot 122 for accessing the container C held by the container holding unit 121 to take out an unprocessed substrate S from the container C or store a processed substrate S in the container C. Each container C contains a plurality of substrates S in a substantially horizontal position.

[0017] The indexer robot 122 comprises a base 122a fixed to the device housing, an articulated arm 122b rotatable about a vertical axis relative to the base 122a, and a hand 122c attached to the tip of the articulated arm 122b. The hand 122c is structured so that a substrate S can be placed on its upper surface and held thereon. Indexer robots having such articulated arms and hands for holding substrates are well known, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0018] In the substrate processing area 110, a mounting table 112 is provided so that a substrate S from an indexer robot 122 can be placed thereon. A substrate transport robot 111 is disposed approximately in the center of the substrate processing area 110 in a plan view. A plurality of processing units 1 are disposed surrounding the substrate transport robot 111. The substrate transport robot 111 randomly accesses these processing units 1 to transfer the substrate S. Meanwhile, each processing unit 1 performs a predetermined process on the substrate S. In this embodiment, one of these processing units 1 corresponds to the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention.

[0019] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a first embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a substrate holding unit and a centering mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an abutting member that can be used in the centering mechanism and its relationship with a notch of a substrate. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic operation of the centering mechanism. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic positional relationship between the abutting member and the center of the spin base before and after a minute movement. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is an apparatus that performs a bevel etching process as an example of the "processing" of the present invention, and supplies a processing liquid to the peripheral portion of the upper surface of a substrate S in a processing chamber. For this purpose, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a substrate holding unit 2, a centering mechanism 3, which is a main component of the centering apparatus of the present invention, and a processing liquid supply mechanism 4. These operations are controlled by a control unit 9 that controls the entire apparatus.

[0020] The substrate holder 2 includes a spin base 21, which is a disk-shaped member smaller than the substrate S. The spin base 21 is supported by a rotation support shaft 22 extending downward from the center of its lower surface so that the upper surface 211 is horizontal. The rotation support shaft 22 is rotatably supported by a rotation drive unit 23. The rotation drive unit 23 has a built-in rotation motor 231, which rotates in response to a control command from the control unit 9. This rotation drive force causes the spin base 21 to rotate around a vertical axis AX (dotted line) that passes through the center 21C of the spin base 21 and extends vertically. In FIG. 2, the up-down direction is the vertical direction. Also, a plane perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 2 is the horizontal plane. In order to clarify the directional relationships in FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings, a coordinate system is appropriately provided in which the Z axis is the vertical direction and the XY plane is the horizontal plane.

[0021] The upper surface 211 of the spin base 21 has a size large enough to support the substrate S, and the substrate S can be placed on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21. Although not shown, the upper surface 211 is provided with a plurality of suction holes and suction grooves. These suction holes and the like are connected to the suction pump 24 via a suction pipe 241. The suction pump 24 functions as an example of the "suction unit" of the present invention. When the suction pump 24 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 9, the suction pump 24 applies a suction force to the spin base 21. As a result, air is exhausted from between the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21 and the lower surface of the substrate S, and the substrate S is suction-held on the spin base 21. The substrate S thus suction-held is rotated around the vertical axis AX together with the rotation of the spin base 21. Therefore, if the center SC of the substrate S does not coincide with the center 21C of the spin base 21, that is, if the substrate S is eccentric, the quality of the bevel etching process is reduced.

[0022] Therefore, in this embodiment, a centering mechanism 3 is provided, which functions as a "centering device" according to the present invention by working in cooperation with the control unit 9. The centering mechanism 3 has a measurement unit 37 that measures the peripheral portion of the substrate S adsorbed and held on the spin base 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the measurement unit 37 is located at the peripheral portion of the substrate S adsorbed and held on the spin base 21 and is capable of acquiring peripheral information regarding the peripheral portion of the substrate S. In addition, in the radial direction D4 of the spin base 21, the measurement unit 37 is movable to a retracted position separated from the peripheral portion of the substrate S. As the measurement unit 37, for example, an edge detection sensor described in JP 2021-54562 A can be used. More specifically, the measurement unit 37 detects the edge position of the substrate S in the radial direction of the spin base 21 while the substrate S rotates at least once around the vertical axis AX together with the rotation of the spin base 21, and outputs an edge detection signal indicating the edge position to the control unit 9 as peripheral information. Therefore, by analyzing the edge detection signal, it is possible to obtain the amount of eccentricity (symbols ex and ey in FIG. 11C, which will be described later) in the X and Y directions of the center SC of the substrate S from the center 21C of the spin base 21. Note that, other than the edge detection sensor, an imaging unit that images the peripheral portion of the substrate S may be used as the measurement unit 37. In this case, the continuous images captured by the imaging unit while the substrate S rotates at least once around the vertical axis AX together with the rotation of the spin base 21 correspond to the peripheral information. Since the method of deriving the amount of eccentricity in the X and Y directions based on the edge detection signal and the continuous images of the peripheral portion in this manner is well known, a detailed description will be omitted here.

[0023] The spin base 21 rotates while suction-holding the substrate S. When the suction by the suction pump 24 is stopped, the substrate S becomes movable horizontally on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21. In this state, the centering process is performed. This centering process eliminates the eccentricity, and the center SC of the substrate S coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. The detailed configuration and operation of the centering mechanism 3, including the attitude adjustment, will be described later. Furthermore, if the amount of eccentricity exceeds the allowable value even after the centering process has been performed, the reference position is adjusted based on the amount of eccentricity, which will also be described later in detail.

[0024] A processing liquid supply mechanism 4 is provided to perform a bevel etching process on the substrate S that has been subjected to the centering process. The processing liquid supply mechanism 4 has a processing liquid nozzle 41, a nozzle movement unit 42 that moves the processing liquid nozzle 41, and a processing liquid supply unit 43 that supplies a processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 41. The nozzle movement unit 42 moves the processing liquid nozzle 41 between a retracted position where the processing liquid nozzle 41 is retracted to the side from above the substrate S as shown by the solid line in Fig. 2, and a processing position above the peripheral portion of the substrate S as shown by the dotted line in the same figure.

[0025] The processing liquid nozzle 41 is connected to a processing liquid supply unit 43. When an appropriate processing liquid is supplied from the processing liquid supply unit 43 to the processing liquid nozzle 41 positioned at the processing position, the processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 41 onto the peripheral portion of the rotating substrate S. As a result, a bevel etching process using the processing liquid is performed on the entire peripheral portion of the substrate S.

[0026] 2, a splash guard portion is provided to surround the sides of the substrate holding portion 2. The splash guard portion collects droplets of the processing liquid shaken off from the substrate S during the bevel etching process, and effectively prevents the droplets from scattering around the apparatus.

[0027] Next, the configuration of the centering mechanism 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 2 to Fig. 6. The centering mechanism 3 has a function of horizontally moving and positioning the substrate S on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21 so that the center SC of the substrate S placed on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21 coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the centering mechanism 3 has a contact member 31 arranged on the X2 direction (right hand direction in the figure) side with respect to the center 21C of the spin base 21 in the X direction, and contact members 32 and 33 arranged on the X1 direction (left hand direction in the figure). The centering mechanism 3 also has a movement mechanism 34 for moving the contact members 31 to 33 in the horizontal direction.

[0028] The movement mechanism 34 has a single movement unit 35 for moving the contact member 31, and a multi movement unit 36 ​​for collectively moving the contact members 32 and 33. With respect to the center 21C of the spin base 21, the single movement unit 35 is disposed on the X2 direction side, while the multi movement unit 36 ​​is disposed on the X1 direction side.

[0029] The single moving unit 35 has a fixed base 351, a rotary motor 352, a power transmission unit 353, and a slider 354. The rotary motor 352 is attached to the fixed base 351, and the power transmission unit 353 and the slider 354 are stacked on the fixed base 351 in this order. The rotary motor 352 is a drive source for moving the abutting member 31 in the X direction. When the rotary motor 352 operates in response to a control command from the control unit 9, a rotary shaft (not shown) rotates. This rotary shaft extends from the upper part of the fixed base 351 to the power transmission unit 353, and the rotary driving force generated by the rotary motor 352 is transmitted to the power transmission unit 353. The power transmission unit 353 converts the rotary motion corresponding to the rotary driving force into a linear motion in the X direction by, for example, a rack and pinion structure, and transmits it to the slider 354. As a result, the slider 354 reciprocates in the X direction by a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation. As a result, the contact member 31 attached to the upper portion of the slider 354 is moved in the X direction in conjunction with the movement of the slider 354.

[0030] The multi-movement unit 36 ​​is basically configured similarly to the single-movement unit 35, except that the structure of the slider 364 is partially different. That is, the multi-movement unit 36 ​​applies a rotational driving force generated by a rotary motor 362 attached to a base member 361 to the slider 364 by a power transmission unit 363, and moves the slider 364 in the X direction. The upper part of the slider 364 has two arms 364a and 364b extending in the X2 direction, which are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, and has a substantially C-shape in a plan view from above vertically. Abutment members 32 and 33 are attached to the ends of the arms 364a and 364b on the X2 direction side, respectively. Therefore, when the rotary motor 362 is operated in response to a control command from the control unit 9, the slider 364 reciprocates in the X direction by a distance corresponding to the amount of rotation of the rotary motor 362, similar to the single-movement unit 35. As a result, the abutment members 32 and 33 attached to the slider 364 are moved in the X direction along with the movement of the slider 364.

[0031] The contact members 31 to 33 have contact surfaces 311 to 331 that can contact the edge surface Se of the substrate S, respectively. The contact members 31 to 33 are arranged so as to surround the substrate holding part 2 in the XY plane (horizontal plane) with the contact surfaces 311 to 331 facing the edge surface Se of the substrate S. The contact surfaces 311 to 331 have a curved shape along the edge surface Se of the substrate S. As shown in (a) of FIG. 4, in the contact surface 321, a curved region 323 that intersects with a virtual horizontal plane including the substrate S placed on the upper surface of the substrate holding part 2 functions as a contactable region. That is, the contact surface 321 is finished so that the center of curvature of the curved region 323 is located on the substrate S side and the radius of curvature of the curved region 323 is larger than the radius of the substrate S. Therefore, when the contact member 32 is moved toward the edge surface Se of the substrate S during centering, the curved region 323 contacts the edge surface Se of the substrate S at one or two points. That is, as shown in the figure, when the notch NT is placed on the upper surface of the spin base 21 in a position facing the abutment surface 321, the two abutment points CP1 and CP2 on the curved region 323 are stopped by the shoulder portion of the notch NT, and it is possible to effectively prevent a part of the abutment member 32 from entering the notch NT. Also, although the abutment surface 321 moves to a position P3 which is located toward the substrate S by a deviation amount Lc from a position P0 where the abutment surface 321 abuts against the edge surface Se of the substrate S and is positioned, the deviation amount Lc is smaller than that in the case where the abutment surface 321 is finished to a flat surface. The same applies to the abutment surface 311 of the abutment member 31 and the abutment surface 331 of the abutment member 33.

[0032] When the contact member 31 is moved in the X1 direction by the single moving unit 35, the contact surface 311 of the contact member 31 advances toward the center 21C of the spin base 21 and comes into contact with the end surface Se of the substrate S. In this way, in this embodiment, the movement direction D1 of the contact member 31 for contacting the substrate S is the X1 direction, which corresponds to the "first horizontal direction" of the present invention. Then, by further moving in the D1 direction after the contact, the substrate S is horizontally moved in the X1 direction on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21 while pressing it in the X1 direction. In this way, in this embodiment, in order to help understand the contents of the invention, a virtual line VL extending from the center 21C of the spin base 21 in the X1 direction is additionally described in FIG. 3, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6. This corresponds to the "virtual line" of the present invention. Hereinafter, the configuration of the centering mechanism 3 will be described while appropriately using the virtual line VL.

[0033] The movement of the contact members 32 and 33 by the multi-movement unit 36 ​​is partially different from that of the contact member 31. This is because the contact members 32 and 33 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the virtual line VL in the horizontal plane, and are moved in the X direction while remaining in that arrangement. More specifically, the contact member 32 is arranged at a predetermined distance W (which is shorter than the radius rs of the substrate S) away from the virtual line VL toward the Y2 direction, as shown in (a) of FIG. 5. On the other hand, the contact member 33 is arranged on the opposite side of the virtual line VL to the contact member 32, that is, toward the Y1 direction, away from the contact member 32 by the same distance W as the contact member 32. Therefore, when the contact members 32 and 33 are moved in the X2 direction by the multi-movement unit 36, the contact surface 321 of the contact member 32 comes into contact with the substrate end surface on the Y2 direction side of the virtual line VL, and the contact surface 331 of the contact member 33 comes into contact with the substrate end surface on the Y1 direction side of the virtual line VL. Thus, in this embodiment, the movement direction D2 of the contact member 32 for contacting the substrate S is the X2 direction, which corresponds to the "second horizontal direction" of the present invention. The movement direction D3 of the contact member 33 for contacting the substrate S is also the X2 direction, which corresponds to the "third horizontal direction" of the present invention. Therefore, in order to move the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331 while keeping the distances from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331 constant, it is necessary to make the movement amount per unit time different between the contact member 31 and the contact members 32 and 33. This point will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 5 and 6, and the centering process using the above-mentioned movement mode will be described.

[0034] In order to place the substrate S on the upper surface 211 of the spin base 21, it is desirable to position the contact surfaces 311, 321, 331 at the reference positions taking into consideration at least the maximum value of the outer diameter tolerance of the substrate S. For example, for a substrate S with a diameter of 300 mm, the outer diameter tolerance is 0.2 mm. Therefore, the contact surfaces 311, 321, 331 must be spaced from the center 21C of the spin base 21 by a distance of 150.1 mm or more. In this embodiment, this distance is called the "reference distance r0," and as shown in FIG. 5(a), a circle (dashed line) with a radius of the reference distance r0 and centered on the center 21C of the spin base 21 is used as the reference circle.

[0035] Next, consider a case where the abutment members 31-33 are positioned so that the abutment surfaces 311, 321, 331 are located on the reference circle, and then the abutment surfaces 311, 321, 331 are moved toward the substrate S. In this case, the position of the abutment member 31 for positioning the abutment surface 311 on the reference circle corresponds to the "first reference position" of the present invention, the position of the abutment member 32 for positioning the abutment surface 321 on the reference circle corresponds to the "second reference position" of the present invention, and the position of the abutment member 33 for positioning the abutment surface 331 on the reference circle corresponds to the "third reference position" of the present invention.

[0036] Here, consider a case where the abutment member 31 is slightly moved in the D1 direction (X1 direction) by the first movement amount Δd1 toward the substrate S from the states where the abutment members 31-33 are located at the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position, respectively. If the abutment members 32 and 33 are correspondingly slightly moved by the same distance in the D2 direction (X2 direction), the distances from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the abutment surfaces 311, 321, and 331 become nonuniform. Therefore, if the abutment members 31-33 are repeatedly moved by the same movement amount per unit time, the center SC of the substrate S will not coincide with the center 21C of the spin base 21.

[0037] In contrast to this, as shown in column (b) of Figure 5 and Figure 6, by slightly moving the abutment member 31 in the D1 direction by the first movement amount Δd1, the abutment member 32 is slightly moved in the D2 direction by the second movement amount Δd2, and the abutment member 33 is slightly moved in the D3 direction by the third movement amount Δd3 (= Δd2), it is possible to move the abutment surfaces 311, 321, 331 while maintaining the same distance from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to each abutment surface 311, 321, 331.

[0038] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of the positional relationship between the contact member 32 and the center 21C of the spin base 21 before and after the minute movement. FIG. 6 shows the positional relationship between the contact member 32 and a circle having a radius of r1 centered on the center 21C of the spin base 21, and the positional relationship between the contact member 32 and a circle having a radius of r2 centered on the center 21C of the spin base 21. FIG. 6 shows the contact member 32 before the contact member 32 is minutely moved in the D2 direction by the second movement amount Δd2 with a solid line, and shows the contact member 32 after the minute movement with a two-dot chain line. FIG. 6 shows a contact point 324 between the contact member 32 and the circle having a radius of r1 centered on the center 21C of the spin base 21 and the contact member 32, and a contact point 325 between the contact member 32 and the circle having a radius of r2 centered on the center 21C of the spin base 21.

[0039] 6, contact point 324 and contact point 325 are located at different positions on contact member 32. Meanwhile, a straight line connecting center 21C of spin base 21 and contact point 324 overlaps with a straight line connecting center 21C of spin base 21 and contact point 325. Furthermore, the angle formed by the straight line connecting center 21C of spin base 21 and contact point 324 and imaginary line VL is the same as the angle formed by the straight line connecting center 21C of spin base 21 and contact point 325 and imaginary line VL.

[0040] For this reason, the distance Δd2 by which the contact member 32 is slightly moved (corresponding to the "second movement amount" of the present invention) and the distance Δd3 by which the contact member 33 is slightly moved (corresponding to the "third movement amount" of the present invention) are set as follows: Δd2=Δd3=(r1-r2) / cosθ=Δd1 / cosθ r1=r0 r2=r1-Δd1 however, r1: distance from the center 21C before the minute movement to the contact surface 321, θ: the angle between the imaginary line VL and the straight line connecting the center 21C of the spin base 21 with the tangent point 324 and the tangent point 325, r2: distance from the center 21C to the contact surface 321 after the minute movement, W: Distance between the imaginary line VL and the contact member 32, In this case, even after the minute movement, the distance from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331 remains the same. By repeating such minute movements, the contact members 31 to 33 approach the substrate S while maintaining the same distance from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331. Then, for example, if eccentricity as shown in FIG. 5 occurs, the contact member 31 first comes into contact with the substrate S during the repetition of the minute movements, and moves the substrate S in the D1 direction (see column (c) of FIG. 5). Subsequently, the contact member 32 comes into contact with the substrate S being pushed by the contact member 31, and moves it horizontally. Subsequently, when the minute movement is further repeated while maintaining the contact state of the contact member 32 against the edge face of the substrate S, the substrate S is displaced so that the center SC of the substrate S shifts in the Y1 direction, and the distance from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331 becomes the radius of the substrate S, as shown in FIG. 5(d). Then, the last contact member 33 also contacts the substrate S. In this way, the substrate S is sandwiched between the contact members 31 to 33, and the movement of the substrate S is stopped, and the center SC of the substrate S coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. In this way, the centering process of the substrate S can be performed.

[0041] In the centering device (=centering mechanism 3+controller 9) according to this embodiment, the positioning of the substrate S in the direction X among the horizontal directions is performed by sandwiching the substrate S between the contact member 31 and the contact members 32, 33. Meanwhile, the positioning of the substrate S in the direction Y (corresponding to the "fourth horizontal direction" of the present invention) perpendicular to the direction X among the horizontal directions is performed by the contact members 32, 33. That is, the center of the substrate S in the direction Y is determined by the positional relationship of the contact members 32, 33 in the horizontal plane. Here, as described above, the positional relationship of the contact members 32, 33 in the horizontal plane may change due to deformation of the frame (not shown) supporting the centering mechanism 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 10, wear of the contact members 32, 33, etc., which may result in a decrease in centering accuracy in the direction Y.

[0042] Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, a reference position adjustment unit 38 is provided. The reference position adjustment unit 38 has a Y movement stage 381 that is provided so as to be movable in the direction Y relative to the frame while supporting the base member 361 from below, a motor 382 that drives the Y movement stage 381 in the direction Y, and a stopper 383 that restricts the overrun of the Y movement stage 381 in the Y1 direction. The motor 382 moves the Y movement stage 381 in the direction Y according to a movement command from the control unit 9. For example, when a movement command to a specified position is received, the motor 382 moves the Y movement stage 381 in the Y1 direction. Then, when the Y movement stage 381 is stopped by the stopper 383, the motor 382 is stopped. As a result, the Y movement stage 381 and the multi-movement unit 36 ​​and the abutment members 32 and 33 supported by the Y movement stage 381 are positioned at the specified position in the direction Y (the position shown in Fig. 9A described later). Thus, in this embodiment, the stopper 383 has a positioning function for positioning the contact members 32, 33 at specified positions in the direction Y, in addition to the overrun prevention function.

[0043] After the contact members 32, 33 are positioned at the specified positions in this manner, the control unit 9 gives an initial position command to the motor 382, ​​which causes the motor 382 to move the Y movement stage 381 in the Y2 direction by a distance Dof corresponding to the initial position command. As a result, the contact members 32, 33 are positioned line-symmetrically with respect to the virtual line VL, as shown in Figures 3 and 5. That is, the contact members 32, 33 are positioned at the initial positions. This will be described in detail later together with the initial adjustment of the substrate processing apparatus 10 based on Figures 8, 9A, and 9B.

[0044] Furthermore, when the centering accuracy is reduced due to a change in the positional relationship between the contact members 32 and 33 in the horizontal plane, the control unit 9 accordingly issues an adjustment command to the motor 382. Then, the motor 382 moves the Y movement stage 381 and the multi-movement unit 36 ​​and the contact members 32 and 33 supported by the Y movement stage 381 in the direction Y by a distance corresponding to the adjustment command. As a result, the contact members 32 and 33 are moved in the direction Y collectively while maintaining the Y-directional interval (=2W) therebetween, and the second and third reference positions in the direction Y are adjusted. The effect of adjusting the second and third reference positions will be described in detail later together with the normal operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 based on FIG. 10 and FIG. 11A to FIG. 11D.

[0045] In this embodiment having the above-mentioned centering mechanism 3, the control unit 9 controls each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 10 to execute the initial adjustment process and normal operation (=centering process+bevel etching process). The control unit 9 includes an arithmetic processing unit 91 configured by a computer having a CPU (=Central Processing Unit) and RAM (=Random Access Memory), a storage unit 92 such as a hard disk drive, and a motor control unit 93.

[0046] The arithmetic processing unit 91 appropriately reads out the initial adjustment program, centering program, bevel etching program, reference position adjustment program, and the like stored in advance in the storage unit 92, develops them in a RAM (not shown), and executes the initial adjustment process, centering process, bevel etching process, and reference position adjustment process. In particular, when performing the centering process, the arithmetic processing unit 91 calculates the first movement amount Δd1 to the third movement amount Δd3, and controls the rotation motors 352 and 362 of the movement mechanism 34 via the motor control unit 93 based on these movement amounts Δd1 to Δd3. In addition, the arithmetic processing unit 91 calculates the load torque at the single movement unit 35 from the motor current value given to the rotation motor 352, and calculates the load torque at the multi-movement unit 36 ​​from the motor current value given to the rotation motor 362. Here, as the distance from the center 21C of the spin base 21 to the contact surfaces 311, 321, and 331 (the distance from the base center to the contact surface) changes while the minute movements are repeated, the load torque fluctuates, for example, as shown in FIG. 7. As shown in the figure, when the distance coincides with the radius rs of the substrate S, that is, when the contact members 31-33 sandwich the substrate S, the load torque increases rapidly almost simultaneously in the single movement unit 35 and the multi-movement unit 36. Therefore, the calculation processing unit 91 determines that the centering process is completed when the load torque exceeds a threshold value, and stops the movement of the contact members 31-33. In this embodiment, the fluctuation of the load torque is monitored for all the motors 352 and 362, but the timing to stop the movement of the contact members 31-33 may be specified by monitoring only one of the motors. It goes without saying that the load torque may be calculated based on something other than the motor current value. These points are the same when the contact members 31-33 are moved by their own motors. Furthermore, when the contact members 31-33 are moved by a single motor, the load torque may be calculated based on the load torque or motor current value of the motor.

[0047] Furthermore, after the centering process, the calculation processing unit 91 determines the amount of eccentricity of the center SC of the substrate S in direction Y from the center 21C of the spin base 21 based on peripheral information relating to the peripheral portion of the substrate S measured by the measurement unit 37. Then, when the calculation processing unit 91 determines that the amount of eccentricity exceeds an allowable value, it moves the multi-movement unit 36 ​​in direction Y by a distance corresponding to the amount of eccentricity to adjust the second reference position and the third reference position. Thus, in this embodiment, the calculation processing unit 91 functions as the "eccentricity information acquisition unit" and "movement control unit" of the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the initial adjustment process of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 2. FIGS. 9A to 9C are diagrams showing the operation of each part of the apparatus in the initial adjustment process. This initial adjustment process is a process for determining the first reference position to the third reference position using a circular adjustment jig CJ having a diameter slightly larger than that of the substrate S and a uniform distance from the center to the edge (i.e., radius) over the entire circumference. As shown in FIG. 9A, in a state where the circular adjustment jig is not placed on the spin base 21, the calculation processing unit 91 gives a Y1 movement command to the motor control unit 93 to move the Y movement stage 381 toward the stopper 383 (step S11). As a result, the Y movement stage 381 moves the multi-movement unit 36 ​​and the abutment members 32 and 33 in the Y1 direction together. Then, at the timing when the Y movement stage 381 is engaged with the stopper 383 ("YES" in step S12), the calculation processing unit 91 stops the movement of the Y movement stage 381 (step S13). At this time, the midpoint between the contact members 32, 33 in the direction Y is offset by a predetermined offset value Dof (for example, 1 mm) toward the Y1 direction from the center 21C of the spin base 21.

[0049] Following this, the arithmetic processor 91 gives a Y1 movement command to the motor controller 93 to move the Y movement stage 381 in the Y2 direction by the offset value Dof (step S14). As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the intermediate position of the contact members 32 and 33 in the direction Y coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. The arithmetic processor 91 also positions the contact members 31 to 33 at positions farther away from the center 21C than the radius of the disc jig CJ, creating a situation in which the disc jig CJ can be placed on the spin base 21. Under this situation, the arithmetic processor 91 makes a loading request for the disc jig CJ to the substrate transport robot 111, and waits for the disc jig CJ to be carried into the substrate processing apparatus 10 and placed on the upper surface of the spin base 21. Then, the disc jig CJ is placed on the spin base 21 (step S15). In this embodiment, the disk jig CJ is loaded using the substrate transport robot 111, but the disk jig CJ may be loaded by an operator.

[0050] The disk jig CJ and the spin base 21 are shaped so that they can be fixed at a position where the center of the disk jig CJ coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. Therefore, when the loading of the disk jig CJ is completed, the center of the disk jig CJ coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. In this state, the calculation processing unit 91 slightly moves each of the abutment members 31 to 33 toward the disk jig CJ, as shown by the dotted arrows ARx in FIG. 9C. Then, the disk jig CJ is held by the abutment members 31 to 33, thereby performing centering of the disk jig CJ (step S16). Through this process, each of the abutment members 31 to 33 is positioned at a position away from the center 21C of the spin base 21 by a distance equivalent to the radius of the disk jig CJ. Therefore, in this embodiment, the calculation processing unit 91 stores the X direction positions of the contact members 31 to 33 in the storage unit 92 as the "first reference position," "second reference position," and "third reference position" of the present invention, respectively (step S17).

[0051] Next, after releasing the grip of the disk jig CJ by the contact members 31 to 33 (step S18), the arithmetic processor 91 unloads the disk jig CJ from the substrate processing apparatus 10 (step S19) in a reverse order to the loading process of the disk jig CJ (step S15).

[0052] In this manner, in this embodiment, by providing the reference position adjustment unit 38, it is possible to perform highly accurate mechanical positioning of the contact members 32, 33 in the direction Y. Moreover, it is possible to set the first reference position to the third reference position with high accuracy using the adjustment disc jig CJ.

[0053] Next, substrate processing by the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 10 and Fig. 11A to Fig. 11D. Fig. 10 is a flow chart showing substrate processing in the substrate processing apparatus shown in Fig. 2, and Fig. 11A to Fig. 11D are diagrams showing schematic operations of each part of the apparatus in the substrate processing. In the substrate processing apparatus 10, the calculation processing unit 91 controls each part of the apparatus to perform a centering process before a bevel etching process. More specifically, the following steps S21 to S26 are performed.

[0054] The calculation processing unit 91 causes the motor control unit 93 to move the contact members 31-33 and the measurement unit 37 to positions radially away from the spin base 21. This forms a transport space above the spin base 21 that is sufficient for the hand (not shown) of the substrate transport robot 111 to enter, and prevents the substrate S transported by the substrate transport robot 111 from interfering with the contact members 31-33 and the measurement unit 37.

[0055] After confirming that the transfer space has been formed and that interference with the substrate S has been prevented, the processor 91 issues a loading request for the substrate S to the substrate transfer robot 111 and waits for the unprocessed substrate S to be carried into the substrate processing apparatus 10 and placed on the upper surface of the spin base 21. Then, the substrate S is placed on the spin base 21 (step S21). At this point, the suction pump 24 is stopped, and the substrate S can move horizontally on the upper surface of the spin base 21.

[0056] When the loading of the substrate S is completed, the substrate transport robot 111 retreats from the substrate processing apparatus 10. Following this, the arithmetic processor 91 first moves the contact members 31-33 to the first reference position or the third reference position acquired by the initial adjustment process, respectively, by the motor controller 93, as shown in FIG. 11A. Next, the arithmetic processor 91 moves the contact member 31 in the X1 direction by the single mover 35, and moves the contact members 32 and 33 in the X2 direction by the multi-mover 36, as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 11B. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the contact members 31-33 move slightly toward the substrate S from the state where they are located at the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position, respectively. By repeating this slight movement, the substrate S moves so that its center SC coincides with the center 21C of the spin base 21. That is, centering of the substrate S is performed (step S22). After this centering process, the arithmetic processing unit 91 operates the suction pump 24 to suck and hold the substrate S on the spin base 21. Furthermore, as shown by a solid arrow ARx in Fig. 11C, the arithmetic processing unit 91 moves the abutment member 31 in the X2 direction by the single movement unit 35 and moves the abutment members 32 and 33 in the X1 direction by the multi movement unit 36, so that the abutment members 31 to 33 return to the first reference position, the second reference position and the third reference position, respectively.

[0057] Although the centering process may be completed by executing this step S22 only once, in this embodiment, in order to aim for more accurate positioning, the amount of eccentricity of the substrate S that has been subjected to the centering process is measured (step S23). That is, the calculation processing unit 91 moves the measurement unit 37 from the retreated position to the peripheral portion of the substrate S along the radial direction D4. Thereafter, the calculation processing unit 91 rotates the spin base 21 at least once around the vertical axis AX via the motor control unit 93. As a result, the substrate S rotates together with the spin base 21 and then stops rotating. During this rotation, the calculation processing unit 91 receives an edge detection signal output from the measurement unit 37 as peripheral information, and derives the amounts of eccentricity ex, ey of the center SC of the substrate S eccentric in the X and Y directions from the center 21C of the spin base 21. Then, when the obtained amount of eccentricity exceeds a preset allowable value ("NO" in step S24), eccentricity adjustment is performed. More specifically, the arithmetic processor 91 gives a Y-direction movement command to the motor controller 93, and moves the Y movement stage 381 in the direction Y in the opposite direction to the eccentricity direction by a distance equal to the eccentricity amount ey, as shown by a solid-line arrow ARy in Fig. 11D (step S25: Y-direction eccentricity adjustment). The arithmetic processor 91 also gives an X-direction movement command to the motor controller 93, and moves the contact members 31-33 in the direction X in the opposite direction to the eccentricity direction by a distance equal to the eccentricity amount ex, as shown by a solid-line arrow ARx in Fig. 11D (step S26: X-direction eccentricity adjustment). This adjusts the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position. After this, steps S22-S24 are executed again.

[0058] On the other hand, when the amount of eccentricity acquired in step S24 is equal to or less than the preset tolerance ("YES" in step S24), the calculation processing unit 91 causes the motor control unit 93 to move the abutment members 31-33 and the measurement unit 37 to a position radially away from the spin base 21, and then proceeds to a bevel etching process (step S27).

[0059] In the bevel etching process, with the center SC of the substrate S coinciding with the center 21C of the spin base 21, the calculation processing unit 91 rotates the substrate S around the vertical axis AX using the motor control unit 93. Then, while rotating the substrate S at, for example, 1800 rpm, the calculation processing unit 91 controls the processing liquid supply unit 43 to supply the processing liquid to the processing liquid nozzle 41. As a result, the processing liquid is discharged from the processing liquid nozzle 41 onto the peripheral portion of the rotating substrate S. As a result, the bevel etching process using the processing liquid is performed on the entire peripheral portion of the substrate S.

[0060] Then, when the arithmetic processing unit 91 detects the lapse of the processing time required for the bevel etching process of the substrate S, it issues a supply stop command to the processing liquid supply unit 43 to stop the discharge of the processing liquid. The arithmetic processing unit 91 also stops the rotation of the spin base 21. This completes the bevel etching process, and the arithmetic processing unit 91 unloads the substrate S from the substrate processing apparatus 10 in a procedure reverse to that of the loading process of the substrate S.

[0061] As described above, according to the first embodiment, if the eccentricity ey in the direction Y exceeds the allowable value even after the centering process is performed, the reference position adjustment unit 38 adjusts the second reference position and the third reference position in the direction Y (step S25). This prevents a decrease in centering accuracy in the direction Y caused by frame deformation or wear of the contact members 32, 33, and enables highly accurate centering. Moreover, in this embodiment, the calculation processing unit 91 calculates the eccentricity ey based on the peripheral information of the substrate S acquired by the measurement unit 37, and controls the multi-movement unit 36 ​​by a distance corresponding to the eccentricity ey, thereby automatically adjusting the eccentricity in the Y direction. This makes it possible to greatly reduce the need for operator intervention in adjusting the eccentricity in the Y direction.

[0062] In this embodiment, not only the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment but also the X-direction eccentricity adjustment is performed at the same time, so that the centering accuracy can be further improved. The calculation processing unit 91 calculates the amount of eccentricity ex based on the peripheral information of the substrate S acquired by the measurement unit 37, and controls the single movement unit 35 and the multi-movement unit 36 ​​by a distance corresponding to the amount of eccentricity ex, so that the X-direction eccentricity adjustment is also performed automatically. Therefore, it is possible to perform a highly accurate centering process while eliminating the need for an operator.

[0063] Although it occurs less frequently, a substrate S on which a thin film having an unexpectedly non-uniform thickness is formed or a substrate S having a relatively large warp may be transported to the substrate processing apparatus 10. When viewed from above, the circularity of the substrate S may be low and the diameter of the substrate S may be non-uniform over the entire circumference. This may cause the amount of eccentricity of the substrate S after centering to be outside the specified range. In the conventional technology, since there was no technical idea of ​​adjusting the first reference position or the third reference position, even if the centering process was repeated, the number of retries only increased in vain, and it was difficult to keep the amount of eccentricity below the allowable value. In contrast, in this embodiment, the first reference position or the third reference position is adjusted according to the amount of eccentricity of the substrate S after centering as described above, so that the amount of eccentricity of the substrate S can be basically kept below the allowable value with one retry.

[0064] Furthermore, in the conventional apparatus, since the first reference position to the third reference position are fixed, it is difficult to avoid the deterioration of the centering accuracy due to the progress of wear of the contact members 31, 32, and 33. Therefore, when the wear of the contact members 31, 32, and 33 progresses, it is necessary to stop the substrate processing apparatus 10 and replace the worn contact members. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, even if the contact members 31, 32, and 33 are worn, the first reference position to the third reference position are adjusted in response to the wear. Therefore, the downtime of the substrate processing apparatus 10 is shortened, and the frequency of replacing the contact members is reduced, thereby reducing the environmental load. In this embodiment, it is determined whether the eccentricity is equal to or less than the allowable value every time the centering process is performed, but it may be configured to take a moving average of the eccentricity for every fixed number of times (for example, 100 times) and determine whether the moving average value is equal to or less than the allowable value.

[0065] As described above, in the first embodiment, the contact members 31 to 33 correspond to examples of the "first contact member," the "second contact member," and the "third contact member" of the present invention, respectively.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a substrate holding unit and a centering mechanism in a second embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams showing the operation of each unit in the substrate processing apparatus in the second embodiment. The second embodiment is significantly different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the reference position adjustment unit 38. That is, in the second embodiment, the reference position adjustment unit 38 is configured to move only the abutment member 33 in the direction Y, instead of moving the multi-movement unit 36 ​​and the abutment members 32 and 33 collectively in the direction Y. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the abutment member 33 is supported on the arm 364b of the slider 364 so as to be movable in the direction Y, and a micrometer head 384 is attached to the arm 364b. The micrometer head 384 is extended in the direction Y. The end on the Y2 direction side functions as a spindle, and is capable of positioning the abutment member 33 in the direction Y by abutting against the abutment member 33. That is, the operator operates the micrometer head 384 to move the abutment member 33 in the direction Y, and adjusts the relative position of the third reference position with respect to the second reference position in the direction Y.

[0067] In the normal operation in the second embodiment, the centering process is performed before the bevel etching process, as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the normal operation (=centering process+bevel etching process) in the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10, Fig. 13A, and Fig. 13B.

[0068] After the substrate S is placed on the spin base 21 (step S21), centering of the substrate S is performed (step S22). After this centering process, the arithmetic processor 91 operates the suction pump 24 to suck and hold the substrate S on the spin base 21. As shown by the solid arrow ARx in FIG. 13A, the arithmetic processor 91 moves the contact member 31 in the X2 direction by the single moving unit 35 and moves the contact members 32 and 33 in the X1 direction by the multi-moving unit 36, so that the contact members 31 to 33 return to the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position, respectively. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13A, the eccentricity of the substrate S that has been subjected to the centering process is measured (step S23). That is, the arithmetic processor 91 moves the measuring unit 37 from the retracted position to the peripheral portion of the substrate S along the radial direction D4. After that, the arithmetic processor 91 rotates the spin base 21 at least once around the vertical axis AX via the motor controller 93. As a result, the substrate S rotates together with the spin base 21 and then stops rotating. During this rotation, the calculation processor 91 receives an edge detection signal output from the measurement unit 37 as peripheral information, and derives the eccentricity amounts ex, ey of the center SC of the substrate S in the X and Y directions from the center 21C of the spin base 21. Then, when the obtained eccentricity amounts exceed a preset allowable value ("NO" in step S24), Y-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S25) and X-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S26) are executed.

[0069] In the second embodiment, as shown by a solid arrow ARy in Fig. 13B, the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment is performed by moving only the abutment member 33 in the direction Y using the micrometer head 384. More specifically, the calculation processing unit 91 notifies the operator of the amount of eccentricity ey to urge the operator to perform the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment. For example, on a display unit (not shown), the calculation processing unit 91 displays a message to the effect that the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment is necessary, as well as the direction and amount of movement of the abutment member 33.

[0070] What should be noted here is the amount of movement of the abutment member 33. In the first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the abutment members 32, 33 are moved together, so that in the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment, the abutment members 32, 33 are moved a distance equal to the eccentricity amount ey. In contrast, in the second embodiment, in the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment, only the abutment member 33 is moved in the direction Y. Therefore, the amount of movement Dy of the abutment member 33 and the associated amount of movement ΔY of the center SC of the substrate S in the direction Y are as follows, as shown in FIG. ΔY=0.5×Dy Therefore, in the second embodiment, the calculation processing unit 91 instructs the operator to move the abutment member 33 in the direction Y by a distance twice the eccentricity ey. In response to this, the operator operates the micrometer head 384 to move the third reference position in the direction Y.

[0071] 14, the center SC of the substrate S also moves in the direction X in response to the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment. More specifically, the movement amount Dy of the contact member 33 and the associated movement amount ΔX of the center SC of the substrate S in the direction X are as follows, as shown in FIG. ΔX=0.2887×Dy+0.0002 Therefore, in the second embodiment, in the X-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S26), the calculation processor 91 performs the X-direction eccentricity adjustment in consideration of the movement amount ΔX and the eccentricity amount ex (step S26).

[0072] The first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position are adjusted by such Y-direction eccentricity adjustment and X-direction eccentricity adjustment. After that, steps S22 to S24 are executed again.

[0073] On the other hand, when the amount of eccentricity acquired in step S24 is equal to or less than the preset tolerance ("YES" in step S24), the calculation processing unit 91 causes the motor control unit 93 to move the abutment members 31-33 and the measurement unit 37 to a position radially away from the spin base 21, and then proceeds to a bevel etching process (step S27).

[0074] As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0075] FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the substrate holding unit and the centering mechanism in the third embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention. FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams showing the operation of each unit in the substrate processing apparatus in the third embodiment. The third embodiment is significantly different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the reference position adjustment unit 38. That is, in the third embodiment, the reference position adjustment unit 38 is configured to move only the abutment member 33 in the direction X, instead of moving the multi-movement unit 36 ​​and the abutment members 32 and 33 collectively in the direction Y. That is, as shown in FIG. 15, the abutment member 33 is supported movably in the direction X by the arm 364b of the slider 364, and a micrometer head 384 is attached to the arm 364b. The micrometer head 384 is extended in the direction X. The end on the X2 direction side functions as a spindle, and is capable of positioning the abutment member 33 in the direction X by abutting against the abutment member 33. That is, the operator operates the micrometer head 384 to move the abutment member 33 in the direction X, and adjusts the relative position of the third reference position with respect to the second reference position in the direction Y.

[0076] In the normal operation in the third embodiment, the centering process is performed before the bevel etching process, as in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the normal operation (=centering process+bevel etching process) in the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 10, Fig. 16A, and Fig. 16B.

[0077] After the substrate S is placed on the spin base 21 (step S21), centering of the substrate S is performed (step S22). After this centering process, the arithmetic processor 91 operates the suction pump 24 to suck and hold the substrate S on the spin base 21. As shown by the dotted arrow ARx in FIG. 16A, the arithmetic processor 91 moves the contact member 31 in the X2 direction by the single moving unit 35 and moves the contact members 32 and 33 in the X1 direction by the multi-moving unit 36, so that the contact members 31 to 33 return to the first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position, respectively. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 16A, the eccentricity of the substrate S that has been subjected to the centering process is measured (step S23). That is, the arithmetic processor 91 moves the measuring unit 37 from the retracted position to the peripheral portion of the substrate S along the radial direction D4. After that, the arithmetic processor 91 rotates the spin base 21 at least once around the vertical axis AX via the motor controller 93. As a result, the substrate S rotates together with the spin base 21 and then stops rotating. During this rotation, the calculation processor 91 receives an edge detection signal output from the measurement unit 37 as peripheral information, and derives the eccentricity amounts ex, ey of the center SC of the substrate S in the X and Y directions from the center 21C of the spin base 21. Then, when the obtained eccentricity amounts exceed a preset allowable value ("NO" in step S24), Y-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S25) and X-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S26) are executed.

[0078] In the third embodiment, the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment is performed by moving only the contact member 33 in the direction X by the micrometer head 384. More specifically, the arithmetic processing unit 91 notifies the operator of the amount of eccentricity ey to urge the operator to perform the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment. For example, on a display unit (not shown), the arithmetic processing unit 91 displays a message to the effect that the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment is necessary, as well as the direction and amount of movement of the contact member 33.

[0079] What should be noted here is the amount of movement of the abutment member 33. In the first embodiment, a configuration is adopted in which the abutment members 32, 33 are moved together, so that in the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment, the abutment members 32, 33 are moved a distance equal to the eccentricity amount ey. In contrast, in the third embodiment, in the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment, only the abutment member 33 is moved in the direction X. Therefore, the amount of movement Dx of the abutment member 33 and the associated amount of movement ΔY of the center SC of the substrate S in the direction Y are as follows, as shown in FIG. ΔY=0.5×Dx Therefore, in the third embodiment, the calculation processing unit 91 instructs the operator to move the abutment member 33 in the direction Y by a distance twice the eccentricity ey. In response to this, the operator operates the micrometer head 384 to move the third reference position in the direction Y.

[0080] 17, the center SC of the substrate S also moves in the direction X in response to the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment. More specifically, the movement amount Dx of the contact member 33 and the associated movement amount ΔX of the center SC of the substrate S in the direction X are as follows, as shown in FIG. ΔX ≒ 0.5 × Dx Therefore, in the third embodiment, in the X-direction eccentricity adjustment (step S26), the calculation processor 91 performs the X-direction eccentricity adjustment in consideration of the movement amount ΔX and the eccentricity amount ex (step S26).

[0081] The first reference position, the second reference position, and the third reference position are adjusted by such Y-direction eccentricity adjustment and X-direction eccentricity adjustment. After that, steps S22 to S24 are executed again.

[0082] On the other hand, when the amount of eccentricity acquired in step S24 is equal to or less than the preset tolerance ("YES" in step S24), the calculation processing unit 91 causes the motor control unit 93 to move the abutment members 31-33 and the measurement unit 37 to a position radially away from the spin base 21, and then proceeds to a bevel etching process (step S27).

[0083] As described above, according to the third embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

[0084] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made to the above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the two contact members 32 and 33 are moved in the D2 direction (X2 direction) and the D3 direction (X2 direction) by the multi-movement unit 36, but instead of the multi-movement unit 36, a single movement unit for the contact member 32 and a single movement unit for the contact member 33 configured similarly to the single movement unit 35 may be provided.

[0085] As modified examples of the second and third embodiments, they may be configured as shown in Figs. 18 and 19, respectively.

[0086] 18 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration and operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus in a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this fourth embodiment, a single movement part 36A for the contact member 32 and a single movement part 36B for the contact member 33 are provided, and a micrometer head 384 is attached to a slider (not shown) of the single movement part 36B, so that the contact member 33 can be moved in the direction Y.

[0087] 19 is a diagram showing the configuration and operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus in a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this fifth embodiment, a single movement unit 36A for the contact member 32 and a single movement unit 36B for the contact member 33 are provided. The single movement unit 36B adjusts the third reference position, thereby enabling Y-direction eccentricity adjustment. In other words, in the fifth embodiment, the installation of the micrometer head 384 is not required, and the first reference position to the third reference position can be automatically adjusted, as in the first embodiment.

[0088] In the second to fourth embodiments, the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment is performed manually by an operator using the micrometer head 384, but the micrometer head 384 may be provided detachably on the slider. That is, the micrometer head 384 may be removed from the substrate processing apparatus 10 except when adjusting the Y-direction eccentricity. Also, instead of the micrometer head 384, the Y-direction eccentricity adjustment may be performed by inserting and removing an adjustment member such as a shim. Furthermore, instead of the micrometer head 384 and the shim, a piezoelectric actuator or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems) may be used.

[0089] In the above embodiment, the contact members 31-33 are finished so that the contact surfaces 311-331 have a curved shape along the edge surface Se of the substrate S, but the shape of the portion that contacts the edge surface Se of the substrate S is not limited to this. The shape may be a pointed shape, a semidisk shape, a linear shape, or the like, as in the device described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0090] In the above embodiment, the present invention is applied to a centering device installed in the substrate processing apparatus 10 performing bevel etching, but the centering device according to the present invention can be applied to general centering techniques installed in substrate processing apparatuses that process disk-shaped substrates while rotating them. Also, the centering device according to the present invention may be used alone. [Industrial Applicability]

[0091] The present invention can be applied to a centering technique for aligning the center of a disk-shaped substrate placed on the upper surface of a substrate support part with the center of the substrate support part, and to substrate processing apparatuses in general that use the technique to process substrates. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 2...Board holding part 3. Centering mechanism 9...Control section 10...Substrate processing device 21…Spinbase 31...(first) contact member 32...(second) contact member 33...(third) abutment member 34...Movement mechanism 35, 36A, 36B...Single moving part 36…Multi-mobile section 37…Measuring section 38...Reference position adjustment section 91...Computation processing unit 364...Slider 381…Y moving stage 383...Stopper 384...Micrometer head D1…First movement direction D2…Second movement direction D3: Third movement direction D4: Radial direction S...Substrate VL: Virtual line X…(1st horizontal) direction Y…(4th horizontal) direction Δd1…First movement amount Δd2…Second movement amount Δd3…Third movement amount ex...Eccentricity (in direction X) ey...Eccentricity (in direction Y)

Claims

1. 1. A centering device for positioning a disk-shaped substrate on a substrate support part so that the center of the disk-shaped substrate placed on an upper surface of the substrate support part in a horizontal position coincides with the center of the substrate support part, a first contact member movable in a first horizontal direction from a first reference position, the first reference position being a reference distance longer than a radius of the substrate, toward the center of the substrate support portion within a horizontal plane; a second abutment member movable in the horizontal plane from a second reference position that is on an opposite side of the first abutment member with respect to a center of the substrate support portion, deviates from a virtual line extending in the first horizontal direction from the center of the substrate support portion, and is spaced from the center of the substrate support portion by the reference distance, in a second horizontal direction different from the direction toward the center of the substrate support portion and approaching the substrate; a third contact member movable in the horizontal plane from a third reference position that is on an opposite side of the first contact member with respect to a center of the substrate support portion and on an opposite side of the second contact member with respect to the virtual line and that is away from the center of the substrate support portion by the reference distance, in a third horizontal direction different from the direction toward the center of the substrate support portion and approaching the substrate; a moving mechanism that moves the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the third horizontal direction, respectively; a movement control unit that repeats micro-movements by moving the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member by a first movement amount, a second movement amount, and a third movement amount, respectively, by the moving mechanism so that distances of the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member from the center of the substrate support portion are kept constant, until contact of the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member with the substrate is completed, A centering device, wherein at least one of the second reference position and the third reference position is adjustable within the horizontal plane.

2. 2. The centering device according to claim 1, The centering device further includes a reference position adjustment unit that adjusts both the second reference position and the third reference position in the fourth horizontal direction by moving the second abutment member and the third abutment member in a fourth horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.

3. 3. The centering device according to claim 2, the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction are parallel to the virtual line, the moving mechanism has a multi-movement unit that collectively moves the second contact member and the third contact member in the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction, respectively; A centering device in which the reference position adjustment unit adjusts the second reference position and the third reference position collectively while maintaining a constant distance between the second reference position and the third reference position in the fourth horizontal direction by moving the multi-movement unit in the fourth horizontal direction.

4. 4. The centering device according to claim 3, a rotation drive unit that rotates the substrate support unit on which the substrate is placed; a measurement unit that measures a peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the rotation drive unit in a state in which the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member are spaced from an edge surface of the substrate; a control unit that controls a drive source provided in the reference position adjustment unit to move the multi-movement unit in the fourth horizontal direction, The control unit is an eccentricity information acquiring unit that determines an amount of eccentricity of a center of the substrate from a center of the substrate support unit in the fourth horizontal direction based on peripheral information relating to a peripheral portion of the substrate measured by the measuring unit; a movement control unit that moves the multi-movement unit in the fourth horizontal direction by a distance corresponding to the amount of eccentricity; The centering device has

5. 5. The centering device according to claim 4, the eccentricity information acquisition unit obtains a moving average value of the amount of eccentricity every time positioning of the substrate on the substrate support unit is performed a preset number of times; The movement control unit is a centering device that executes movement of the multi-movement unit in the fourth horizontal direction at a timing when the moving average value exceeds a preset allowable value.

6. 2. The centering device according to claim 1, The centering device further includes a reference position adjustment unit that adjusts the relative position of the third reference position to the second reference position in the fourth horizontal direction by moving only the third abutment member, of the second abutment member and the third abutment member, in a fourth horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction.

7. 7. The centering device according to claim 6, the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction are parallel to the virtual line, the moving mechanism has a multi-movement unit that collectively moves the second contact member and the third contact member in the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction, respectively; the multi-movement unit includes a slider that holds the second contact member and supports the third contact member movably in the fourth horizontal direction while being movable parallel to the first horizontal direction, and a motor for moving the slider parallel to the first horizontal direction, A centering device in which the reference position adjustment unit adjusts the relative position of the third reference position with respect to the second reference position in the fourth horizontal direction by moving the third abutment member relative to the slider in the fourth horizontal direction.

8. 8. The centering device according to claim 7, The reference position adjustment unit is a micrometer head.

9. 2. The centering device according to claim 1, A reference position adjustment unit is further provided, the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction are parallel to the virtual line, the moving mechanism has a multi-movement unit that collectively moves the second contact member and the third contact member in the second horizontal direction and the third horizontal direction, respectively; the multi-movement unit includes a slider that holds the second contact member and supports the third contact member movably in parallel to the third horizontal direction while being movable in parallel to the first horizontal direction, and a motor for moving the slider in parallel to the first horizontal direction, A centering device in which the reference position adjustment unit adjusts the relative position of the third reference position to the second reference position in a direction parallel to the third horizontal direction by moving the third abutment member parallel to the third horizontal direction relative to the slider.

10. 10. The centering device according to claim 9, The reference position adjustment unit is a micrometer head.

11. A centering method for positioning a disk-shaped substrate placed in a horizontal position on an upper surface of a substrate support part so that the center of the substrate coincides with the center of the substrate support part, (a) placing the substrate on an upper surface of the substrate support part in a horizontal plane; positioning a first contact member at a first reference position that is a reference distance away from a center of the substrate support part by a reference distance that is longer than a radius of the substrate; positioning a second contact member at a second reference position that is off an imaginary line extending from the first reference position through the center of the substrate support part on an opposite side of the first contact member with respect to the center of the substrate support part and that is away from the center of the substrate support part by the reference distance; and positioning a third contact member at a third reference position that is on the opposite side of the first contact member with respect to the center of the substrate support part and on the opposite side of the second contact member with respect to the imaginary line and that is away from the center of the substrate support part by the reference distance; (b) repeating micro-movements, while keeping the substrate placed on the upper surface of the substrate support part so as to be freely movable horizontally, of moving the first contact member in a first horizontal direction from the first reference position toward the center of the substrate support part, moving the second contact member by a second movement amount in a second horizontal direction different from the direction from the second reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, and moving the third contact member by a third movement amount in a third horizontal direction different from the direction from the third reference position toward the center of the substrate support part and approaching the substrate, so that distances from the center of the substrate support part to the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member are kept constant; (c) stopping the micro-movement when it is confirmed that the substrate is sandwiched between the first contact member, the second contact member, and the third contact member during the repetition of the micro-movement; (d) determining an amount of eccentricity of a center of the substrate from a center of the substrate support part in a fourth horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, based on peripheral information obtained by measuring a peripheral portion of the substrate placed on the upper surface of the substrate support part after performing the steps (a) to (c), a centering method characterized in that, when the amount of eccentricity exceeds a preset tolerance, at least one of the second reference position and the third reference position is moved in the horizontal plane by a distance corresponding to the amount of eccentricity, and then steps (a) to (c) are performed again.

12. a substrate support portion having an upper surface for supporting a substrate in a horizontal position; A centering device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, a suction unit that evacuates the space between the substrate positioned by the centering device and the substrate support unit to suction and hold the substrate on the substrate support unit; a rotation drive unit that rotates the substrate support unit that adsorbs and holds the substrate around a center of the substrate support unit; a processing liquid supply mechanism for supplying a processing liquid to a peripheral portion of the substrate which is rotated around a center of the substrate support unit integrally with the substrate support unit; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

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