Devices and methods for reversing, transporting, and processing substrates

1. A substrate reversing device that reverses a substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising:

first and second movable members arranged opposite to each other for receiving said substrate such that the first and second surfaces are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

a plurality of first supporters that are provided on said first movable member and support the first peripheral portion of the substrate;

a plurality of second supporters that are provided on said second movable member and support the second peripheral portion of the substrate;

a driving device that moves at least one of said first and said second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are selectively transferred between a first state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another and a second state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are closer to one another; and

a reversing device that reverses said first and second movable members in said second state about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces;

wherein corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters are arranged in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate.

2. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , wherein

said first movable member is composed of a plurality of first bar-shaped members that extend radially, each of said first supporters being provided on an end portion of one of said plurality of first bar-shaped members, and

said second movable member is composed of a plurality of second bar-shaped members that extend radially, each of said second supporters being provided on an end portion of one of said plurality of second bar-shaped members.

3. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , wherein

each of said first supporters and second supporters has a supporting surface that supports the corresponding peripheral portion of the substrate and a restricting surface that prevents the substrate from slipping in a direction along a surface of the substrate.

4. The substrate reversing device according to claim 3 , wherein

said supporting surface is a convex surface, and

said restricting surface is an inclined surface that inclines away from the center of the substrate with increasing distance from a plane defined by the substrate supported on said supporting surface.

5. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , wherein

said reversing device rotates 180 degrees said first and said second movable members.

6. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , wherein

said driving device moves both of said first and said second movable members such that said first and said second movable members are transferred between said first state and said second state.

7. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , wherein

said first and said second movable members are moved substantially an equal amount by said driving device.

8. The substrate reversing device according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller that controls said driving device such that in said second state, said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters partially overlap with each other in a direction vertical to the substrate.

9. A substrate transporting device that transports a substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising:

a substrate reversing device; and

a moving device that moves said substrate reversing device, wherein

said substrate reversing device includes:

first and second movable members arranged opposite to each other for receiving said substrate such that the first and second surfaces are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

a plurality of first supporters that are provided on said first movable member and support the first peripheral portion of the substrate;

a plurality of second supporters that are provided on said second movable member and support the second peripheral portion of the substrate;

a driving device that moves at least one of said first and said second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are selectively transferred between a first state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another and a second state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are closer to one another; and

a reversing device that reverses said first and second movable members in said second state about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces;

wherein corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters are arranged in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate.

10. A substrate processing device that performs processing of a substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising:

a substrate reversing device that reverses the substrate about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the substrate; and

a processing device that performs processing of the substrate being supported by said substrate reversing device, wherein

said substrate reversing device includes:

first and second movable members arranged opposite to each other for receiving said substrate such that the first and second surfaces are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

a plurality of first supporters that are provided on said first movable member and support the first peripheral portion of the substrate;

a plurality of second supporters that are provided on said second movable member and support the second peripheral portion of the substrate;

a driving device that moves at least one of said first and said second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are selectively transferred between a first state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another and a second state in which said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are closer to one another; and

a reversing device that reverses said first and second movable members in said second state about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces;

wherein corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters are arranged in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate.

11. The substrate processing device according to claim 10 , wherein

said processing device includes first and second processing units that perform processing of the substrate, and

said substrate reversing device reverses the substrate subjected to processing by said first processing unit, and wherein

said second processing unit performs processing of the substrate reversed by said substrate reversing device.

12. A method of reversing a substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising the steps of:

arranging the substrate between first and second movable members such that the first and second surfaces of the substrate are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on a plurality of first supporters provided on said first movable member;

subsequent to said step of supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of first supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that a plurality of second supporters provided on said second movable member are brought closer to said plurality of first supporters;

arranging corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate;

subsequent to said step of moving, reversing said first and second movable members about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters; and

subsequent to said step of supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another.

13. A transporting method for transporting a substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising the steps of:

reversing the substrate about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the substrate using a substrate reversing device; and

moving said substrate reversing device supporting the substrate, wherein

said step of reversing the substrate while supporting the substrate comprises the steps of:

arranging the substrate between first and second movable members such that the first and second surfaces of the substrate are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on a plurality of first supporters provided on said first movable member in said substrate reversing device;

subsequent to said step of supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of first supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that a plurality of second supporters provided on said second movable member are brought closer to said plurality of first supporters in said substrate reversing device;

arranging corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate;

subsequent to said step of moving, reversing said first and second movable members about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters; and

subsequent to said step of supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another.

14. A method of processing a substrate for performing processing of the substrate which has first and second substantially circular surfaces opposite to each other and a circumference, and each said surface having a respective peripheral portion, comprising the steps of:

reversing the substrate about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the substrate using a substrate reversing device; and

performing processing of the substrate being supported by said substrate reversing device, wherein

said step of reversing the substrate while supporting the substrate comprises the steps of:

arranging the substrate between first and second movable members such that the first and second surfaces of the substrate are opposite to said first and second movable members respectively;

supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on a plurality of first supporters provided to a first movable member in said substrate reversing device;

subsequent to said step of supporting the first peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of first supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that a plurality of second supporters provided on said second movable member are brought closer to said plurality of first supporters in said substrate reversing device;

arranging corresponding pairs of said first supporters and said second supporters in positions shifted away from each other in a direction along the circumference of the substrate;

subsequent to said step of moving, reversing said first and second movable members about an axis parallel to the first and second surfaces while supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters; and

subsequent to said step of supporting the second peripheral portion of the substrate on said plurality of second supporters, moving at least one of said first and second movable members relative to the other such that said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters are spaced apart from one another.

15. The method of processing a substrate according to claim 14 , wherein

said step of performing processing of the substrate includes the step of performing first processing of the substrate and the step of performing second processing of the substrate, and

said step of reversing the substrate while supporting the substrate includes the step of reversing the substrate that has been subjected to said first processing, using said substrate reversing device, and wherein

said step of performing second processing includes the step of performing said second processing of said reversed substrate.