Substrate processing apparatus

1. A substrate processing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate having a top surface and a back surface, comprising:

a processing region for processing the substrate;

a carrying in and out region for carrying the substrate into and out of said processing region; and

first and second reversing devices that are provided between said processing region and said carrying in and out region and reverse said top surface and said back surface of the substrate, wherein

said carrying in and out region includes

a container platform where a storing container that stores the substrate is placed, and

a first transport device that transports the substrate between the storing container placed on said container platform and any of said first and second reversing devices,

said processing region includes

a processing unit that performs processing on the substrate, and

a second transport device that transports the substrate between any of said first and second reversing devices and said processing unit, and

said first reversing device is used in transfer of the substrate from said first transport device to said second transport device and said second reversing device is used in transfer of the substrate from said second transport device to said first transport device,

each of said first and second reversing devices includes

a first holding mechanism that holds the substrate perpendicularly to a first axis,

a second holding mechanism that holds the substrate perpendicularly to said first axis,

a support member that supports said first and second holding mechanisms so that said first and second holding mechanisms overlap with each other in a direction of said first axis, and

a rotating device that integrally rotates said support member together with said first and second holding mechanisms around a second axis that is perpendicular to said first axis,

said first and second holding mechanisms include a common reverse holding member having a first surface and a second surface that are perpendicular to said first axis, said first surface and said second surface facing away from each other,

said first holding mechanism includes

a plurality of first supporters that are provided on said first surface of said common reverse holding member and support a periphery of the substrate such that one of the top surface and the back surface of the substrate faces said first surface,

a first reverse holding member having a third surface facing said first surface of said common reverse holding member,

a plurality of second supporters that are provided on said third surface of said first reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate such that the other of the top surface and the back surface of the substrate faces said third surface, and

a first driving mechanism that moves at least one of said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member so that said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are selectively shifted between a first state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other by a first distance in the direction of said first axis, and a second state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other by a second distance that is shorter than the first distance, wherein

said plurality of first supporters or said plurality of second supporters come into contact with the substrate in the first state, and both of said plurality of first supporters and said plurality of second supporters come into contact with the substrate in the second state, and

said second holding mechanism includes

a plurality of third supporters that are provided on said second surface of said common reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate such that one of the top surface and the back surface of the substrate faces said third surface,

a second reverse holding member having a fourth surface facing said second surface of said common reverse holding member,

a plurality of fourth supporters that are provided on said fourth surface of said second reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate such that the other of the top surface and the back surface of the substrate faces said fourth surface, and

a second driving mechanism that moves at least one of said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member so that said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are selectively shifted between a third state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other by a third distance in the direction of said first axis and a fourth state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other by a fourth distance that is shorter than the third distance, wherein

said plurality of third supporters or said plurality of fourth supporters come into contact with the substrate in the third state, and both of said plurality of third supporters and said plurality of fourth supporters come into contact with the substrate in the fourth state.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second reversing devices reverses the substrate around a rotation axis that crosses a line connecting a position of said first transport device in receiving and transferring the substrate and a position of said second transport device in receiving and transferring the substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said common reverse holding member is secured to said support member,

said first driving mechanism moves said first reverse holding member relative to said common reverse holding member so that said first reverse holding member is selectively shifted between the first state and the second state, and

said second driving mechanism moves said second reverse holding member relative to said common reverse holding member so that said second reverse holding member is selectively shifted between the third state and the fourth state.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said second transport device has first and second transport holders, and

a distance between a holding position of the substrate by said first holding mechanism and a holding position of the substrate by said second holding mechanism is equal to a distance between a holding position of the substrate by said first transport holder of said second transport device and a holding position of the substrate by said second transport holder.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said processing unit includes a first cleaning processing unit that cleans the back surface of the substrate and,

said second transport device transports the substrate among said first reversing device, said second reversing device and said first cleaning processing unit.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said first cleaning processing unit includes a plurality of first cleaning units arranged in a plurality of stages.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein said first reversing device is used for reversing the substrate before the processing by said first cleaning processing unit.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein

said processing unit further includes a second cleaning processing unit that cleans the top surface of the substrate, and

said second transport device transports the substrate among said first reversing device, said second reversing device, said first cleaning processing unit and said second cleaning processing unit.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said second cleaning processing unit includes a plurality of second cleaning units arranged in a plurality of stages.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said first reversing device is used for reversing the substrate after the processing by said first cleaning processing unit.