Surface treatment apparatus

Abstract

A surface treatment apparatus 1 is constructed to hold a substrate 10 when surface treatment is carried out to a back surface 101 of the substrate 10 . The surface treatment apparatus 1 includes at least one enclosed space each defined by a concave portion 32 and a front surface 102 of the substrate 10 ; and an O-ring 2 (contact portion) adapted to hermetically contact with the front surface 102 of the substrate 10 to produce negative pressure in cooperation with the O-ring 2 and the front surface 102 of the substrate 10 . The surface treatment apparatus 1 is constructed so that the substrate 10 is attracted onto the surface treatment apparatus 1 using a difference between the negative pressure and atmospheric pressure by decompressing the enclosed space in a decompression chamber and then bringing out the substrate 10 from the inside of the decompression chamber to environment under atmospheric pressure.

1 . A surface treatment apparatus for holding a substrate having one surface to which the surface treatment is to be carried out and the other surface opposite to the one surface when the surface treatment is carried out to the one surface of the substrate, the surface treatment apparatus comprising: 
 at least one enclosed space, each being defined by a portion of the surface treatment apparatus and the other surface of the substrate; and    a contact portion surrounding the at least one enclosed space adapted to hermetically contact with the other surface of the substrate to produce negative pressure in cooperation with the enclosed space and the other surface of the substrate;    wherein the surface treatment apparatus is constructed so that the substrate is attracted onto the surface treatment apparatus by means of a difference between the negative pressure and atmospheric pressure by decompressing the enclosed space in a decompression chamber and then bringing out the substrate from the inside of the decompression chamber to environment under atmospheric pressure.    
   
   
       2 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the at least one enclosed space are a plurality of enclosed spaces.  
   
   
       3 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , further comprising a flow path communicating with the plurality of enclosed spaces.  
   
   
       4 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment apparatus is constructed so as not to have a flow path which allows the enclosed space to communicate with the outside thereof with the substrate being in contact with the concave portion.  
   
   
       5 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a flow path which allows the enclosed space to communicate with the outside thereof with the substrate being in contact with the contact portion wherein the flow path is hermetically sealed when the substrate is attracted onto the surface treatment apparatus.  
   
   
       6 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the substrate has one or more concave portions each opening to the other surface thereof; and 
 wherein the contact portion is constituted so as to be able to cover the concave portions of the substrate with the substrate being contact with the contact portion.    
   
   
       7 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a hard main body which supports the contact portion.  
   
   
       8 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the entire surface treatment apparatus is mainly made of an elastic material.  
   
   
       9 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment apparatus has a flat-shaped structure having two major surfaces, and has the concave portion on the side of each of the two major surfaces.  
   
   
       10 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment is carried out using a liquid for treatment.  
   
   
       11 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the liquid for treatment includes an etchant.  
   
   
       12 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment is constructed so that the substrate is released by conveying the surface treatment apparatus with the substrate to the inside of the decompression chamber again after subjecting the substrate to the surface treatment and then decompressing the inside of the decompression chamber so that the pressure within the decompression chamber becomes substantially equal to or lower than the pressure within the enclosed space.  
   
   
       13 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , further comprising separation assisting means which assists separation of the substrate from the contact portion in the decompression chamber.  
   
   
       14 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein the separation assisting means includes a contact member having one end portion which is adapted to contact with the other surface of the substrate when the substrate is separated from the contact portion of the surface treatment apparatus, and displacement means for displacing the contact member in a direction in which the contact member is separated from the contact portion.  
   
   
       15 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the contact member has the other end portion opposite to the one end portion thereof, and the contact member can be pivotally rotated with the other end portion being used as a pivotal center.  
   
   
       16 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the displacement means is constituted from a spring.  
   
   
       17 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the displacement means is constructed from an elastic member having a hollow space in which the volume of the hollow space is increased by decompressing the inside of the decompression chamber.  
   
   
       18 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the displacement means is constructed from a lever and a weight.  
   
   
       19 . The surface treatment apparatus as claimed in  claim 14 , wherein the displacement means is constituted from a motor.