Protective member forming apparatus and method of forming protective member

A method of forming a protective member that forms a protective member on a front surface of a substrate, the substrate having recesses and projections formed by a plurality of bumps mounted on a plurality of devices formed on the front surface thereof, the method comprising:

• a resin film adhering step of forming an upper space defined by an upper main body and an upper surface of a resin film and a lower space defined by a portion of a lower surface of the resin film and a lower main body, wherein the upper space and the lower space are decompressed and then the upper space is opened to atmosphere to cause the resin film to adhere to the front surface of the substrate so as to conform to and cover the recesses, projections and the plurality of devices on the front surface of the substrate;
• a substrate supporting step of supporting the substrate on a support table in a state in which the resin film adhering to the substrate is exposed upward;
• a liquid resin supplying step of supplying a curable liquid resin directly onto an upper surface of the resin film facing upward and covering the recesses, the projections and the plurality of the devices formed on the substrate supported on the support table;
• a resin pressing step of covering the liquid resin supplied to the upper surface of the resin film with a cover film, and pressing the cover film downward by a flat pressing surface, to spread the liquid resin over the upper surface of the resin film;
• and
• a curing step of curing the liquid resin being spread in the resin pressing step, and forming a protective member including the resin film, the cured liquid resin, and the cover film on the front surface of the substrate, wherein,
• in the substrate supporting step, the substrate is supported on the support table which includes an annular bank region having a height not exceeding a thickness of the substrate and housing the substrate therein, causing the bank region to prevent the liquid resin to be spread in the resin pressing step from flowing out from the substrate.