Substrate polishing apparatus and method

A method of receiving a polished substrate by a substrate receiver having a plurality of substrate supports from a head after the substrate is polished, the substrate being held under vacuum suction on a substrate attracting surface of said head, pressed against a polishing tool mounted on a polishing table and polished by relative movement of the substrate and said polishing tool, comprising:

• supporting the polished substrate held by said head with said substrate supports which are kept in the same vertical position;
• lowering the vertical position of selected ones of said substrate supports and releasing vacuum suction of said head to remove the substrate from said substrate attracting surface, thereby tilting the substrate;
• receiving the tilted substrate by said substrate supports;
• lowering the vertical position of remaining ones of said substrate supports into alignment with the vertical position of said selected ones of said substrate supports, thereby making the substrate horizontal;
• and
• supporting the horizontal substrate by said substrate supports.