Transfer unit and substrate processing apparatus including the same

A transfer unit comprising:

• a hand;
• an upper fixing member configured to cause a first object to be supported on a top side of the hand by a first support method;
• and
• a lower fixing member configured to cause a second object to be supported on a bottom side of the hand by a second support method,
• wherein the first support method and the second support method differ from each other.

An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising:

• a processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing on the substrate;
• and
• a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate into the processing unit,
• wherein the processing unit includes:
• a process chamber having a processing space inside;
• a support unit configured to support the substrate in the process chamber;
• a gas supply unit configured to supply a process gas into the processing space;
• and
• a plasma source configured to generate plasma from the process gas,
• wherein the support unit includes:
• a support on which the substrate is placed;
• and
• an edge ring configured to surround the substrate placed on the support, the edge ring being detachable from the support, and
• wherein the transfer unit includes:
• a hand having a top side on which the substrate is placed;
• and
• a fixing member provided in the hand, the fixing member being configured to fix the edge ring to a bottom side of the hand with an electrostatic force.

A method for processing a substrate using a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus performs predetermined processing on the substrate supported on a support unit in a process chamber having a processing space therein and the support unit includes an edge ring configured to surround the substrate, the method comprising:

• a substrate processing step of processing the substrate by generating plasma in the processing space;
• and
• a maintenance step of maintaining the edge ring,
• wherein the substrate is supported on a top side of a hand when placed in or extracted from the processing space, and
• wherein in the maintenance step, the edge ring is extracted from the processing space in a state of being supported on and fixed to a bottom side of the hand.