Processing substrate apparatus and method

A substrate processing method comprising:

• (a) seating a substrate on a plurality of support pins installed on a body;
• (b) moving, by a chuck pin driver device, a plurality of chuck pins installed on the body from a stand-by position to a gripping position to grip a side surface of the substrate;
• and
• (c) spacing the substrate and at least one of the support pins from each other while the chuck pin grips the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a body configured to spin-rotate;
• a plurality of support pins installed on the body so as to support the substrate thereon;
• a plurality of chuck pins installed on the body so as to grip a side surface of the substrate;
• a chuck pin driver device configured to move the chuck pin from a stand-by position to a grip position when the substrate has been seated on the support pin;
• and
• a support pin spacing device configured to space the substrate and at least one of the support pins from each other while the chuck pin is gripping the substrate,
• wherein the support pin spacing device includes:
• a support pin elevating and lowering device configured to lower the at least one support pin such that a vertical level of a top of the at least one support pin is lower than a vertical level of a top of the chuck pin;
• and
• a controller configured to apply a lowering control signal to the support pin elevating and lowering device based on a type of a process,
• wherein the support pin elevating and lowering device includes:
• a support pin moving table configured to support and move the at least one support pin to elevate or lower the at least one support pin while passing through an upper plate of the body;
• and
• a support pin elevating and lowering driver device configured to elevate and lower the support pin moving table,
• wherein the support pin moving table includes an elevating and lowering cam pin formed at a lower end of the support pin so as to protrude therefrom,
• wherein the support pin elevating and lowering driver device includes an elevating and lowering cam member having a cam hole defined therein extending in a bent manner, wherein at least a portion of the elevating and lowering cam pin is inserted in the cam hole such that the cam hole allows the elevating and lowering cam pin to move upwardly or downwardly,
• wherein the chuck pin driver device includes:
• a movable rod connected to the chuck pin and linearly displaced by a linear movement guide;
• an elastic member providing an elastic restoring force in a direction in which the movable rod moves forwards;
• and
• a rotatable cam member having a protrusion formed on one side of an outer circumferential surface of the rotatable cam member, wherein the protrusion faces the movable rod and is capable of pressing the movable rod so as to move the movable rod backwards, based on a rotation angle by which the rotatable cam member is rotated by a cam driver,
• wherein the elevating and lowering cam member is installed on an extension formed on the other side of the outer circumferential surface of the rotatable cam member, and thus is associated with the chuck pin driver device so as to elevate and lower the elevating and lowering cam pin based on the rotation angle by which the rotatable cam member rotates,
• wherein the elevating and lowering cam member includes:
• an outer cam portion having a cam hole defined therein receiving therein an elevating and lowering cam pin disposed at a lower end of the support pin and protruding therefrom outwardly;
• and
• an inner cam portion connected to a rear end of the outer cam portion via a connection portion, wherein the cam hole receiving therein the elevating and lowering cam pin disposed at the lower end of the support pin and protruding therefrom outwardly is defined in the inner cam portion,
• wherein the extension is connected to the connection portion,
• wherein each of the outer cam portion and the inner cam portion is generally formed in a partial arc shape such that a spacing between each of the outer cam portion and the inner cam portion and the outer circumferential surface of the rotatable cam member is constant along the outer circumferential surface thereof.