Substrate holding device and electric-circuit fabricating process

A substrate holding device for holding a circuit substrate, said substrate holding device comprising:

• a substrate clamping device including a receiving member and a movable member which is movable to force a portion of the circuit substrate against said receiving member, for thereby clamping the circuit substrate;
• an actuator which actuates said movable member;
• and
• an actuation-force controlling device controlling, on the basis of at least one of a material of said circuit substrate and a size of said circuit substrate, an actuation force with which said movable member is actuated by said actuator, wherein
• at least one of said receiving member and said movable member has an elastically deformable portion provided by a contact portion thereof which is to be brought into contact with the circuit substrate,
• said actuator is an air cylinder,
• and said actuation-force controlling device includes an air-pressure controlling device controlling a pressure of air to be supplied to said air cylinder.

A substrate holding device for holding a circuit substrate, said substrate holding device comprising:

• a substrate clamping device including a receiving member and a movable member which is movable to force a portion of the circuit substrate against said receiving member, for thereby clamping the circuit substrate,
• an actuator which actuates said movable member;
• and
• a movement-velocity controlling device controlling a movement velocity of said movable member actuated by said actuator,
• wherein said movement-velocity controlling device has a velocity reducing portion which reduces the movement velocity of said movable member in a final stage of forward movement of said movable member toward said receiving member.