US Patent 7513263 Substrate holding device and substrate processing apparatus

A substrate holding device according to the present invention comprises: a motor; a rotating shaft rotated by the driving force of the motor; a spin base coupled to the rotating shaft and rotated integrally with the rotating shaft; a cover member surrounding the motor and having its one end arranged in the vicinity of the spin base; a rotating ring fixed to a surface, opposite to the cover member, of the spin base; a fixed ring arranged opposite to the rotating ring along the axis of the rotating shaft; a spring provided at the one end of the cover member for elastically urging the fixed ring toward the rotating ring; and clean gas supply mechanism for supplying clean gas to a space between the rotating ring and the fixed ring. Either one of a surface, opposite to the fixed ring, of the rotating ring and a surface, opposite to the rotating ring, of the fixed ring is formed with a gas introducing recess into which the clean gas is to be introduced by the clean gas supply mechanism, and either one of the opposite surfaces being formed with a dynamic pressure creating recess for creating the dynamic pressure of the gas between the rotating ring and the fixed ring when the rotating ring rotates.