An exemplary substrate processing apparatus has a vacuum chamber and a load lock for gas removal. The load lock has a support table to support a substrate. A cover plate may be provided in the load lock, the cover plate having a lower surface facing the upper surface of the support table. Openings may be provided in the lower surface of the cover plate to allow removal of gas from over the substrate in a direction substantially normal to the lower surface. In an embodiment, a gas pressure between the upper surface of the support table and the substrate is initially reduced through the opening to a certain pressure below a concurrent load lock pressure. When the remainder of the load lock pressure has dropped below the certain, gas pressure between the upper surface of the support table and the substrate is reduced together with the remainder load lock pressure.