Lift-off method for transferring optical device layer

A lift-off method comprising:

• a buffer layer forming step of forming a buffer layer on a front side of a substrate;
• an optical device layer forming step of forming an optical device layer on the buffer layer;
• a dividing step of dividing the buffer layer and the optical device layer into a plurality of separate buffer layers and a plurality of separate optical device layers corresponding to individual devices, respectively, on the front side of the substrate;
• a transfer member bonding step of bonding a transfer member to a front side of the separate optical device layers;
• a buffer layer breaking step of applying a pulsed laser beam to the separate buffer layers so that the pulsed laser beam impinges on a back side of the substrate and passes through the substrate to reach the separate buffer layers, after performing the transfer member bonding step, the pulsed laser beam having a wavelength transmissive to the substrate and absorptive to the buffer layer, thereby breaking the separate buffer layers;
• and
• an optical device layer transferring step of separating the separate optical device layers from the substrate after performing the buffer layer breaking step, thereby transferring the separate optical device layers to the transfer member,
• wherein an energy density of each pulse of the pulsed laser beam in the buffer layer breaking step is set to 1.0 to 5.0 mJ/mm2, and
• wherein a focal position of the pulsed laser beam is set at a position above the back side of the substrate.