Separating apparatus, separating system and separating method

A separating system, comprising:

• a carry-in/out station where a combined substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other is disposed;
• a substrate transfer device configured to transfer the combined substrate disposed in the carry-in/out station;
• and
• a separating apparatus configured to separate the combined substrate transferred by the substrate transfer device into the first substrate and the second substrate,
• wherein the separating apparatus includes:
• a notch device comprising a sharp member and configured to form a notch by inserting the sharp member into a side surface located most adjacent to a separation start point among side surfaces of the combined substrate;
• a first holder, configured to attract and hold the first substrate of the combined substrate, including a start point side attraction member configured to attract an edge of an outer periphery located most adjacent to the separation start point in the outer periphery of the first substrate and a start point side elevating mechanism configured to elevate the start point side attraction member;
• a second holder configured to attract and hold the second substrate of the combined substrate;
• a detection device configured to detect attraction of the first substrate by the start point side attraction member;
• and
• a controller configured to control the notch device to perform a notch processing of forming the notch in the side surface located most adjacent to the separation start point among the side surfaces of the combined substrate, and control the start point side elevating mechanism to perform an attraction processing of lowering the start point side attraction member to attract the start point side attraction member to the first substrate after the notch processing, and
• wherein in the attraction processing, the controller controls the start point side elevating mechanism to perform a first movement processing of moving the start point side attraction member from a standby position, which is spaced apart from the first substrate, to a speed-change position, which is closer to the first substrate than the standby position, as a position before being contacted with the first substrate at a first speed;
• controls the start point side elevating mechanism to perform a second movement processing of moving the start point side attraction member from the speed-change position to be close to the first substrate at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed, after the first movement processing;
• and controls the start point side elevating mechanism to perform a stopping processing of stopping a movement of the start point side attraction member when it is determined that the first substrate is attracted by the start point side attraction member based on a detection result of the detection device during the second movement processing,
• wherein in the second movement processing, the controller controls the start point side elevating mechanism to move the start point side attraction member to be close to the first substrate by repeating a process of moving the start point side attraction member by a predetermined distance and then a process of stopping the start point side attraction member.

A separating method of separating a combined substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other into the first substrate and the second substrate, comprising:

• attracting and holding the second substrate of the combined substrate by using a second holder configured to attract and hold the second substrate;
• forming a notch in a side surface located most adjacent to a separation start point among side surfaces of the combined substrate by using a notch device comprising a sharp member and configured to form a notch by inserting the sharp member into the side surface located most adjacent to the separation start point among the side surfaces of the combined substrate;
• and
• lowering, after the forming of the notch, a start point side attraction member, the start point side attraction member being configured to attract an edge of an outer periphery located most adjacent to the separation start point in the outer periphery of the first substrate, to attract the start point side attraction member to the first substrate by using a start point side elevating mechanism, the start point side elevating mechanism being configured to elevate the start point side attraction member,
• wherein the lowering of the start point side attraction member includes:
• moving the start point side attraction member from a standby position, which is spaced apart from the first substrate, to a speed-change position, which is closer to the first substrate than the standby position, as a position before being contacted with the first substrate at a first speed by controlling the start point side elevating mechanism;
• moving, after the moving of the start point side attraction member at the first speed, the start point side attraction member from the speed-change position to be close to the first substrate at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed, by controlling the start point side elevating mechanism;
• and
• stopping, during the moving of the start point side attraction member at the second speed, a movement of the start point side attraction member when it is determined that the first substrate has been attracted by the start point side attraction member, which attracts and holds the first substrate of the combined substrate, based on a detection result of a detection device configured to detect attraction of the first substrate by the start point side attraction member by controlling the start point side elevating mechanism,
• wherein in the moving of the start point side attraction member at the second speed, by the start point side elevating mechanism, the start point side attraction member is moved to be close to the first substrate by repeating a process of moving the start point side attraction member by a predetermined distance and then a process of stopping the start point side attraction member.