Wafer binding method and apparatus

A wafer binding apparatus comprising:

• a tightly sealed first decompression chamber,
• a tightly sealed second decompression chamber provided at the lower portion of said first decompression chamber,
• a diaphragm which divides said decompression chambers,
• a wafer carrier, provided in said first decompression chamber and a carrier plate and wafers to be bonded to said carrier plate in the upper plate of said diaphragm, and
• a pressure control means for controlling the pressure inside of both said decompression chambers,
• in said wafer carrier there are provided:
• a wafer supporting part for supporting each of said wafers in a position facing the upper surface of said diaphragm, and
• a carrier plate supporting part for supporting said carrier plate in a fixed spacing in the interval between the upper surface of said wafer and said wafer supporting part,
• wherein said pressure control means lowers the pressure in both of said decompressing chambers at the same time and then increases the pressure of said second decompression chamber relative to said first decompression chamber so that the position of said diaphragm is changed such that said diaphragm is drawn near to said carrier plate through said fixed spacing extending in between.