Apparatus and method for splitting substrates

A method of splitting apart a substrate comprising two adjoining wafers defining between them a cleavage plane, which method comprises:

• bringing the substrate into a substrate-receiving space within a splitter having first and second jaw portions;
• clamping the first and second jaw portions onto the substrate in such a manner as to hold the substrate and urge apart the two wafers at the cleavage plane of the substrate by co-operation between the first and second jaw portions, respectively, wherein the cleavage plane comprises structural bonds present in a zone of weakness defining a boundary between the adjoining wafers;
• following the clamping, the first and second jaw portions are loosened so as to release the separated wafers, while other jaws are clamped together so as to retain only certain wafers of the substrate;
• and
• wherein one wafer of the substrate is retained while the other wafer is being recovered by a pusher, wherein the pusher has a housing of a general W-shape, and the wafers are placed in separate containers.

A method of splitting apart a substrate comprising two adjoining wafers defining between them a cleavage plane, which method comprises:

• bringing the substrate into a substrate-receiving space within a splitter having first and second jaw portions;
• and
• clamping the first and second jaw portions onto the substrate in such a manner as to hold the substrate in an essentially vertical plane and urge apart the two wafers at the cleavage plane of the substrate by co-operation between the first and second jaw portions, respectively, wherein the cleavage plane comprises structural bonds present in a zone of weakness defining a boundary between the adjoining wafers;
• wherein the substrate include a zone of weakness between a first SOI wafer and another wafer of semiconductor material, and the substrate is split along the zone of
• weakness, and wherein one wafer of the substrate is retained while the other wafer is being recovered by a pusher, and the wafers are placed in separate containers.

A method of splitting apart substrates comprising two

• adjoining wafers defining between them a cleavage plane, which method comprises:
• bringing each substrate into a substrate-reception space;
• clamping together separator portions onto each substrate so as to split apart the two wafers of each substrate at their cleavage planes;
• and
• clamping the split-apart substrate wafers so as to hold the wafers together, wherein the cleavage plane comprises structural bonds present in a zone of weakness defining a boundary between the adjoining wafers;
• wherein one wafer of the substrate is retained while the other wafer from the same substrate is being recovered by a pusher, and the wafers are placed in separate containers.

A method of splitting apart substrates comprising two adjoining wafers defining between them a cleavage plane, which method comprises:

• manipulating a plurality of substrates disposed in a substrate-storage direction which is substantially parallel to their cleavage planes so as to align them for splitting;
• splitting each substrate into wafers at their cleavage planes, wherein the cleavage plane comprises structural bonds present in a zone of weakness defining a boundary between the adjoining wafers;
• and
• imparting controlled displacement to certain wafers in a direction substantially parallel to the substrate-storage direction and cleavage planes;
• wherein one wafer of the substrate is retained while the other wafer from the same substrate is being recovered by a pusher, and the wafers are placed in separate containers.