Separation apparatus

A separation apparatus for separating a composite substrate formed from a first substrate and a second substrate joined together into the first substrate and the second substrate, comprising:

• a supporting base including a supporting face for supporting a composite substrate in a horizontal state thereon;
• side face supporting means disposed on the supporting base for supporting an outer peripheral side face of the composite substrate placed on the supporting face;
• and
• exfoliation means for advancing into a boundary region between the first substrate and the second substrate which configure the composite substrate supported by the supporting face of the supporting base and the side face supporting means to exfoliate the composite substrate into the first substrate and the second substrate,
• the exfoliation means including
• an exfoliation member disposed at a position opposing to the side face supporting means in a state parallel to the supporting face of the supporting base and having a wedge portion for advancing into the boundary region between the first substrate and the second substrate, the exfoliation member having a gas ejection port open at a tip end of the wedge portion,
• gas supplying means for supplying gas to the gas ejection port of the exfoliation member,
• exfoliation member positioning means for moving the exfoliation member in a direction perpendicular to the supporting face of the supporting base to position the wedge portion at the boundary region between the first substrate and the second substrate, and
• exfoliation member advancing and retracting means for advancing and retracting the wedge portion of the exfoliation member to and from the boundary region between the first substrate and the second substrate which configure the composite substrate supported by the supporting face of the supporting base and the side face supporting means,
• wherein the side face supporting means is configured from at least two rollers and rotatably supports the outer peripheral side face of the composite substrate.