Separation method, separation apparatus, and separation system

A separation apparatus for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive, into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate, the separation apparatus comprising:

• a first holding unit that includes a heating mechanism for heating the processing target substrate, the first holding unit holds the processing target substrate;
• a second holding unit that includes a heating mechanism for heating the supporting substrate, the second holding unit holds the supporting substrate;
• a raising and lowering mechanism that raises and lowers the superposed substrate in a vertical direction between the first holding unit and the second holding unit;
• a moving mechanism that moves the first holding unit and/or the second holding unit in the vertical direction and a horizontal direction;
• a gas supply part that supplies an inert gas into a processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit;
• a porous plate of porous material that has a plurality of pores, the porous plate having a flat plate shape, the flat plate shape is adapted to cover the processing target substrate in a plan view, the porous plate supplies, via the plurality of pores, the inert gas to a joint surface of the processing target substrate, the joint surface is exposed by moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction by the moving mechanism;
• a flow space between the first holding unit and the porous plate, the flow space covers an entire plane of a planar surface of the porous plate in the plan view, the flow space evenly supplies the inert gas to the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate in the plan view, wherein the gas supply part communicates the inert gas from a gas supply source to the flow space, and the flow space evenly communicates the inert gas from the gas supply part to the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate, and the porous plate communicates the inert gas evenly through the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate to a planar surface of the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit;
• a control unit configured to control the raising and lowering mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the gas supply part to execute:
• a first step of disposing the superposed substrate by the raising and lowering mechanism at a position where the superposed substrate is not in contact with the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and supplying the inert gas from the gas supply part into the processing space;
• a second step of thereafter moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the vertical direction by the moving mechanism, and holding the processing target substrate by the first holding unit and holding the supporting substrate by the second holding unit;
• and a third step of thereafter moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction by the moving mechanism while heating the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit and the supporting substrate held by the second holding unit, to separate the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate from each other;
• and
• a porous ring, the porous ring is annularly provided along an outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit, the porous ring is spaced apart in the horizontal direction from the porous plate, the porous ring supplies the inert gas in the horizontal direction from the outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit toward the processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit,
• wherein the control unit is further configured to control, in the third step, the porous plate to supply the inert gas from the porous plate to the joint surface of the processing target substrate exposed by the separation, the porous plate being distanced from the joint surface of the processing target substrate by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction.

A separation system comprising a separation apparatus for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive, into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate,

• the separation apparatus comprising:
• a first holding unit that includes a heating mechanism for heating the processing target substrate, the first holding unit holds the processing target substrate;
• a second holding unit that includes a heating mechanism for heating the supporting substrate, the second holding unit holds the supporting substrate;
• a raising and lowering mechanism that raises and lowers the superposed substrate in a vertical direction between the first holding unit and the second holding unit;
• a moving mechanism that moves the first holding unit and/or the second holding unit in the vertical direction and a horizontal direction;
• a gas supply part that supplies an inert gas into a processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit;
• a porous plate of porous material that has a plurality of pores, the porous plate having a flat plate shape, the flat plate shape is adapted to cover the processing target substrate in a plan view, the porous plate supplies, via the plurality of pores, the inert gas to a joint surface of the processing target substrate, the joint surface is exposed by moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction by the moving mechanism;
• a flow space between the first holding unit and the porous plate, the flow space covers an entire plane of a planar surface of the porous plate in the plan view, the flow space evenly supplies the inert gas to the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate in the plan view, wherein the gas supply part communicates the inert gas from a gas supply source to the flow space, and the flow space evenly communicates the inert gas from the gas supply part to the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate, and the porous plate communicates the inert gas evenly through the entire plane of the planar surface of the porous plate to a planar surface of the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit;
• a control unit configured to control the raising and lowering mechanism, the moving mechanism, and the gas supply part to execute:
• a first step of disposing the superposed substrate by the raising and lowering mechanism at a position where the superposed substrate is not in contact with the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and supplying the inert gas from the gas supply part into the processing space;
• a second step of thereafter moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the vertical direction by the moving mechanism, and holding the processing target substrate by the first holding unit and holding the supporting substrate by the second holding unit;
• and a third step of thereafter moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction by the moving mechanism while heating the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit and the supporting substrate held by the second holding unit, to separate the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate from each other;
• and
• a porous ring, the porous ring is annularly provided along an outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit, the porous ring is spaced apart in the horizontal direction from the porous plate, the porous ring supplies the inert gas in the horizontal direction from the outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit toward the processing space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit,
• the separation system comprising a transfer apparatus that transfers the processing target substrate separated in the separation apparatus,
• wherein the transfer apparatus has a Bernoulli chuck for jetting an inert gas to hold the processing target substrate,
• wherein the control unit is further configured to control, in the third step, the porous plate to supply the inert gas from the porous plate to the joint surface of the processing target substrate exposed by the separation, the porous plate being distanced from the joint surface of the processing target substrate by a predetermined distance in the vertical direction, and
• wherein the control unit is further configured to control, after the third step, the Bernoulli chuck to execute a fourth step of cooling the processing target substrate delivered from the first holding unit to the Bernoulli chuck by supplying the inert gas from the Bernoulli chuck to the processing target substrate.