Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes: an ingot holding unit holding an ingot with an ingot portion corresponding to a wafer being faced up; an ultrasonic wave oscillating unit which has an end face facing the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer and oscillates an ultrasonic wave; a water supplying unit supplying water to an area between the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer and the end face of the ultrasonic wave oscillating unit; and a peeling unit that holds the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer with suction and peels off the wafer from the ingot.

Abstract: A method of producing a wafer includes forming a peel-off layer in a hexagonal single-crystal ingot by applying a laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through the ingot while positioning a focal point of the laser beam in the ingot at a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from an end face of the ingot, generating ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic wave generating unit positioned in facing relation to the wafer to be produced across a water layer interposed therebetween, thereby to break the peel-off layer, and detecting when the wafer to be produced is peeled off the ingot based on a change that is detected in the height of an upper surface of the wafer to be produced by a height detecting unit positioned above the upper surface of the wafer to be produced across the water wafer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes an ingot holding unit holding an ingot in a hanging state where a portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is directed downwardly, a water container containing water therein, an ultrasonic unit immersed in the water in the water container, a moving unit moving the ingot holding unit vertically into a position where the ingot holding unit faces the ultrasonic unit and at least the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is immersed in the water in the water container, and a nozzle ejecting water to the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer thereby to promote the peeling of the wafer from the ingot.

Abstract: A method of producing a wafer includes forming a peel-off layer in a hexagonal single-crystal ingot by applying a laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through the ingot while positioning a focal point of the laser beam in the ingot at a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from an end face of the ingot, generating ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic wave generating unit positioned in facing relation to the wafer to be produced across a water layer interposed therebetween, thereby to break the peel-off layer, and detecting when the wafer to be produced is peeled off the ingot based on a change that is detected in the height of an upper surface of the wafer to be produced by a height detecting unit positioned above the upper surface of the wafer to be produced across the water wafer interposed therebetween.

Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes an ingot holding unit holding an ingot in a hanging state where a portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is directed downwardly, a water container containing water therein, an ultrasonic unit immersed in the water in the water container, a moving unit moving the ingot holding unit vertically into a position where the ingot holding unit faces the ultrasonic unit and at least the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer is immersed in the water in the water container, and a nozzle ejecting water to the portion of the ingot to be peeled off as the wafer thereby to promote the peeling of the wafer from the ingot.

Abstract: A peeling apparatus includes: an ingot holding unit holding an ingot with an ingot portion corresponding to a wafer being faced up; an ultrasonic wave oscillating unit which has an end face facing the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer and oscillates an ultrasonic wave; a water supplying unit supplying water to an area between the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer and the end face of the ultrasonic wave oscillating unit; and a peeling unit that holds the ingot portion corresponding to the wafer with suction and peels off the wafer from the ingot.