Abstract: A lower holding table and an upper holding table, which hold substrates, respectively, are moved relative to each other, causing one of the substrates to contact the drops of liquid crystal, formed on the other substrate. The substrate that is held on the lower holding table is thereby made to float. Next, the floating substrate is made to abut on the lower holding table. A contact load smaller than the bonding load to be applied to bond the substrates together is thereby applied to the two substrates, thus aligning the substrates with each other in the horizontal direction. The bonding load is applied to the two substrates thus aligned. The substrates are thereby bonded with a seal layer.