Abstract: The present invention provides a support plate (1) that bonds to a substrate (2) so as to support the substrate (2). In the support plate (1), a plurality of openings (15) and (15?) penetrate through from a bonding surface to a non-bonding surface, the bonding surface facing the substrate (2), and the non-bonding surface facing the bonding surface; a porous region (13), which includes a first region (11) and a second region (12) surrounding the first region, is formed on the bonding surface; and the first region (11) has an opening ratio greater than that of the second region (12). By this, it is possible to realize a support plate that can be easily peeled off from a semiconductor wafer with a solvent, but does not easily come off from a substrate during a processing operation on the semiconductor wafer.

Abstract: A separating device according to the present invention separates a support plate (14) from a substrate (12) of a laminate (10) including the substrate (12) and the support plate (14) bonded to each other. The separating device includes: a first storing section (20) for storing the laminate (10); a plurality of first processing sections (30) for reducing adhesive force of an adhesive (13) applied between the substrate (12) and the support plate (14); and a first carrying section (50) which is capable of moving in the first direction and carries the laminate (10) from the first storing section (20) to the first processing section (30) while holding the laminate (10). With the first carrying section (50), it is possible to provide a separating device (100) which moves straightly so as to carry the laminate (10).

Abstract: An adhesive composition which is reduced in gas generation upon heating (has low hygroscopicity), has high alkali resistance, has heat resistance of 200° C. or higher, and can be easily removed with a stripping liquid; and an adhesive film made with the adhesive composition. The adhesive composition is prepared using, at least as a major ingredient, an acrylic polymer produced from (a) styrene, (b) a (meth)acrylic ester monomer containing a cyclic skeleton, and (c) an alkyl (meth)acrylate monomer. The adhesive film has an adhesive composition layer formed from this adhesive composition.

Abstract: A method for attaching a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in which cracking or chipping can be prevented when the substrate is thinned involves applying adhesive liquid onto a circuit (element)-formed surface of a semiconductor wafer. The adhesive liquid undergoes preliminary drying, so that its flowability is reduced and it can keep its shape as an adhesive layer. For the preliminary drying, heating is conducted for 5 minutes at a temperature of 80° C. by using an oven. The thickness of the adhesive layer is determined based on the irregularities of the circuit which has been formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Next, a supporting plate is attached to the semiconductor wafer on which the adhesive layer of a desired thickness has been formed.

Abstract: A supporting plate having a diameter identical to or larger than a diameter of a substrate to which the supporting plate is attached. A plurality of penetrating holes is provided in a thickness direction of the supporting plate so as to allow a solvent, such as alcohol, to pass therethrough. A diameter of the penetrating holes is approximately in a range of 0.3-0.5 mm, and a pitch of the penetrating holes is approximately in a range of 0.5-1.0 mm. The supporting plate comprises a low thermal expansion material—such as glass, ceramic or an alloy of nickel and iron—which has a thermal expansion coefficient less than that of the substrate.

Abstract: A method for attaching a supporting plate which makes it possible to prevent the groove pattern of the supporting plate from being transferred to the substrate, and to prevent non-uniformity from occurring when the surface of the substrate is ground. One surface of the supporting plate is attached to the substrate with an adhesive, and the opposite surface of the supporting plate to which a transfer preventing sheet is attached is mounted and fixed by attraction onto the top surface of an attracting head, and the top surface (no circuit is formed) of the semiconductor wafer is ground by a grinder in this state.

Abstract: A stripping apparatus has a simplified structure for stripping a supporting plate from a layered structure, occupies less space, and strips a supporting plate in a shorter period of time. The stripping apparatus comprises a transfer robot, a cassette, a stripping device and a cleaning device which surround the transfer robot. The stripping device comprises a chucking plate for attracting and retaining a layered structure, and a stripping plate for stripping the supporting plate from the layered structure. The chucking plate is constructed so as to be rotated by 180° within a vertical plane, elevated and lowered in a vertical direction in a state of retaining the layered structure.

Abstract: An attaching device which makes it possible to accurately perform alignment when the diameters of a substrate and a supporting plate are substantially the same includes a mounting plate for mounting a semiconductor wafer thereon, a pressing plate for pressing a supporting plate onto the semiconductor wafer, and a pair of alignment members. The pair of alignment members are arranged to freely move back and forth in a horizontal direction, and blades for supporting a lower surface of the periphery of the supporting plate and pushing members for performing positioning in a state where the supporting plate is superposed on the semiconductor wafer are provided at tip ends of the alignment members.

Abstract: There is provided a supporting plate having a structure in which a solvent can be supplied to an adhesive layer between the supporting plate and a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a short period of time after the substrate is thinned, and also a method for stripping the supporting plate. The supporting plate may have a larger diameter than the semiconductor wafer, and penetrating holes are formed in the supporting plate. The outer peripheral portion of the supporting plate is a flat portion in which no penetrating hole is formed. When alcohol is poured from above the supporting plate, the alcohol reaches the adhesive layer through the penetrating holes, dissolves and removes the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A supporting plate which makes it possible to easily strip the supporting plate from a substrate in a short period of time after thinning the substrate. In the supporting plate to which a circuit-formed surface of a substrate is bonded with an adhesive, a first penetrating hole is formed in a substantially central portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction, grooves connecting with the first penetrating hole are formed on a surface of the supporting plate to be contacted with an adhesive, and a second penetrating hole connecting with the grooves is formed in a peripheral portion of the supporting plate in the thickness direction.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a method for thinning a substrate and a method for manufacturing a circuit device which make it possible to prevent the pattern of penetrating holes of a supporting plate from being transferred to the surface of the substrate and prevent non-uniform grinding of the surface of the substrate from occurring. The supporting plate 1 and the substrate W are joined by using an adhesive layer 2, and a sheet 6 is attached to the supporting plate 1. The surface of the supporting plate 1 to which the sheet 6 has been attached is mounted and fixed by attraction onto an attracting head 7. The surface of the semiconductor wafer W on which no circuit device is formed is ground by a grinder 8 in this state.

Abstract: There is provided a supporting plate having a structure in which a solvent can be supplied to an adhesive layer between the supporting plate and a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in a short period of time after the substrate is thinned, and also a method for stripping the supporting plate. The supporting plate may have a larger diameter than the semiconductor wafer, and penetrating holes are formed in the supporting plate. The outer peripheral portion of the supporting plate is a flat portion in which no penetrating hole is formed. When alcohol is poured from above the supporting plate, the alcohol reaches the adhesive layer through the penetrating holes, dissolves and removes the adhesive layer.

Abstract: A method for attaching a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer in which cracking or chipping can be prevented when the substrate is thinned involves applying adhesive liquid onto a circuit (element)-formed surface of a semiconductor wafer. The adhesive liquid undergoes preliminary drying, so that its flowability is reduced and it can keep its shape as an adhesive layer. For the preliminary drying, heating is conducted for 5 minutes at a temperature of 80° C. by using an oven. The thickness of the adhesive layer is determined based on the irregularities of the circuit which has been formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer. Next, a supporting plate is attached to the semiconductor wafer on which the adhesive layer of a desired thickness has been formed.