Abstract: A bonding method including an adhesive layer forming process in which a thermoplastic adhesive is applied to a substrate or a support plate and an adhesive layer is formed; a heating process in which the adhesive layer that is formed on the substrate or the support plate is heated; and a bonding process in which the substrate and the support plate are pressed against each other via the heated adhesive layer, thereby bonding the substrate and the support plate.

Abstract: A laminate including a supporting member which is light transmissive; a supported substrate which is supported by the supporting member; an adhesive layer which is provided on a surface of the supported substrate on which surface the supported substrate is supported by the supporting member; and a release layer, which (i) is provided between the supporting member and the supported substrate and (ii) contains a polymer including, in a repeating unit, a structure having a light absorption property, a property of the polymer being changed when the polymer absorbs light irradiated via the supporting member.

Abstract: A transport arm including a holding unit that holds a substrate by vacuum adsorption. The holding unit has an air discharge port and an adsorption member formed so as to surround the air discharge port. The adsorption member is a squeeze packing.

Abstract: A supporting member separation method for separating a laminate which is formed by laminating a substrate and a support plate through an adhesive layer and in which a release layer is provided on at least a part of the peripheral portion on the surface of the side of the substrate facing the support plate or the peripheral portion on the surface of the side of the support plate facing the substrate, the method including reducing the adhesive force of at least a part of the release layer which is provided on the peripheral portion of the substrate or the support, and fixing a part in the substrate and the support plate and separating the support plate from the substrate by applying a force to another part, after the preliminary treatment.

Abstract: An attaching apparatus, a substrate and a support that can be uniformly attached through an adhesive layer. The attaching apparatus is equipped with a set plate and a press plate formed of ceramics. The set plate and the press plate have a flatness of 1.0 ?m or less when not pressed.

Abstract: A laminate including a supporting member which is light transmissive; a supported substrate supported by the supporting member; an adhesive layer provided on a surface of the supported substrate which surface faces toward the supporting member; and a release layer which is made of an inorganic material and is provided between the supporting member and the supported substrate, the release layer having a property that changes when the release layer absorbs light coming through the supporting layer, and the release layer having a flat surface which faces the adhesive layer.

Abstract: An attachment method including an overlapping step of overlapping a support plate over a substrate under a reduced pressure environment; a temporary fixing step of temporarily fixing the support plate to the substrate; and an attaching step of attaching the support plate to the substrate under a reduced pressure environment. The method further includes, prior to the overlapping step, at least one of a first heating step in which heating is performed under an atmospheric pressure environment and a second heating step in which heating is performed under a reduced pressure environment.

Abstract: A bonding method including an adhesive layer forming process in which a thermoplastic adhesive is applied to a substrate or a support plate and an adhesive layer is formed; a heating process in which the adhesive layer that is formed on the substrate or the support plate is heated; and a bonding process in which the substrate and the support plate are pressed against each other via the heated adhesive layer, thereby bonding the substrate and the support plate.

Abstract: An attaching device configured to attach a substrate and a support via an adhesive layer is provided with support holding members. Holding tools of the support holding members are configured to hold the support with oblique surface parts (contact members) of the holding tools without coming into contact with a surface of the support, which is to be attached to the substrate. The attaching device attaches, to the substrate, the support of which the surface is held not to be contacted.

Abstract: A laminate including a supporter which transmits infrared; a substrate supported by the supporter; an adhesive layer via which the supporter and the substrate are attached to each other; and a separation layer positioned on a surface of the supporter to which surface the substrate is attached, and which is made of a compound having an infrared-absorbing structure. A target is tightly attached and supported in the laminate while securing easy separation of a supporter from the target.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus including a transfer unit for transferring, under reduced pressure, a laminate including a wafer and a support plate which are bonded to each other and supported by use of support pins that supports an inner periphery of a first surface of the wafer, the first surface being opposite to a second surface of the wafer onto which a second surface the support plate is bonded.

Abstract: A sticking apparatus including a pair of plate members sandwiching a laminate between the pair of plate members, and supporting members supporting the plate members. The supporting members supporting at least one of the plate members are located in a form of multiple dots or lines adjacent to each other at regular intervals on the plate member.

Abstract: A supporting member separation apparatus that separates a supporting member from a laminate having a substrate, an adhesive layer, a release layer which has a property that changes when it absorbs light, and the supporting member which are laminated in this order. The apparatus includes a holding unit that holds one surface of the laminate, a lifting and lowering unit that lifts and lowers the holding unit, and an adjustment unit that maintains a constant applied force to the holding unit.

Abstract: An attachment method including an overlapping step of overlapping a support plate over a substrate under a reduced pressure environment; a temporary fixing step of temporarily fixing the support plate to the substrate; and an attaching step of attaching the support plate to the substrate under a reduced pressure environment. The method further includes, prior to the overlapping step, at least one of a first heating step in which heating is performed under an atmospheric pressure environment and a second heating step in which heating is performed under a reduced pressure environment.

Abstract: A supporting member separation method for separating a laminate which is formed by laminating a substrate and a support plate through an adhesive layer and in which a release layer is provided on at least a part of the peripheral portion on the surface of the side of the substrate facing the support plate or the peripheral portion on the surface of the side of the support plate facing the substrate, the method including reducing the adhesive force of at least a part of the release layer which is provided on the peripheral portion of the substrate or the support, and fixing a part in the substrate and the support plate and separating the support plate from the substrate by applying a force to another part, after the preliminary treatment.

Abstract: An attaching apparatus, a substrate and a support that can be uniformly attached through an adhesive layer. The attaching apparatus is equipped with a set plate and a press plate formed of ceramics. The set plate and the press plate have a flatness of 1.0 ?m or less when not pressed.

Abstract: An attaching device configured to attach a substrate and a support via an adhesive layer is provided with support holding members. Holding tools of the support holding members are configured to hold the support with oblique surface parts (contact members) of the holding tools without coming into contact with a surface of the support, which is to be attached to the substrate. The attaching device attaches, to the substrate, the support of which the surface is held not to be contacted.

Abstract: A laminate including a supporting member which is light transmissive; a supported substrate supported by the supporting member; an adhesive layer provided on a surface of the supported substrate which surface faces toward the supporting member; and a release layer which is made of a fluorocarbon and is provided between the supporting member and the supported substrate, the release layer having a property that changes when it absorbs light coming through the supporting member.

Abstract: A bonding method including an adhesive layer forming process in which a thermoplastic adhesive is applied to a substrate or a support plate and an adhesive layer is formed; a heating process in which the adhesive layer that is formed on the substrate or the support plate is heated; and a bonding process in which the substrate and the support plate are pressed against each other via the heated adhesive layer, thereby bonding the substrate and the support plate.

Abstract: An attaching method for attaching a support plate to a surface of a substrate with an adhesive involves the steps of applying an adhesive to the surface of the substrate, heating and thereafter cooling the substrate, positioning centers of the substrate and the supporting plate to coincide with each other, and forming a layered structure by pushing the supporting plate onto the substrate with the adhesive therebetween in a pressure-reduced atmosphere. In the positioning step, after the supporting late has been placed on the substrate, it is possible to finely adjust the alignment of the supporting plate and a semiconductor wafer when attached because the adhesive is applied to the surface of the substrate, and thereafter the substrate is heated and cooled.