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 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: To provide a perforated support plate with high rigidity, the perforated support plate for supporting a surface of a wafer by interposing an adhesive layer comprises a reinforcing part for deflection prevention.

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: 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 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 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: To provide a perforated support plate with high rigidity, the perforated support plate for supporting a surface of a wafer by interposing an adhesive layer comprises a reinforcing part for deflection prevention.

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 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: In order to provide a liquid solvent abutment unit for accelerating the reaction of a liquid solvent against an adhesive member existing between a perforated support plate and a wafer, a liquid solvent abutment unit includes a supply part for supplying a support plate surface with a liquid solvent, a retention part for retaining the supplied liquid solvent in the hole-formed region on the support plate surface; a recovery part for recovering the liquid solvent retained in the hole-formed region, and a vibration unit for vibrating the liquid solvent.

Abstract: An adhesive composition of the present invention includes, as a main component, a polymer produced by copolymerization of a monomer composition including: styrene; a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester having a chain structure; a (meth)acrylic acid ester having an aliphatic ring; and a (meth)acrylic acid ester having an aromatic ring, wherein: the styrene is contained in a range of 40 to 69 parts by mass; the (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester having the chain structure is contained in a range of 20 to 30 parts by mass; the (meth)acrylic acid ester having the aliphatic ring is contained in a range of 10 to 25 parts by mass; and the (meth)acrylic acid ester having the aromatic ring is contained in a range of 1 to 5 parts by mass, where the total amount of the above components is 100 parts by mass.

Abstract: A stripping method for stripping a support plate from a laminate including a substrate and the support plate adhered to the wafer via an adhesive layer, in which the adhesive layer is formed from an adhesive compound soluble in a non-polar solvent or a highly polar solvent; and the stripping method includes supplying the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent, so that the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent is retained at least on an edge portion of that surface of the laminate which faces the support plate, and on a lateral surface of the laminate.

Abstract: This invention provides a support plate which makes it possible to stably perform a step for separating from a support plate a wafer which has been processed while preventing delay in time taken for this step. The support plate of this invention is a support plate for supporting a substrate via an adhesive, including: a plate-shaped part having a surface which is in contact with the adhesive; and at least one spacer provided on the surface which is in contact with the adhesive.

Abstract: A stripping method for stripping a support plate from a laminate including a substrate and the support plate adhered to the wafer via an adhesive layer, in which the adhesive layer is formed from an adhesive compound soluble in a non-polar solvent or a highly polar solvent; and the stripping method includes supplying the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent, so that the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent is retained at least on an edge portion of that surface of the laminate which faces the support plate, and on a lateral surface of the laminate.

Abstract: A stripping method for stripping a support plate from a laminate including a substrate and the support plate adhered to the wafer via an adhesive layer, in which the adhesive layer is formed from an adhesive compound soluble in a non-polar solvent or a highly polar solvent; and the stripping method includes the step of supplying the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent, so that the non-polar solvent or the highly polar solvent is retained at least on an edge portion of that surface of the laminate which faces the support plate, and on a lateral surface of the laminate.

Abstract: A sticking method for sticking a support plate onto a substrate in such a way that the support plate can be removed in quickly and easily is provided. The sticking method according to the present invention includes the step of sticking a support plate 3 onto a wafer 2 via a first adhesive layer 4 provided on the wafer 2, a separate film 5 provided on the first adhesive layer 4, and a second adhesive layer 6, provided on the separation film layer 5, which either is higher in rate of dissolution in a solution than the first adhesive layer 4 or dissolves in a solvent different from the solvent in which the first adhesive layer 4 dissolves.

Abstract: A separating apparatus includes a sucking plate for sticking to a support plate by suction. The sucking plate has sucking holes for expelling gas from a space between the sucking plate and the support plate. Each of the sucking holes has a diameter of not less than 0.3 mm and not more than an outer diameter of the support plate. This makes it possible to separate a supporting plate from a wafer without breaking the wafer.

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.

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).