A separation apparatus for separating a superposed substrate in which a processing target substrate and a supporting substrate are joined together with an adhesive, into the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate includes: a first holding unit that includes a heating mechanism heating the processing target substrate and holds the processing target substrate; a second holding unit that includes a heating mechanism heating the supporting substrate and holds the supporting substrate; a moving mechanism that relatively moves at least the first holding unit or the second holding unit in a horizontal direction; and a porous part that is annularly provided along an outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit and formed with a plurality of pores, and supplies an inert gas to the outer peripheral portion of the first holding unit holding the processing target substrate.

A method of processing a semiconductor substrate is provided. The method may include forming a film over a first side of a semiconductor substrate, forming at least one separation region in the semiconductor substrate between a first region and a second region of the semiconductor substrate, arranging the semiconductor substrate on a breaking device, wherein the breaking device comprises a breaking edge, and wherein the semiconductor substrate is arranged with the film facing the breaking device and in at least one alignment position with the at least one separation region aligned with the breaking edge, and forcing the semiconductor substrate to bend the first region with respect to the second region over the breaking edge until the film separates between the breaking edge and the at least one separation region.

A substrate processing method of a combined substrate in which a first substrate having a surface film stacked thereon and a second substrate are bonded to each other includes separating the first substrate as a removing target from the second substrate; and removing or modifying at least a surface layer of the surface film at a peripheral portion of the second substrate by radiating laser light to an exposed surface of the surface film remaining at the peripheral portion of the second substrate, the exposed surface being exposed as a result of the separating of the first substrate.

In accordance with the following step of a method of manufacturing a MOSFET, a first cutting step of cutting a silicon carbide wafer along a plane substantially parallel to a {11-20} plane is performed. After the first cutting step, a second cutting step of cutting the silicon carbide wafer along a plane substantially perpendicular to the {11-20} plane and substantially perpendicular to the first main surface is performed.

A wafer production method includes forming, in an ingot, a separating layer that includes modified portions and cracks, by relatively moving the ingot and a focal point of a laser beam, with the focal point positioned at a depth corresponding to a thickness of the wafer, separating the wafer from the ingot by using the separating layer as a separation starting interface, bonding an adhesive tape to at least one of a separated surface of the wafer and a resulting fresh end surface of the ingot, removing separation debris stuck on the at least one surface, by separating the adhesive tape from the at least one surface, and grinding the at least one surface from which the separation debris has been removed. A wafer production machine is also disclosed.

An apparatus and method for debonding a pair of bonded wafers are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, the debonding apparatus, comprises: a wafer chuck having a preset maximum lateral dimension and configured to rotate the pair of bonded wafers attached to a top surface of the wafer chuck, a pair of circular plate separating blades including a first separating blade and a second separating blade arranged diametrically opposite to each other at edges of the pair of bonded wafers, wherein the first and the second separating blades are inserted between a first and a second wafers of the pair of bonded wafers, and at least two pulling heads configured to pull the second wafer upwardly so as to debond the second wafer from the first wafer.

In an embodiment a method includes placing a wafer on a receptacle comprising a chuck base, wherein a light port for emitting light from a source of light is an opening located in a surface of the chuck base, and wherein the light port is located underneath the wafer, shining the light from the light port at an edge of the wafer so that light passes by the edge of the wafer and processing the wafer on the receptacle based on the light that passed by the edge of the wafer and that is received by a light sensitive element.

A vacuum chuck includes: a vacuum chuck stage having a circular vacuum surface; a vacuum protection pad provided to the vacuum surface; an annular or arc-shaped concave portion dividing the vacuum surface into a central region located closer to a center of the vacuum surface and an outer circumferential region located on an outer circumferential side; and radially-extending concave portions formed in the central region. The vacuum protection pad has through holes in communication with the radially-extending concave portions, and the vacuum protection pad is bonded to the vacuum surface at the central region excluding the radially-extending concave portions.

A laser oscillator of a laser processing apparatus generates burst pulses each composed of a plurality of sub-pulses. The plurality of sub-pulses are generated in such a manner that the energy of the sub-pulse sequentially changes from a lower energy to a higher energy, and the burst pulses are applied to a wafer, whereby the wafer is formed therein with shield tunnels extending from the front surface to the back surface of the wafer and each being composed of a minute hole and an amorphous phase surrounding the minute hole.

A space-grade solar array includes relatively small cells with integrated wiring embedded into or incorporated directly onto a printed circuit board. The integrated wiring provides an interface for solar cells having back side electrical contacts. The single side contacts enable the use of pick and place (PnP) technology in manufacturing the space-grade solar array. The solar cell is easily and efficiently packaged and electrically interconnected with other solar cells on a solar panel such as by using PnP process. The back side contacts are matched from a size and positioning standpoint to corresponding contacts on the printed circuit board.