The present invention provides a method of separating a bonded stack utilizing the force generated by a gas jet. The stack includes a carrier and a thinned workpiece such as device wafer that are bonded together through one or more layers therebetween. The gas jet can separate two adjacent layers having peeling strength therebetween in the range of from 0.01 to 50.0 g/cm. The invention can simplify the procedure and provide high throughput in separating thinned wafer from its carrier.

The invention describes the ability to conduct multiple carrier substrate removal practices simultaneously. The fixture design is slotted in a manner to hold film frame rings and has the bottom region open without interference to the passage of the released carrier substrate. Slots in the fixture are arranged on two sides at top and bottom to support the film frame, however, the distance between the slots and the area of the open region is sufficient to allow the carrier substrate to travel downwards under gravity force, once it has been released from the device wafer. The method describes a batch process whereby a fixture design supports multiple film frames with taped adhered device wafers enable exposure to a chemical medium that either acts upon the interface between the device wafer and carrier substrate or digests the carrier substrate in a manner that results in removal.

The invention provides a method for delaminating a composite by immersing the composite into a delamination solution; wherein the composite comprises a metal substrate and a coating applied on one side or both sides of the metal substrate, wherein the coating comprises a polymeric binder; and wherein the polymeric binder comprises an aqueous copolymer. The use of delamination solution comprising a weak base allows for complete delamination of the composite in a highly efficient and extremely fast manner. Furthermore, the delamination method disclosed herein circumvents complex separation processes, contamination and corrosion of the metal substrate and enables an excellent materials recovery. An application of the method for delaminating an electrode for a battery is disclosed herein.

Exfoliation of graphene from graphite using multilayer coextrusion is generally disclosed. In some example embodiments, graphite may be dispersed within a first processing material, and the first processing material and a second processing material may be co-extruded through a plurality of series coupled layer multiplication dies to exfoliate graphene from the graphite. The graphene may be separated from the resulting multi-layered material. In some example embodiments, graphite flake and/or expanded graphite may be dispersed within the first processing material.

The present invention provides a procedure of processing a workpiece such as backside grinding of a device wafer and an apparatus designed for the procedure. The procedure comprises (1) preparing a bonded stack comprising (e.g. consisting of) a carrier layer, a workpiece layer, and an interposer layer therebetween; (2) processing the workpiece layer; and (3) delivering a gas jet at the junction between two adjacent layers in the stack to separate or debond the two adjacent layers. Technical merits of the invention include enhanced efficiency, higher wafer throughput, reduced stress on workpiece surface, and uniformly distributed stress and avoidance of device wafer breakage and internal device damage, among others.

The invention provides a method for delaminating a composite by immersing the composite into a delamination solution; wherein the composite comprises a metal substrate and a coating applied on one side or both sides of the metal substrate, wherein the coating comprises a polymeric binder; and wherein the polymeric binder comprises an aqueous copolymer. The use of delamination solution comprising an alkali metal silicate salt allows for complete delamination of the composite in a highly efficient and extremely fast manner. Furthermore, the delamination method disclosed herein circumvents complex separation processes, contamination and corrosion of the metal substrate and enables an excellent materials recovery. An application of the method for delaminating an electrode for a battery is disclosed herein.

The invention provides a method for delaminating a composite by immersing the composite into a delamination solution; wherein the composite comprises a metal substrate and a coating applied on one side or both sides of the metal substrate, wherein the coating comprises a polymeric binder, and wherein the polymeric binder comprises an aqueous copolymer. The use of delamination solution comprising an alkali metal silicate salt allows for complete delamination of the composite in a highly efficient and extremely fast manner. Furthermore, the delamination method disclosed herein circumvents complex separation processes, contamination and corrosion of the metal substrate and enables an excellent materials recovery. An application of the method for delaminating an electrode for a battery is disclosed herein.

The present invention provides a semiconductor substrate cleaning method including a step of removing an adhesive layer provided on a semiconductor substrate by use of a remover composition, wherein the remover composition contains a solvent but no salt; and the solvent includes an organic solvent represented by formula (L) (wherein each of L.sup.1 and L.sup.2 represents a C2 to C4 alkyl group, and L.sup.3 represents O or S) in an amount of 80 mass % or more.
L.sup.1-L.sup.3-L.sup.2(L)

Provides an aqueous binder composition for a secondary battery electrode, comprising a copolymer and a dispersion medium, wherein the copolymer comprises a structural unit (a), a structural unit (b), and a structural unit (c). The binder composition disclosed herein has improved binding capability. In addition, battery cells comprising electrodes prepared using the binder composition disclosed herein exhibits exceptional electrochemical performance.