A film-peeling apparatus is adapted to peel a protective film on a surface of a substrate. The surface of the substrate has a bare area which is not covered by the protective film. The film-peeling apparatus includes a punching member, a connector connected to the punching member, and a controller. The controller is configured for driving, through the connector, the punching member to punch at predetermined positions nearby or on a first edge of the protective film adjacent to the bare area.

There is provided a component supply device for supplying a component to a component mounter, including: a transporter that transports a carrier tape in which the component is stored and of which an upper surface is sealed with a cover tape, along a transport path; a peeler that peels off the cover tape from the carrier tape via an opening portion disposed above the transport path; and a cover that makes an open state of the opening portion variable. The cover sets the open state of the opening portion to be any of a first open state allowing the peeler to capture the cover tape and a second open state where an opening size of the opening portion is smaller than that of the first open state and passage of the cover tape peeled off from the carrier tape is not impeded.

A wafer de-bonding device comprises a stage (1) for holding a device wafer and a carrier wafer bonded together, and a tool (2) with a gas outlet (2.2) disposed in proximity to the stage (1) through an adjustment device for control the tool (2) to move towards or away from the stage (1), the tool (2) being provided with a bit (2.1) to cut a notch into a film or an adhesive layer at a junction of the bonded wafers, the gas outlet (2.2) being provided on the tool bit (2.1), the tool (2) being further provided with a gas inlet (2.3) in communication with the gas outlet (2.2), the gas inlet (2.3) being connected to a gas jet generator so as to direct a gas jet towards the junction of the bonded wafers on the stage (2). The wafer de-bonding device has a high degree of automation and simple operations.

A debonding device includes a first member provided with a recess for receiving a carrier body, the carrier body including a first plate, a second plate, and plural semiconductor chips. The semiconductor chips are sandwiched between the first plate and the second plate, the first plate of the carrier body received in the recess being opposed to a bottom of the recess. A second member is configured to change a relative position with respect to the first member, wherein the second member holds the second plate of the carrier body received in the recess using a vacuum suction, and the first member is provided with an inlet to introduce gas into a gap between the first plate and the second plate of the carrier body received in the recess.

An apparatus for supplying a support having a clean surface is provided. Alternatively, an apparatus for manufacturing a stack including a support and a remaining portion of a processed member whose one surface layer is separated is provided. A positioning portion, a slit formation portion, and a peeling portion are included. The positioning portion is provided with a first transfer mechanism of a stacked film including a support and a separator and a table for fixing the stacked film. The slit formation portion is provided with a cutter that can form a slit which does not pass through the separator. The peeling portion is provided with a second transfer mechanism and a peeling mechanism extending the separator and then peeling the separator. In addition, a pretreatment portion activating a support surface is included.

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.

An embodiment method for separating semiconductor devices from a wafer comprises using a carrier which acts an adjustable adhesive force upon the semiconductor devices and removing the semiconductor devices from the carrier by applying a mechanical or acoustical impulse to the carrier.

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.

A method includes: a first step of disposing the superposed substrate at a position where the superposed substrate is not in contact with a first holding unit and a second holding unit in a space between the first holding unit and the second holding unit, and supplying an inert gas into the space; a second step of thereafter relatively moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the vertical direction, and holding the processing target substrate by the first holding unit and holding the supporting substrate by the second holding unit; and a third step of thereafter relatively moving the first holding unit and the second holding unit in the horizontal direction while heating the processing target substrate held by the first holding unit and the supporting substrate held by the second holding unit, to separate the processing target substrate and the supporting substrate from each other.

There is provided a peeling method capable of preventing a damage to a layer to be peeled. Thus, not only a layer to be peeled having a small area but also a layer to be peeled having a large area can be peeled over the entire surface at a high yield. Processing for partially reducing contact property between a first material layer (11) and a second material layer (12) (laser light irradiation, pressure application, or the like) is performed before peeling, and then peeling is conducted by physical means. Therefore, sufficient separation can be easily conducted in an inner portion of the second material layer (12) or an interface thereof.