Member separating apparatus and processing apparatus

Abstract

This invention is to prevent a substrate from dropping when it is transferred/received to/from a separating apparatus. The support surfaces of substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) are made horizontal, and a substrate ( 21 ) to be separated is mounted on one substrate holding portion ( 22 ) in a horizontal state ( 2 A). The substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) are pivoted about rotary shafts ( 26, 27 ), respectively, to make the support surfaces of the substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) vertical so that the substrate ( 21 ) is sandwiched by the substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) ( 2 B) The substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) are rotated about rotary shafts ( 24, 25 ), respectively, and simultaneously, high-pressure, high-speed water is ejected from an ejection nozzle ( 28 ) to separate the substrate ( 21 ) into two substrates ( 21 a , 21 c ). The substrate holding portions ( 22, 23 ) are pivoted about the rotary shafts ( 26, 27 ), respectively, to make the support surfaces horizontal ( 2 C). With this arrangement, the substrate can be supported from the lower side and transferred in the horizontal state.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A separating apparatus for separating a member, comprising: 
 manipulation means for changing a direction of a major surface of the member; and    separation means for separating the member using a stream of a fluid,    wherein said manipulation means has a function of manipulating the member to match the direction of the major surface with a first direction and a function of manipulating the member to match the direction of the major surface with a second direction.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation means receives the member with the major surface whose direction matches with the first direction, matches the direction of the major surface with the second direction, and moves the member to a position where said separation means can process the member, and also matches a direction of a major surface of at least one member of the members separated by said separation means with the first direction.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said manipulation means receives the member with the major surface whose direction matches with the first direction, matches the direction of the major surface with the second direction, and moves the member to a position where said separation means can process the member, and also matches directions of major surfaces of members of the members separated by said separation means with the first direction.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the member to be processed comprises a plate member, and said separation means cuts the plate member in a direction of plane to separate the member into two plate members.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the second direction is a direction in which the major surface of the plate member is substantially vertical, and said separation means ejects the fluid toward the plate member in the vertical direction to separate the plate member into two plate members.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the plate member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said manipulation means comprises a pair of holding means for holding the plate member by sandwiching the member from two surface sides when said separation means separates the plate member.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein each of said holding means comprises chuck means for chucking the plate member.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said manipulation means comprises pivot means for pivoting at least one of said pair of holding means about a shaft parallel to a chuck surface of said chuck means, and the direction of the major surface of the plate member is changed by said pivot means.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said manipulation means comprises pivot means for pivoting said pair of holding means about shafts parallel to chuck surfaces of said chuck means, and the direction of the major surface of the plate member is changed by said pivot means.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the shaft as a pivot center of said holding means is arranged at a position where said pair of holding means do not interfere with each other.  
     
     
         14 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising rotation means for rotating the member about a shaft perpendicular to the major surface.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said rotation means comprises means for rotating the member when said separation means separates the member.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein said separation means separates the member using a stream of a liquid, and said rotation means comprises means for rotating at least one of the members separated by said separation means to remove the liquid sticking to the member.  
     
     
         17 . The apparatus according to  claim 9 , further comprising rotation means for rotating at least one of said pair of holding means about a shaft perpendicular to a holding surface.  
     
     
         18 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said rotation means rotates said holding means when said separation means separates the member.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein said separation means separates the member using a stream of a liquid, and said rotation means rotates said holding means to remove the liquid sticking to the member held by said holding means after the member is separated by said separation means.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a chamber for covering said apparatus.  
     
     
         21 . The apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein said chamber has a shutter capable of opening/closing.  
     
     
         22 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , further comprising transfer means for transferring the member to be processed to said manipulation means and receiving the separated member from said manipulation means, said transfer means being arranged outside said chamber and transferring/receiving the member to/from said manipulation means while opening said shutter.  
     
     
         23 . The apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein said shutter is closed at least when the member is separated by said separation means.  
     
     
         24 . The apparatus according to  claim 22 , further comprising positioning means for positioning the member to be processed with respect to said manipulation means.  
     
     
         25 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the member to be separated has a fragile layer as a separation layer, and the fragile layer is substantially parallel to the major surface of the member.  
     
     
         26 . A processing apparatus for processing a member, comprising: 
 manipulation means for changing a direction of a major surface of the member;    rotation means for rotating the member about a shaft perpendicular to the major surface; and    processing means for processing the member while said rotation means is rotating the member,    wherein said manipulation means receives the member with the major surface whose direction matches with a first direction, matches the direction of the major surface with a second direction, and moves the member to a position where said processing means can process the member, and also matches the direction of the major surface of the member which has been processed by said processing means with the first direction.    
     
     
         27 . The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         28 . The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         29 . The apparatus according to  claim 26 , wherein said processing means processes the member using a liquid, and said rotation means rotates the member to remove the liquid sticking to the member after the member is processed by said processing means.  
     
     
         30 . A processing apparatus for processing a member, comprising: 
 holding means for holding the member;    manipulation means for changing a direction of a holding surface of said holding means;    processing means for processing the member held by said holding means; and    rotation means for rotating said holding means holding the member about a shaft perpendicular to the holding surface when said processing means is processing and/or has processed the member,    wherein said manipulation means matches the direction of the holding surface with a first direction when said holding means is to receive the member to be processed, matches the direction of the holding surface of said holding means with a second direction after said holding means receives and holds the member, and moves said holding means to a position where said processing means can process the member, and also matches the direction of the holding surface of said holding means with the first direction after processing by said processing means is complete.    
     
     
         31 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus according to  claim 30 , wherein said processing means processes the member using a liquid, and said rotation means rotates the member to remove the liquid sticking to the member after the member is processed by said processing means.  
     
     
         34 . A separating method of separating a member, comprising: 
 the reception step of receiving the member with a major surface whose direction matches with a first direction;    the manipulation step of matching the direction of the major surface of the member with a second direction; and    the separation step of separating the member using a stream of a fluid.    
     
     
         35 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising the second manipulation step of matching a direction of a major surface of at least one member of the members separated in the separation step with the first direction.  
     
     
         36 . The method according to  claim 34 , further comprising the second manipulation step of matching directions of major surfaces of the members separated in the separation step with the first direction.  
     
     
         37 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first and second directions are substantially perpendicular to each other.  
     
     
         38 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         39 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the member to be processed comprises a plate member, and the separation step comprises cutting the plate member in a direction of plane to separate the member into two plate members.  
     
     
         40 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the second direction is a direction in which the major surface of the plate member is substantially vertical, and the separation step comprises ejecting the fluid toward the plate member in the vertical direction to separate the plate member into two plate members.  
     
     
         41 . The method according to  claim 40 , wherein the first direction is a direction in which the major surface of the plate member is substantially horizontal.  
     
     
         42 . The method according to  claim 39 , wherein the separation step comprises holding the plate member by sandwiching the member from two surface sides.  
     
     
         43 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the separation step comprises separating the member using the stream of a fluid while rotating the member to be processed about a shaft perpendicular to the major surface.  
     
     
         44 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the separation step comprises separating the member using a liquid, and the method further comprises rotating at least one of the members separated to remove the liquid sticking to the member after the member is separated in the separation step.  
     
     
         45 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the separation step is executed in a chamber to prevent the fluid from scattering.  
     
     
         46 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein the member to be processed has a fragile layer as a separation layer, and the fragile layer is substantially parallel to the major surface of the member.  
     
     
         47 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the fragile layer comprises a porous layer.  
     
     
         48 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the fragile layer comprises a layer having microcavity.  
     
     
         49 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the member to be processed is prepared by bonding at least two plate members, and at least one of the two plate members comprises a semiconductor substrate.  
     
     
         50 . The method according to  claim 49 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a single-crystal silicon substrate.  
     
     
         51 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the member to be processed is prepared by bonding at least two plate members, and at least one of the two plate members comprises an insulating substrate.  
     
     
         52 . The method according to  claim 51 , wherein the insulating substrate comprises a quartz substrate.  
     
     
         53 . The method according to  claim 46 , wherein the member to be processed is prepared by bonding at least two plate members, and at least one of the two plate members comprises a transparent substrate.  
     
     
         54 . The method according to  claim 47 , wherein the member to be processed is prepared by bonding a first substrate sequentially having a nonporous layer and a porous layer inward from a surface to a second substrate via the nonporous layer.  
     
     
         55 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the nonporous layer has a single-crystal silicon layer.  
     
     
         56 . The method according to  claim 55 , wherein the nonporous layer has an insulating layer on the single-crystal silicon layer.  
     
     
         57 . The method according to  claim 56 , wherein the insulating layer is formed from a silicon oxide.  
     
     
         58 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the second substrate comprises an insulating substrate.  
     
     
         59 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the second substrate comprises a transparent substrate.  
     
     
         60 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the second substrate comprises a quartz substrate.  
     
     
         61 . The method according to  claim 54 , wherein the porous layer is formed by anodizing a single-crystal silicon substrate.  
     
     
         62 . The method according to  claim 48 , wherein the member to be processed is prepared by bonding a second substrate to a surface of a first substrate incorporating a microcavity layer.  
     
     
         63 . The method according to  claim 62 , wherein the microcavity layer is formed by implanting ions into a single-crystal silicon substrate.  
     
     
         64 . The method according to  claim 34 , wherein water is used as the fluid.  
     
     
         65 . A semiconductor substrate manufacturing method comprising the steps of: 
 preparing a first substrate incorporating a porous layer or a microcavity layer;    bonding the first substrate to a second substrate to prepare a bonded substrate stack;    separating the bonded substrate stack into a first substrate side and a second substrate side using the porous layer or microcavity layer as a separation region by using the separating method of  claim 34;  and    removing the porous layer or microcavity layer remaining on the second substrate side.    
     
     
         66 . The method according to  claim 65 , further comprising the step of, after the bonded substrate stack is separated, removing the porous layer or microcavity layer remaining on the first substrate side to reuse the first substrate.  
     
     
         67 . The method according to  claim 65 , wherein the porous layer is formed by anodizing a semiconductor substrate.  
     
     
         68 . The method according to  claim 65 , wherein the microcavity layer is formed by implanting ions in a semiconductor substrate.  
     
     
         69 . A semiconductor substrate formed by the method of  claim 65.