Method for removing the carrier plate

Abstract

The present invention provides a carrier plate removal method, which can easily remove the carrier plate from a workpiece. The method is used when removing the carrier plate from a workpiece that is bonded to a region other than an outer edge portion of the front surface of the carrier plate by a temporary adhesive layer provided on the entire front surface of the carrier plate, wherein the carrier plate removal method includes the following steps: a temporary adhesive layer removal step, in which a part or all of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer is removed; a holding step, in which after a part or all of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer is removed, the workpiece is held from above by a holding unit; and a carrier plate removal step, in which, while the workpiece is held from above, a downward force is applied to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate by a pressing member from the front surface side of the carrier plate to move the carrier plate in a direction away from the workpiece, thereby removing the carrier plate from the workpiece.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a method for removing a carrier plate which is used when removing a carrier plate from a workpiece which is bonded to the front side of the carrier plate by means of a temporary adhesive layer. Background Art

[0002] In electronic devices such as mobile phones and personal computers, device chips having devices such as electronic circuits have become essential components. For device chips, for example, the front side of a wafer formed of a semiconductor material such as silicon is divided into a plurality of regions using predetermined dividing lines (spacers), and devices are formed in each region, and then the wafer is divided along the predetermined dividing lines, thereby obtaining device chips.

[0003] The device chip obtained by the above method is fixed to a mother substrate for CSP (Chip Size Package), electrically connected to the terminals of the mother substrate by wire bonding or other methods, and then sealed with a molding resin. In this way, the device chip is sealed with a molding resin to form a packaged device, thereby protecting the device chip from external factors such as impact, light, heat, and water.

[0004] In recent years, a packaging technology called FOWLP (Fan-Out Wafer Level Package) has been adopted: using wafer-level rewiring technology to form package terminals outside the device chip area (for example, see Patent Document 1). In addition, a packaging technology called FOPLP (Fan-Out Panel Level Packaging) has been proposed: using a panel (representatively a glass substrate used to manufacture liquid crystal panels) larger than a wafer to manufacture packaged devices at the same time.

[0005] In FOPLP, for example, a wiring layer (RDL: Redistribution Layer) is formed on the front side of a carrier plate as a temporary substrate with the help of a temporary adhesive layer, and a device chip is bonded to the wiring layer. Next, the device chip is sealed with a molding resin to obtain a package panel. After that, the package panel is thinned by grinding or other methods, and then the package panel is divided to complete the packaged device.

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2016-201519

[0007] In the above-mentioned FOPLP, for example, after the package panel is divided into packaged devices, the carrier plate is removed from the packaged devices. Specifically, each packaged device is picked up from the carrier plate. However, when the size of the packaged device is small, it is difficult to pick up the packaged device from the carrier plate.

[0008] On the other hand, it is also considered to peel and remove the carrier plate from the packaging panel before dividing the packaging panel into packaging devices. However, the adhesive force of the temporary adhesive layer is strong to a certain extent, so it is difficult to peel the carrier plate from the packaging panel without damaging the packaging panel or the carrier plate. Summary of the invention

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for removing a carrier plate, which can easily remove the carrier plate from a workpiece such as a package panel.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for removing a carrier plate is provided, which is used when removing the carrier plate from a workpiece that is bonded to an area of ​​the front surface of the carrier plate except an outer edge portion by means of a temporary adhesive layer provided on the entire front surface of the carrier plate, wherein the method for removing the carrier plate includes the following steps: a temporary adhesive layer removal step of removing a part or all of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer; a holding step of holding the workpiece from above by a holding unit after removing a part or all of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer; and a carrier plate removal step of applying a downward force to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate from the front side of the carrier plate by a pushing component while the workpiece is held from above, thereby moving the carrier plate in a direction away from the workpiece, thereby removing the carrier plate from the workpiece.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, sometimes in the carrier plate removal process, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate after blowing a fluid between the workpiece and the carrier plate, or a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate while blowing a fluid between the workpiece and the carrier plate, so as to remove the carrier plate from the workpiece.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the carrier plate removing step, a downward force may be applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate while the workpiece and the carrier plate are immersed in a liquid. In addition, a surfactant may be included in the liquid.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the carrier plate removing step, with the workpiece and the carrier plate sunk into the liquid, a downward force may be applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate while vibrating the pressing member.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, in the carrier plate removing step, with the workpiece and the carrier plate submerged in the liquid, a downward force may be applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate while vibrating the liquid.

[0015] In a carrier plate removal method according to one embodiment of the present invention, at least a portion of the outer edge of the temporary adhesive layer is removed, thereby separating the portion of the outer edge of the temporary adhesive layer adhered to the carrier plate from the central portion of the temporary adhesive layer that bonds the carrier plate to the workpiece.

[0016] Thus, by holding the workpiece from above using the holding unit and applying a downward force to the outer edge of the carrier plate, the carrier plate can be easily removed from the workpiece without being affected by the portion of the outer edge that is adhered to the carrier plate. In addition, the gravity acting on the carrier plate is used together with the downward force applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate, so that a large force is not required when removing the carrier plate from the workpiece. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a structural example of a composite substrate including a carrier plate and a workpiece, Figure 1 (B) is to Figure 1 A cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of (A).

[0018] Figure 2 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a part of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer is removed, Figure 2 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a part of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer is removed.

[0019] Figure 3 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a workpiece is held from above, Figure 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a situation where a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate. Figure 3 (C) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the carrier plate is removed from the workpiece.

[0020] Figure 4 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a carrier plate is removed from a workpiece using a carrier plate removal method according to a first modified example. Figure 4 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the carrier plate is removed from the workpiece using the carrier plate removal method according to the second modified example.

[0021] Description of symbols

[0022] 1: composite substrate; 3: carrier plate; 3a: first surface (front); 3b: second surface (back); 5: temporary adhesive layer; 5a: central part; 5b: outer edge; 5c: first part; 5d: second part; 5e: part; 7: workpiece; 7a: first surface (front); 9: device chip; 11: molded resin layer; 2: laser processing device; 4: chuck table; 6: frame; 6a: flow path; 8: holding plate; 8a: holding surface; 10: valve; 12: suction source; 14: laser irradiation unit; 16: laser beam; 22: peeling device; 24: holding unit; 24a: holding surface; 26: pushing member; 32: nozzle; 34: fluid; 42: groove; 44: liquid. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] An embodiment of one aspect of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a structural example of a composite substrate 1 used in the carrier plate removal method of the present embodiment, Figure 1 (B) is to Figure 1 A cross-sectional view showing a part of (A) in an enlarged manner. The composite substrate 1 includes a carrier plate 3 formed of an insulating material such as soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, or quartz glass.

[0024] The carrier plate 3 has a substantially flat first surface (front surface) 3a and a second surface (back surface) 3b on the side opposite to the first surface 3a, and is configured as a rectangular flat plate when viewed from the first surface 3a side or the second surface 3b side. The thickness of the carrier plate 3 is, for example, less than 2 mm, typically 1.1 mm.

[0025] In addition, in the present embodiment, the carrier plate 3 formed of an insulating material such as soda lime glass, borosilicate glass, quartz glass, etc. is used, but there is no particular limitation on the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the carrier plate 3. For example, a plate formed of a material such as a semiconductor, ceramic, resin, or metal may be used as the carrier plate 3. A disc-shaped plate such as a semiconductor wafer may also be used as the carrier plate 3.

[0026] The workpiece 7 is bonded to the first surface 3a side of the carrier plate 3 via a temporary adhesive layer 5. The temporary adhesive layer 5 is provided on the substantially entire first surface 3a by, for example, overlapping a metal film or an insulator film. In addition, the temporary adhesive layer 5 is sometimes composed of a resin film or the like that functions as an adhesive.

[0027] The thickness of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is, for example, 20 μm or less, typically 5 μm. The temporary adhesive layer 5 includes: a central portion 5a for bonding the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7; and an outer edge portion 5b covering the outer edge portion of the first surface 3a of the carrier plate 3. In other words, the workpiece 7 is bonded to the area of ​​the first surface 3a of the carrier plate 3 other than the outer edge portion. In addition, a portion of the outer edge portion 5b is bonded to the carrier plate 3 and is not easily peeled off.

[0028] When the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 and removed, the central portion 5a of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is separated into the first portion 5c (see Figure 3 (C)) and the second portion 5d (refer to Figure 3 (C) Before peeling the carrier plate 3 from the workpiece 7, a part of the outer edge portion 5b adhered to the carrier plate 3 is separated from the central portion 5a so that the central portion 5a is appropriately separated.

[0029] The workpiece 7 is also called a package panel or a package wafer, and includes: a wiring layer (RDL) (not shown) in contact with the central portion 5a of the temporary adhesive layer 5; a plurality of device chips 9 bonded to the wiring layer; and a molded resin layer 11 for sealing each device chip 9. The workpiece 7 is, for example, configured in the same flat plate shape as the carrier plate 3.

[0030] In addition, the size of the workpiece 7 observed from the first surface (front) 7a side (the side opposite to the temporary adhesive layer 5) is smaller than the size of the carrier plate 3 observed from the first surface 3a side or the second surface 3b side. Moreover, the thickness of the workpiece 7 is, for example, less than 1.5 mm, typically 0.6 mm.

[0031] In addition, the first surface 7a side of the workpiece 7 can be processed by grinding or other methods. In addition, a predetermined splitting line is set in the area between adjacent device chips 9 in the workpiece 7. For example, the workpiece 7 is cut along any predetermined splitting line, thereby splitting the workpiece 7 into a plurality of workpiece pieces each containing one or more device chips 9.

[0032] Furthermore, if the workpiece 7 (or workpiece piece) is cut along all the predetermined dividing lines, a plurality of packaged devices corresponding to the device chips 9 are obtained. However, there is no particular limitation on the material, shape, structure, size, etc. of the workpiece 7. For example, the workpiece 7 may be mainly composed of a wiring layer and may not include the device chips 9 or the molded resin layer 11.

[0033] In the carrier plate removal method of the present embodiment, first, at least a portion of the outer edge portion 5 b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is removed (temporary adhesive layer removal step). Figure 2 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a part of the outer edge portion 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is removed. Figure 2(B) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where a part of the outer edge portion 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is removed.

[0034] When a part of the outer edge 5b is removed, use Figure 2 The laser processing device 2 shown in (A) has a chuck table 4 for holding the composite substrate 1. The chuck table 4 includes, for example, a cylindrical frame 6 formed of a metal material represented by stainless steel and a holding plate 8 formed of a porous material and arranged on the upper part of the frame 6.

[0035] The upper surface of the holding plate 8 is a holding surface 8a for sucking and holding the carrier plate 3 of the composite substrate 1. The lower surface side of the holding plate 8 is connected to the suction source 12 via the flow path 6a and the valve 10 provided inside the frame 6. Therefore, if the valve 10 is opened, the negative pressure of the suction source 12 can be applied to the holding surface 8a.

[0036] The chuck table 4 (frame 6) is connected to a rotation drive source (not shown) such as a motor, and rotates around a rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the holding surface 8a by the force generated by the rotation drive source. In addition, the chuck table 4 (frame 6) is supported by a moving mechanism (not shown) and moves in a processing feed direction substantially parallel to the holding surface 8a and in an indexing feed direction substantially parallel to the holding surface 8a and substantially perpendicular to the processing feed direction.

[0037] like Figure 2 As shown in (A), a laser irradiation unit 14 is arranged above the chuck table 4. The laser irradiation unit 14 includes: a laser oscillator (not shown), which can generate a laser beam 16 of a wavelength absorbed by the temporary adhesive layer 5; and an optical system (not shown) which guides the laser beam 16 to the composite substrate 1 held by the chuck table 4.

[0038] When a part of the outer edge portion 5b is removed, the carrier plate 3 of the composite substrate 1 is first held by the chuck table 4 so that the workpiece 7 is exposed upward. Figure 2 As shown in (A), after the second surface 3b of the carrier plate 3 is brought into contact with the holding surface 8a of the chuck table 4, the valve 10 is opened to allow the negative pressure of the suction source 12 to act on the holding surface 8a.

[0039] After the composite substrate 1 is held by the chuck table 4, the outer edge 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 exposed upward is irradiated with a laser beam 16. Figure 2Specifically, the laser beam 16 is irradiated downward from the laser beam emitting port of the laser irradiation unit 14 while the laser beam emitting port of the laser irradiation unit 14 is relatively moved along the part 5e of the outer edge 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5.

[0040] Among them, a part 5e of the outer edge portion 5b to be removed is set at a position with a distance of 1mm to 3mm from the outer edge of the temporary adhesive layer 5 (or the carrier plate 3) in a manner surrounding the central portion 5a of the temporary adhesive layer 5. That is, the annular area surrounding the central portion 5a is set as the removal object. However, there is no special restriction on the position of the part 5e of the outer edge portion 5b. In addition, the conditions for irradiating the laser beam 16 are adjusted within the range in which the part 5e of the outer edge portion 5b can be removed by ablation processing.

[0041] Therefore, if Figure 2 As shown in (A), a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b is irradiated with a laser beam 16 from above to remove the portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b. That is, a portion of the outer edge portion 5b adhered to the carrier plate 3 is separated from the central portion 5a, so that the carrier plate 3 can be easily peeled off from the workpiece 7. In addition, in this embodiment, only a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b is removed, but the entire outer edge portion 5b may also be removed.

[0042] After a portion 5 e of the outer edge portion 5 b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is removed, the workpiece 7 of the composite substrate 1 is held from above (holding step). Figure 3 (A) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the workpiece 7 is held from above. When the workpiece 7 is held from above, use Figure 3 The peeling device 22 shown in (A) etc. The peeling device 22 has a holding unit 24 for holding the workpiece 7 of the composite substrate 1 from above.

[0043] A holding surface 24a having the same size as the first surface 7a of the workpiece 7 is formed at the lower part of the holding unit 24. A suction source (not shown) is connected to the holding surface 24a via a flow path (not shown) and a valve (not shown). Therefore, if the valve is opened, a negative pressure of the suction source acts on the holding surface 24a. In addition, the holding unit 24 is supported by a lifting mechanism (not shown) and moves in the vertical direction.

[0044] When the workpiece 7 is held from above, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 As shown in (A), for example, when the workpiece 7 is positioned above the carrier plate 3, the holding surface 24a of the holding unit 24 is brought into contact with the first surface 7a of the workpiece 7. Furthermore, the valve is opened so that the negative pressure of the suction source acts on the holding surface 24a. Thus, the workpiece 7 of the composite substrate 1 is held from above by the holding unit 24.

[0045] In addition, in the present embodiment, the first surface 7a of the workpiece 7 is brought into direct contact with the holding surface 24a of the holding unit 24, but a porous sheet or the like may be interposed between the first surface 7a of the workpiece 7 and the holding surface 24a of the holding unit 24. Thus, damage or contamination of the workpiece 7 due to contact with the holding surface 24a can be prevented.

[0046] After the workpiece 7 is held from above, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 to separate and remove the carrier plate 3 from the workpiece 7 (carrier plate removing step). Figure 3 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a situation where a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3. Figure 3 (C) is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the carrier plate 3 is removed from the workpiece 7. When the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 and removed, the peeling device 22 is continuously used.

[0047] like Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 2 (B), a rod-shaped pressing member 26 is arranged on the side of the holding unit 24 at a position corresponding to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 of the composite substrate 1 held by the holding unit 24 .

[0048] The pressing member 26 is supported by, for example, a lifting mechanism (not shown) that is different from the lifting mechanism that moves the holding unit 24 , and moves in the vertical direction independently of the holding unit 24 .

[0049] When removing the carrier plate 3 from the workpiece 7, first, the holding unit 24 and the pressing member 26 are moved upward together to lift the composite substrate 1 held by the holding unit 24. That is, the second surface 3b side of the carrier plate 3 is exposed downward. Next, the pressing member 26 is moved downward while the position of the holding unit 24 is maintained, so that the lower end of the pressing member 26 contacts the outer edge of the carrier plate 3. That is, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26.

[0050] As described above, the workpiece 7 of the composite substrate 1 is held from above by the holding unit 24. Therefore, when a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26, the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 with the temporary adhesive layer 5 as a boundary and falls. That is, the carrier plate 3 moves in a direction away from the workpiece 7. In this embodiment, a part of the outer edge 5b adhered to the carrier plate 3 is separated from the central portion 5a, so that the carrier plate 3 can be easily peeled off from the workpiece 7 and removed.

[0051] As described above, in the carrier plate removal method of the present embodiment, a laser beam 16 of a wavelength absorbed by the temporary adhesive layer 5 is irradiated onto the temporary adhesive layer 5 to remove at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5, thereby separating the portion of the outer edge portion 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 that is adhered to the carrier plate 3 from the central portion 5a of the temporary adhesive layer 5 that bonds the carrier plate 3 to the workpiece 7.

[0052] Thus, the workpiece 7 is held from above by the holding unit 24 and a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3, so that the carrier plate 3 can be easily removed from the workpiece 7 without being affected by the portion of the outer edge 5b that is adhered to the carrier plate 3. In addition, since the gravity acting on the carrier plate 3 is used together with the downward force applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3, a large force is not required when removing the carrier plate 3 from the workpiece 7.

[0053] In addition, the present invention is not limited to the description of the above-mentioned embodiment, and various changes can be made and implemented. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b is removed by irradiating the laser beam 16 from the upper side of the workpiece 7, but at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b can also be removed by irradiating the laser beam from the lower side of the carrier plate 3. In this case, a laser beam with a wavelength that is transmitted through the carrier plate 3 and absorbed by the temporary adhesive layer 5 is used.

[0054] Similarly, in the above-mentioned embodiment, at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b of the temporary adhesive layer 5 is removed by irradiating the laser beam 16 to the temporary adhesive layer 5, but at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b may be removed by other methods. For example, at least a portion 5e of the outer edge portion 5b may be removed by cutting into the temporary adhesive layer 5 with a cutting tool or the like.

[0055] Furthermore, for example, the pressing member 26 in the above-described embodiment is configured to be movable in the vertical direction independently of the holding unit 24 , but the pressing member 26 only needs to be movable at least relative to the holding unit 24 .

[0056] Therefore, for example, the pressing member 26 may be fixed to a housing (not shown) of the peeling device 22 and only the holding unit 24 may be moved to move the pressing member 26 relative to the holding unit 24. In the above embodiment, one pressing member 26 is used, but a plurality of pressing members 26 may be used.

[0057] Furthermore, when the carrier plate 3 is peeled off and removed from the workpiece 7 , a fluid may be blown onto the temporary adhesive layer 5 exposed between the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 . Figure 4(A) is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 using the carrier plate removal method of the first modified example. Among them, most of the carrier plate removal method of the first modified example is the same as the carrier plate removal method of the above-mentioned embodiment. Therefore, in the following, mainly the differences are described, and the detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

[0058] like Figure 4 As shown in (A), a nozzle 32 is arranged on the side of the holding unit 24 of the peeling device 22 used in the first modification. A supply source (not shown) of the fluid 34 is connected to the nozzle 32 via a flow path (not shown) and a valve (not shown).

[0059] After the fluid 34 is blown from the nozzle 32 to the temporary adhesive layer 5 exposed between the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3, or while the fluid 34 is blown to the temporary adhesive layer 5 exposed between the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26, so that the carrier plate 3 can be more easily peeled off from the workpiece 7. As the fluid 34 blown between the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7, for example, air or water can be used. However, there is no particular limitation on the type of the fluid 34.

[0060] In addition, when the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 to be removed, the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 may be immersed in the liquid. Figure 4 (B) is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 using the carrier plate removal method of the second modified example. In addition, most of the carrier plate removal method of the second modified example is the same as the carrier plate removal method of the above-mentioned embodiment. Therefore, in the following, the differences are mainly described, and the detailed description of the same parts is omitted.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 2 (B), a groove 42 having a size capable of accommodating the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 is arranged below the holding unit 24 of the peeling device 22 used in the second modification. In the groove 42, a liquid 44 such as water is stored.

[0062] When the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 are sunk into the liquid 44 in the tank 42, the carrier plate 3 is peeled off from the workpiece 7 by applying a downward force to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26, and the carrier plate 3 peeled off from the workpiece 7 falls in the liquid 44. As a result, compared with the case where the carrier plate 3 is dropped in the air, the impact of the drop is reduced, and damage to the carrier plate 3 and vibration of the peeling device 22 can be prevented.

[0063] In addition, a surfactant may be included in the liquid 44. As the surfactant included in the liquid 44, an anionic surfactant or a cationic surfactant that easily enters the temporary adhesive layer 5 may be used. In this way, by including a surfactant that easily enters the temporary adhesive layer 5 in the liquid 44, the temporary adhesive layer 5 can be easily separated from the area where the surfactant enters, so that the carrier plate 3 can be more easily removed from the workpiece 7.

[0064] In the second modification, after the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 are sunk into the liquid 44, when the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 is applied with a downward force by the pressing member 26, a vibration such as ultrasonic wave may be applied to the pressing member 26. Specifically, while applying a vibration such as ultrasonic wave to the pressing member 26, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26. In this case, the carrier plate 3 can be more easily peeled off from the workpiece 7 by the effect of the vibration transmitted from the pressing member 26.

[0065] Similarly, after the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 are sunk into the liquid 44, when a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26, vibrations such as ultrasonic waves can be applied to the liquid 44. Specifically, while applying vibrations such as ultrasonic waves to the liquid 44, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate 3 by the pressing member 26. In this case, the carrier plate 3 can be more easily peeled off from the workpiece 7 by the effect of the vibration transmitted from the liquid 44.

[0066] In addition, the first modification example may be further combined with the second modification example. That is, the fluid may be blown to the temporary adhesive layer 5 exposed between the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 before or after the carrier plate 3 and the workpiece 7 are immersed in the liquid 44. In this case, the carrier plate 3 can be peeled off from the workpiece 7 more easily.

[0067] In addition, the structure, method, etc. of the above-mentioned embodiment can be carried out with appropriate changes as long as it does not depart from the scope of the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for removing a carrier plate, which method is used when removing a carrier plate from a workpiece, the workpiece being bonded to the front side of the carrier plate except for the outer edge portion by means of a temporary adhesive layer, the temporary adhesive layer being arranged on the entire front side of the carrier plate, wherein: The method for removing the carrier plate comprises the following steps: A temporary adhesive layer removal step of removing a part or all of the outer edge of the temporary adhesive layer; A holding step of holding the workpiece from above by using a holding unit after removing part or all of the outer edge portion of the temporary adhesive layer; as well as In the carrier plate removal step, while the workpiece is held from above, a pressing member is used to apply a downward force to the outer edge of the carrier plate from the front side of the carrier plate to move the carrier plate in a direction away from the workpiece, thereby removing the carrier plate from the workpiece.

2. The method for removing a carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein: In the carrier plate removal process, a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate after blowing fluid between the workpiece and the carrier plate, or a downward force is applied to the outer edge of the carrier plate while blowing fluid between the workpiece and the carrier plate to remove the carrier plate from the workpiece.

3. The method for removing a carrier plate according to claim 1, wherein: In the carrier plate removing step, a downward force is applied to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate while the workpiece and the carrier plate are immersed in the liquid.

4. The method for removing a carrier plate according to claim 3, wherein: The liquid contains a surfactant.

5. The method for removing a carrier plate according to claim 2, wherein: In the carrier plate removing step, a downward force is applied to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate while the workpiece and the carrier plate are immersed in the liquid.

6. The method for removing a carrier plate according to claim 5, wherein: The liquid contains a surfactant.

7. The method for removing a carrier plate according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: In the carrier plate removing step, in a state where the workpiece and the carrier plate are sunk into the liquid, a downward force is applied to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate while applying vibration to the pressing member.

8. The method for removing a carrier plate according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein: In the carrier plate removing step, in a state where the workpiece and the carrier plate are sunk into the liquid, a downward force is applied to the outer edge portion of the carrier plate while applying vibration to the liquid.

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