WAFER SEPARATING APPARATUS, WAFER SEPARATING/TRANSFERRING APPARATUS, WAFER SEPARATING METHOD, WAFER SEPARATING/TRANSFERRING METHOD AND SOLAR CELL WAFER SEPARATING/TRANSFERRING METHOD

摘要

There is provided a wafer separation apparatus that can improve wafer separation performance in separation and transfer and can suppress the occurrence of breakage or the like of wafers in separation and transfer, while the apparatus is an inexpensive, small-sized apparatus. The apparatus includes: a cassette (12) that vertically accommodates a large number of single wafers (W) in intimate contact with each other, the cassette (12) being at least vertically opened; a cassette support (13) that removably supports the cassette, the cassette support (13) being at least vertically opened; a hoisting unit (14) that hoists and lowers the cassette support (13) integrally with the cassette (12); a liquid bath (16) that accommodates a liquid into which the cassette support (13) is immersed integrally with the cassette (12) when the hoisting unit (14) descends; a nozzle (17) provided in the inside of the liquid bath (16) to issue micro bubbles from the underside of the cassette support (13) toward a large number of the wafers (W); and a micro bubble generator (18) that generates micro bubbles to be issued from the nozzle (17).