Patent ID: 10665492

Abstract:
Disclosed herein is a wafer unloading method for unloading a wafer from an electrostatic chuck table electrostatically holding the wafer by applying a voltage to the electrostatic chuck table. The wafer unloading method includes a voltage application stopping step of stopping the application of the voltage to the electrostatic chuck table electrostatically holding the wafer, a static eliminating voltage applying step of passing a current reverse in direction to a current passed to the electrostatic chuck table for electrostatically holding the wafer after performing the voltage application stopping step, thereby applying a static eliminating voltage for canceling peeling electrification to the electrostatic chuck table, and an unholding step of unholding the wafer from the electrostatic chuck table in the condition where the static eliminating voltage is kept applied to the electrostatic chuck table, after performing the static eliminating voltage applying step.