Patent ID: 7300532

Claim:
A method for bonding a first substrate with a second substrate in a treatment chamber, wherein the treatment chamber accommodates a first holding unit that attracts the first substrate and a second holding unit that attracts the second substrate, the method comprising the steps of: transporting the first and second substrates as a pair to the treatment chamber; vacuum attracting at least one of the first and second substrates to the associated holding unit by applying an attraction pressure to said at least one of the first and second substrates; depressurizing the treatment chamber to a predetermined level; attracting said at least one of the substrates by at least one of another holding devices provided in at least one of the holding units after the pressure in the treatment chamber reaches the predetermined vacuum level, and after the pressure in the treatment chamber reaches the predetermined vacuum level, controlling with a controller the attraction pressure applied to said at least one of the first and second substrates to be substantially equal to the predetermined vacuum level of the treatment chamber.