Patent ID: 7963308

Claim:
An apparatus for fabricating a bonded substrate by bonding a first substrate and a second substrate, each of the first substrate and the second substrate having an inner surface to be bonded and an outer surface opposite to the inner surface, the apparatus comprising: a first holding plate holding the first substrate by chucking the outer surface of the first substrate; a second holding plate arranged to face the first holding plate and holding the second substrate by chucking the outer surface of the second substrate; and a transfer machine which transfers the first and second substrates to the first and second holding plates respectively and includes holding members holding the first and second substrates by chucking the outer surfaces of the first and second substrates, wherein a chuck surface of at least one of the first and second holding plates includes a channel extending along the chuck surface to retain at least one of the holding members and to allow the at least one of the holding members to be horizontally pulled back along the channel after transfer of the associated substrate to the at least one of the first and second holding plates from the transfer machine, is executed, and wherein the first and second holding plates and the transfer machine are configured not to contact with the inner surfaces of the first and second substrates when transferring the substrates between the transfer machine and the corresponding holding plates.