Patent ID: 6998329

Claim:
A method of fabricating an SOI wafer comprising: an SOI wafer forming step for forming an SOI wafer by annealing the bond wafer having an ion-implanted layer formed therein and a base wafer on which an SOI layer is to be formed later, as being closely contacted with each other while placing in between an insulating film which composes the surficial portion of the bonding-side main surface of at least either one of the wafers, to thereby delaminate the surficial portion of the bonding-side main surface of the bond wafer at the ion implanted layer so as to form the SOI layer, and is bonded to the base wafer to thereby obtain an SOI wafer; and a wafer separation step in which a stack of the SOI wafer and the residual wafer which is a residue of the bond wafer after causing delamination, obtained in the SOI wafer forming step, is held so as to direct one wafer upward and the other wafer downward, and the upper wafer is then slid in the in-plane direction relative to the lower wafer, to thereby separate both wafers from each other, the SOI wafer is held as being immobilized, and the residual wafer is moved by sliding.