Patent ID: 8245751

Claim:
A substrate bonding apparatus, comprising: a board having a receiving surface that receives a substrate fixed thereto; a plurality of chucking members provided with the receiving surface of the board, wherein the plurality of chucking members hold a mating surface of the substrate on the receiving surface of the board; and a substrate separation device that selectively separates the substrate from the plurality of chucking members to release the substrate from the board, wherein the substrate separation device includes at least one expansion device positioned between adjacent chucking members on the board, wherein the at least one expansion device includes: a base block fixed in a recess formed in the receiving surface of the board; and an expansion member coupled to the base block such that the expansion member is positioned between the base block and the substrate fixed to the receiving surface of the board, wherein, in a deflated state, the at least one expansion device and the plurality of chucking members form a substantially planar surface on which the substrate is received, and wherein, in an inflated state, the expansion member is inflated by air received therein via the base block such that a space between the base block and the expansion member is filled with air and the inflated expansion member applies a corresponding pressure to the substrate so as to separate the substrate from the board.