Patent ID: 8297331

Claim:
A separating apparatus for separating a supporting plate from a substrate to which the supporting plate has been attached, comprising: a sucking device configured to stick to the supporting plate by suction, and form a space therebetween, the supporting plate having a plurality of through holes passing therethrough in a thickness direction thereof, said sucking device having an opening via which gas is capable of being expelled from the space between said sucking device and the supporting plate, said opening having a diameter of not less than 0.3 mm and not more than an outer diameter of the supporting plate; a gas supply means for supplying gas into a space between the supporting plate and the substrate via the through holes; wherein said opening via which gas is capable of being expelled is disposed in a position so as to overlap with at least one of said plurality of through holes of said supporting plate while gas is being supplied into the space between the supporting plate and the substrate with said gas supply means; and wherein said sucking device is configured to hold said supporting plate by a sucking force which is caused by expelling gas from a space between said sucking device and said supporting plate.