Patent ID: 8268113

Claim:
A method for bonding two substrates held by first and second holding plates facing each other and arranged in a process chamber, wherein at least one of the first and second holding plates includes a chuck surface and a channel extending along the chuck surface, the method comprising: chucking an outer surface of a selected one of the two substrates and holding the substrate in a horizontal state by a holding member while carrying the substrate in the process chamber; housing the holding member in the channel extending along the chuck surface of the at least one of the first and second holding plates when transferring the substrate held by the holding member to the at least one of the first and second holding plates; horizontally pulling back the holding member along the channel after execution of a transfer of the substrate to the at least one of the first and second holding plates from the holding member; and bonding the two substrates held by the first and second holding plates to form a bonded substrate.