Patent ID: 8334191

Claim:
A method of treating a plurality of semiconductor wafers implanted with atoms defining a cleave plane and a plurality of substrates, one of the semiconductor wafers together with one of the substrates constituting a workpiece, the method comprising: a) configuring a bonding chamber with i) a plurality of pairs of bonding sites, ii) a plurality of bonding stations, equal in number to the bonding sites, comprising a pair of loading stations and a pair of unloading stations distinct from the loading stations, and iii) a bonding base, on which the bonding sites are fixed, rotatable about an axis to align each pair of the bonding sites alternatively with the loading and unloading stations; b) alternately, until all of the bonding sites bear respective workpieces for bonding, at each loading station, loading a workpiece onto a vacant bonding site and rotating the bonding base to align a vacant pair of the bonding sites with the loading stations; c) operating the bonding stations simultaneously, while holding the bonding base stationary, so that at each of the bonding sites, aligned with respective bonding stations, a semiconductor wafer and a substrate form a bonded structure; d) configuring an exfoliation chamber with i) a plurality of exfoliation sites, ii) a plurality of exfoliation stations, equal in number to the exfoliation sites, comprising a pair of loading stations and a pair of unloading stations, distinct from the loading stations of the exfoliation chamber, and iii) an exfoliation base, on which the exfoliation sites are fixed, rotatable about an axis to align pairs of the exfoliation sites alternatively with the loading and unloading stations of the exfoliation chamber; e) alternately, until all of the exfoliation sites bear respective bonded structures transferred from the bonding chamber, i) from each unloading station of the bonding chamber transferring a bonded structure onto an unoccupied exfoliation site aligned with a loading station of the exfoliation chamber, and ii) rotating the exfoliation base to align a vacant pair of the exfoliation sites with the loading stations of the exfoliation chamber; and f) operating the exfoliation stations simultaneously, while holding the exfoliation base stationary, so that at each of the exfoliation sites, aligned with respective exfoliation stations, the semiconductor wafer of a bonded structure exfoliates a lamina bonded to its substrate, thereby defining a lamina-receiver assembly.