Patent ID: 8186410

Claim:
A separating device for separating a support plate from a substrate of a laminate including the substrate and the support plate bonded to each other, the separating device comprising: a first storing section for storing the laminate; a plurality of first processing sections for reducing adhesive force of an adhesive applied between the substrate and the support plate; a first carrying section which is capable of moving in a first direction and carries the laminate from the first storing section to the first processing sections while holding the laminate; and second carrying sections for carrying support plates to second storing sections for storing the support plates, respectively, the support plates having become removable as a result of the reduction in the adhesive force of the adhesive, the reduction being performed by the first processing sections, the first carrying section carrying the laminate by moving straightly, each of the second carrying sections includes (i) a first carrying unit for carrying the support plate from the first processing section and (ii) a second carrying unit for receiving the support plate and carrying, to a corresponding one of the second storing sections, the support plate thus received, the first carrying unit including: a sucking plate for holding the support plate by suction; and hold/movement means for moving the sucking plate up and down.