WAFER TRANSFER APPARATUS AND TRANSFER METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a wafer transfer apparatus and a method which can reduce a stress to a wafer, realizes simplification of the apparatus, and the temperature variation of the wafer is little. SOLUTION: The wafer transfer apparatus is equipped with heat stages 20, 21, 22 on upper surfaces of which grooved channels 23 parallel in a direction A of transferring wafer are formed, pawls 35 inserted into the grooved channels 23, and a transfer means which holds the pawls 35, moves them up/down, and removes them in a direction of transferring. An inclined plane 35a is formed at a tip of the pawl 35 in the transfer direction, the inclined planes 35a are formed so as to extrude little over the heat stages 20, 21, 22 when the pawls 35 are positioned in the grooved channels 23.