Method and substrate holder for the controlled bonding of substrates

1. A method for bonding a first substrate with a second substrate at respective mutually facing contact faces of the first and second substrates, the method comprising:

holding the first substrate to a first holding surface of a first holding device having a plurality of fixing elements, and holding the second substrate to a second holding surface of a second holding device having a plurality of fixing elements,

respectively fixing the first and second substrates to the first and second holding surfaces by switching on the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices, and

curving at least one of the contact faces of the first and second substrates before contacting of the contact faces of the first and second substrates,

wherein after the contacting of the contact faces of the first and second substrates, switching off each fixing element that is arranged uniaxially along a single contacting axis of at least one of the first or second holding devices, and keeping switched on the remaining fixing elements of the at least one of the first or second holding devices, so that the first and second substrates are first joined together only uniaxially along the contacting axis, and

wherein the remaining fixing elements of the at least one of the first or second holding devices are thereafter switched off, so that the first and second substrates are joined together over a whole area.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are arranged in a grid shape.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are switched off sequentially.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are switched off simultaneously along a curve.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curvature is generated by a deformation element constituted in an elongated manner along the contacting axis and/or a plurality of deformation elements arranged along the contacting axis.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curvature takes place in a convex manner as viewed from an opposite one of the first and second substrates.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the curvatures of both the first and second substrates take place mirror-inverted with respect to one another.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting axis runs through a center of at least one of the first and second substrates.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the contacting of the respective contact faces of the first and second substrates is initiated at centers of the first and second substrates.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing of the first and second substrates to the first and second holding surfaces takes place solely at respective outer edges of the first and second substrates.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are grouped into a plurality of zones, wherein the plurality of zones are switchable on and off separately and/or are arranged at respective outer edges of the first and second substrates.

12. A device for bonding a first substrate with a second substrate at respective mutually facing contact faces of the first and second substrates, the device comprising:

a first holding device for holding the first substrate to a first holding surface, said first holding device having a plurality of fixing elements, and a second holding device for holding the second substrate to a second holding surface, said second holding device having a plurality of fixing elements switchable between on and off,

a curving device for curving at least one of the contact faces of the first and second substrates before contacting of the contact faces of the first and second substrates, and

a controller operable such that after the contacting of the contact faces of the first and second substrates, switching off each fixing element that is arranged uniaxially along a single contacting axis of at least one of the first or second holding devices, and keeping the remaining fixing elements of the at least one of the first or second holding devices switched on, so that the first and second substrates can first be joined together only uniaxially along the contacting axis,

wherein the controller is operable to switch off the remaining fixing elements of the at least one of the first or second holding devices thereafter, so that the first and second substrates are joined together over a whole area.

13. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are arranged with a constant distance between adjacent fixing elements.

14. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the plurality of fixing elements of the first and second holding devices are switched off sequentially in a direction from inside toward outwards and/or at a same interval of time.

15. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the contacting of the respective contact faces of the first and second substrates take place along the contacting axis completely up to respective outer edges of the first and second substrates.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of zones are arranged at the respective outer edges of the first and second substrates, the plurality of zones distributed with a uniform spacing from one another.