A semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus includes a stage, a head section facing the stage and configured to hold a semiconductor element, a driving section configured to drive one of the head section and the stage to move in a first direction intersecting the head section and the stage and apply a load to the other one of the stage and the head section, a load sensor configured to sense a load value of the applied load, and a controller configured to control the driving section to move one of the head section and the stage, and then separate the head section from the stage in accordance with a change in the load value.