Abstract: A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Abstract: A laser beam application unit of a laser processing machine includes a laser oscillator that emits a laser beam, an f? main lens that focuses and applies the laser beam which has been emitted from the laser oscillator, to a workpiece held on a holding table, a scan unit that is arranged on an optical path between the laser oscillator and the f? main lens, scans the laser beam, and guides the resulting scanned laser beam to the f? main lens, and an f? sub-lens that is arranged on the optical path between the laser oscillator and the scan unit and converts the laser beam from parallel light into diffused light.

Abstract: A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Abstract: A laser beam profiler unit for measuring an intensity distribution of a laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator includes a magnifying optical system for magnifying a spot diameter of the laser beam oscillated from the laser oscillator and focused by a condensing lens, a first transmission prism for attenuating the laser beam, a second transmission prism for further attenuating a laser beam reflected by the first transmission prism, an image capturing element for detecting the laser beam reflected by the second transmission prism, and an analyzer for analyzing an intensity distribution of a spot of the laser beam from data of the laser beam detected by the image capturing element.

Abstract: A laser beam profiler unit for measuring an intensity distribution of a laser beam oscillated from a laser oscillator includes a magnifying optical system for magnifying a spot diameter of the laser beam oscillated from the laser oscillator and focused by a condensing lens, a first transmission prism for attenuating the laser beam, a second transmission prism for further attenuating a laser beam reflected by the first transmission prism, an image capturing element for detecting the laser beam reflected by the second transmission prism, and an analyzer for analyzing an intensity distribution of a spot of the laser beam from data of the laser beam detected by the image capturing element.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation unit of laser processing apparatus includes a pulse laser beam oscillating unit, a condenser that condenses a pulse laser beam and emits the beam to a workpiece held by a chuck table, a dichroic mirror disposed between the pulse laser beam oscillating unit and the condenser, a strobe light irradiation unit that emits light to a path on which the dichroic mirror and the condenser are disposed, a beam splitter disposed between the strobe light irradiation unit and the dichroic mirror, and an imaging unit disposed on the path of light split by the beam splitter. A controller actuates the strobe light irradiation unit and the imaging unit according to the timing of the pulse laser beam, and detects the width of a laser-processed groove immediately after emission of the pulse laser beam on the basis of an image signal from the imaging unit.

Abstract: There is provided a condensing point position detecting method of detecting a position in an optical axis direction of a condensing point of a laser beam condensed by a condenser of a laser processing apparatus. The condensing point position detecting method includes: an irradiation mark forming step of forming a plurality of irradiation marks in a substrate by irradiating the substrate held by a chuck table with the laser beam while moving the condenser in the optical axis direction with respect to the substrate; and a condensing point position detecting step of detecting an irradiation mark having a proper shape from the plurality of irradiation marks formed in the substrate, and detecting the position of the condensing point forming the proper irradiation mark as a position of an accurate condensing point.

Abstract: There is provided a condensing point position detecting method of detecting a position in an optical axis direction of a condensing point of a laser beam condensed by a condenser of a laser processing apparatus. The condensing point position detecting method includes: an irradiation mark forming step of forming a plurality of irradiation marks in a substrate by irradiating the substrate held by a chuck table with the laser beam while moving the condenser in the optical axis direction with respect to the substrate; and a condensing point position detecting step of detecting an irradiation mark having a proper shape from the plurality of irradiation marks formed in the substrate, and detecting the position of the condensing point forming the proper irradiation mark as a position of an accurate condensing point.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a laser beam spot shape detection method for detecting a spot shape of a laser beam oscillated by laser beam oscillator and collected by a condenser in a laser machining apparatus, the laser beam spot shape detection method including: a concave mirror holding step of holding a concave mirror having a spherical face forming a reflecting face with a chuck table; a focal point positioning step of positioning the focal point of the condenser in a proximity including the center of the spherical face forming the reflecting face of the concave mirror held by the chuck table; a laser beam irradiation step of irradiating a laser beam onto the held concave mirror, and an imaging step of capturing images of reflected light with a camera.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a pulse laser oscillator, a condenser which converges and irradiates a pulse laser beam upon a workpiece held on a chuck table, a dichroic mirror disposed between the pulse laser oscillator and the condenser, a strobo flash irradiation unit which irradiates light on a route of the dichroic mirror and the condenser, a beam splitter disposed between the strobo flash irradiation unit and the dichroic mirror, and an image pickup unit disposed on the route of the light split by the beam splitter. A control unit renders the strobo flash irradiation unit and the image pickup unit operative in a timed relationship with the pulse laser beam oscillated from the pulse laser beam oscillator and irradiated upon the workpiece and detects a processed state on the basis of an image signal from the image pickup unit.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation unit of laser processing apparatus includes a pulse laser beam oscillating unit, a condenser that condenses a pulse laser beam and emits the beam to a workpiece held by a chuck table, a dichroic mirror disposed between the pulse laser beam oscillating unit and the condenser, a strobe light irradiation unit that emits light to a path on which the dichroic mirror and the condenser are disposed, a beam splitter disposed between the strobe light irradiation unit and the dichroic mirror, and an imaging unit disposed on the path of light split by the beam splitter. A controller actuates the strobe light irradiation unit and the imaging unit according to the timing of the pulse laser beam, and detects the width of a laser-processed groove immediately after emission of the pulse laser beam on the basis of an image signal from the imaging unit.

Abstract: A laser beam irradiation unit of a laser processing apparatus includes a pulse laser oscillator, a condenser which converges and irradiates a pulse laser beam upon a workpiece held on a chuck table, a dichroic mirror disposed between the pulse laser oscillator and the condenser, a strobo flash irradiation unit which irradiates light on a route of the dichroic mirror and the condenser, a beam splitter disposed between the strobo flash irradiation unit and the dichroic mirror, and an image pickup unit disposed on the route of the light split by the beam splitter. A control unit renders the strobo flash irradiation unit and the image pickup unit operative in a timed relationship with the pulse laser beam oscillated from the pulse laser beam oscillator and irradiated upon the workpiece and detects a processed state on the basis of an image signal from the image pickup unit.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a laser beam spot shape detection method for detecting a spot shape of a laser beam oscillated by laser beam oscillator and collected by a condenser in a laser machining apparatus, the laser beam spot shape detection method including: a concave mirror holding step of holding a concave mirror having a spherical face forming a reflecting face with a chuck table; a focal point positioning step of positioning the focal point of the condenser in a proximity including the center of the spherical face forming the reflecting face of the concave mirror held by the chuck table; a laser beam irradiation step of irradiating a laser beam onto the held concave mirror, and an imaging step of capturing images of reflected light with a camera.