Abstract: An air blow apparatus peels wafers off and simultaneously removes grease and grindstone grains by blowing air into gaps formed between semiconductor wafers sliced by a wire saw from a semiconductor ingot. Two injection nozzles 1a, 1b are symmetrically mounted at predetermined positions with respect to the central line c of the semiconductor wafer 10. Air injections 11a, 11b are injected from the outer top of the semiconductor wafer 10. Injection nozzles 1a, 1b are arranged so that they are movable in the longitudinal direction of the semiconductor ingot. Air injections 11a, 11b are set to be blown out at a cone shape of about 30 degrees.

Abstract: A method of producing a semiconductor wafer in which a semiconductor wafer cut by a wire saw can be cleaned efficiently and in automatic steps and abrasive grains are substantially completely removed away, and a cleaning apparatus for the method are provided. A semiconductor ingot is cut by a wire saw into cut semiconductor wafers. Each of the cut semiconductor wafers is degrease-cleaned, the semiconductor wafer which has been degrease-cleaned is oil-water separation-cleaned, the semiconductor wafer which has been oil-water separation-cleaned is rinsed, abrasive grains are removed away from the surface of the semiconductor wafer which has been rinse-cleaned, by alkali cleaning, the semiconductor wafer which has been abrasive grain removal-cleaned is separated from a slicing plate.

Abstract: A basket for cleaning semiconductor wafers is provided which can catch semiconductor wafers or semiconductor pieces slipping off from a slicing plate so as to prevent them from dropping, and which can hold semiconductor wafers even after the wafers are separated from the slicing plate in a cleaning step.The basket for cleaning semiconductor wafers, includes:at least two upstanding side walls on which ends of a slicing plate are to be respectively placed; at least two side holding rods which are substantially horizontally disposed between side portions of the sidewalls 21, 22, the side holding rods 31, 32 being separated from each other by a distance which is slightly larger than diameters of semiconductor wafers to be housed in the basket; a bottom plate which is formed between lower portions of the side walls; and two clamping rods which are horizontally movable along the side holding rods, thereby the semiconductor wafers sliced on the slicing plate are clamped by moving the clamping rods 51, 52.