Abstract: A wafer processing method for processing a wafer has a front side and a back side, the front side of the wafer being formed with a plurality of crossing streets for defining a plurality of separate regions where a plurality of devices are individually formed. The wafer processing method includes the steps of first attaching a protective tape to the front side of the wafer, next heating the protective tape and the wafer, next applying a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the wafer to the back side of the wafer along the streets, thereby forming a modified layer inside the wafer along each street, and next grinding the back side of the wafer, thereby reducing a thickness of the wafer to a predetermined thickness and also dividing the wafer into individual chips along each street where the modified layer is formed as a division start point.

Abstract: One or more embodiments of current source circuits may include: a first current source that generates a first current dependent on a threshold value of a MOSFET; a second current source that generates a second current dependent on a voltage in a forward direction of a p-n junction; a first resistor that produces a first voltage based on the first current and the second current; a second resistor that produces a second voltage based on the second current; and an output MOSFET that produces an output current based on a sum of the first voltage and the second voltage.

Abstract: According to an aspect, a magnesium fluoride sintered compact includes a disc-shaped magnesium fluoride sintered compact having a through hole passing through a center axis of the disc-shaped magnesium fluoride sintered compact. The magnesium fluoride sintered compact has a relative density of 95% or higher.

Abstract: A control circuit of a switching power-supply device that converts a first DC voltage supplied from an input power source to a second DC voltage, includes: a first A/D converter that converts the second DC voltage into a first digital value, in response to a sampling clock depending on a first sampling clock and a second sampling clock; a control signal generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling on-and-off of the switching element based on of a difference between the first digital value and a target value; a regeneration completion sensing unit that senses completion of regeneration of the inductor and outputs a regeneration completion signal; and a sampling clock generation unit that: generates the first sampling clock, in response to the control signal to turn on the switching element, and generates the second sampling clock, in response to the regeneration completion signal.

Abstract: A control circuit of a switching power-supply device that converts a first DC voltage supplied from an input power source to a second DC voltage, includes: a first A/D converter that converts the second DC voltage into a first digital value, in response to a sampling clock depending on a first sampling clock and a second sampling clock; a control signal generation unit that generates a control signal for controlling on-and-off of the switching element based on of a difference between the first digital value and a target value; a regeneration completion sensing unit that senses completion of regeneration of the inductor and outputs a regeneration completion signal; and a sampling clock generation unit that: generates the first sampling clock, in response to the control signal to turn on the switching element, and generates the second sampling clock, in response to the regeneration completion signal.

Abstract: A wafer is processed by transferring a wafer to a holding surface of a chuck table by using a suction pad. The front side of the wafer is held through a protective tape on the holding surface under suction. The suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer and the back side of the wafer is ground, thereby thinning the wafer and also dividing the wafer into individual device chips. The wafer is mounted on the holding surface while held by the suction pad. The wafer is sandwiched between the suction pad and the holding surface when the suction force is removed. A suction force is applied to the holding surface to thereby hold the front side of the wafer through the protective tape on the holding surface, and the suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A leakage laser beam detecting method includes a coating step of coating the lower surface of a wafer with an oil marker, thereafter, a press-bonding step of press-bonding an adhesive tape to the lower surface of the wafer, thereafter, a modified layer forming step of applying a laser beam having a wavelength that can be transmitted through the wafer to the wafer from the upper surface thereof while making the laser beam be focused at a focused point within the wafer thereby to form modified layers in the wafer, thereafter, a peeling step of peeling off the press-bonded adhesive tape, and a leakage laser beam detecting step of detecting areas of the lower surface where the oil marker has been removed when the press-bonded adhesive tape is peeled off as areas marked by leakage laser beams.

Abstract: A control circuit of a switching power-supply device that converts a first DC voltage supplied from an input power source into a second DC voltage by turning on/off a switching element connected between the input power source and an inductor and outputs the second DC voltage, the control circuit includes a drive circuit that, when a control signal to turn on the switching element is received, drives the switching element by supplying a plurality of drive voltages starting in order from a lowest drive voltage among the plurality of drive voltages, to a control terminal of the switching element.

Abstract: There are provided a method for manufacturing a magnesium fluoride sintered compact to be free from cracks and chipping and to have high relative density, a method for manufacturing a neutron moderator, and the neutron moderator. The method for manufacturing a magnesium fluoride sintered compact includes a powder filling process for filling a magnesium fluoride powder material into a die by tapping, and an intermediate body sintering (pulsed electric current sintering) process for performing pulsed electric current sintering for sintering the filled magnesium fluoride powder material while applying a pulsed electric current thereto, to obtain a magnesium fluoride sintered compact (intermediate body).

Abstract: There is provided an X-ray nondestructive testing device which irradiates X-rays to an article, the article including a substrate having a predetermined X-ray absorption coefficient and a measurement target object disposed therein and having another X-ray absorption coefficient differing from that of the substrate, the device including: an X-ray source configured to irradiate the X-rays to the article; a detector configured to detect the transmission amounts of the X-rays passed through the article at at least paired different locations; a detection position specifying designator configured to specify the paired different locations as a set of paired locations based on a pre-stored design information; a driving mechanism configured to move the detector to the set of paired locations; and an operation calculator configured to calculate the thickness of the measurement target object based on the transmission amounts of the X-rays detected by the detector.

Abstract: An electronic device includes: a memory; and a processor connected to the memory and configured to receive signals from a plurality of sensors that detect an activity state of a user wearing, or having in its vicinity, the electronic device, wherein the processor reads out a program stored in the memory to perform the following processes: receiving the signals from the plurality of sensors; determining the activity state of the user based on the received signals; selecting one or more of sensors from the plurality of sensors on the basis of the determined activity state; deriving, on the basis of the determined activity state, information to be communicated to the user, the information to be communicated to the user being derived from the signals from the selected one or more of the sensors; and causing the derived information to be communicated to the user.

Abstract: An adhesion detecting method detects the degree of adhesion of a protective tape having an adhesive layer to a wafer having devices on the front side. A protective tape is attached to the front side of the wafer with the adhesive layer facing the wafer. The protective tape is then peeled from the front side of the wafer. An arbitrary specific region on the front side of the wafer is imaged to detect a first height difference of first unevenness. A corresponding region on the adhesive layer of the peeled protective tape is imaged to detect a second height difference of second unevenness formed on the adhesive layer. The first height difference and the second height difference are compared with each other to determine whether or not the second height difference falls within an allowable range with respect to the first height difference.

Abstract: There are provided a method for manufacturing a magnesium fluoride sintered compact to be free from cracks and chipping and to have high relative density, a method for manufacturing a neutron moderator, and the neutron moderator. The method for manufacturing a magnesium fluoride sintered compact includes a powder filling process for filling a magnesium fluoride powder material into a die by tapping, and an intermediate body sintering (pulsed electric current sintering) process for performing pulsed electric current sintering for sintering the filled magnesium fluoride powder material while applying a pulsed electric current thereto, to obtain a magnesium fluoride sintered compact (intermediate body).

Abstract: A leakage laser beam detecting method includes a coating step of coating the lower surface of a wafer with an oil marker, thereafter, a press-bonding step of press-bonding an adhesive tape to the lower surface of the wafer, thereafter, a modified layer forming step of applying a laser beam having a wavelength that can be transmitted through the wafer to the wafer from the upper surface thereof while making the laser beam be focused at a focused point within the wafer thereby to form modified layers in the wafer, thereafter, a peeling step of peeling off the press-bonded adhesive tape, and a leakage laser beam detecting step of detecting areas of the lower surface where the oil marker has been removed when the press-bonded adhesive tape is peeled off as areas marked by leakage laser beams.

Abstract: A wafer is transferred to a holding surface of a chuck table by using a transfer unit having a suction pad. The front side of the wafer is held under suction through a protective tape on the holding surface, and the suction pad is removed from the back side of the wafer. A modified layer is formed on the back side of the wafer along division lines. The wafer is transferred by mounting the wafer held by the suction pad on the holding surface and sandwiching the wafer between the suction pad and the holding surface of the chuck table. A suction force is applied to the holding surface of the chuck table to thereby hold the front side of the wafer through the protective tape on the holding surface of the chuck table under suction, and the suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A wafer is transferred to a holding surface of a chuck table by using a transfer unit having a suction pad. The front side of the wafer is held under suction through a protective tape on the holding surface, and the suction pad is removed from the back side of the wafer. A modified layer is formed on the back side of the wafer along division lines. The wafer is transferred by mounting the wafer held by the suction pad on the holding surface and sandwiching the wafer between the suction pad and the holding surface of the chuck table. A suction force is applied to the holding surface of the chuck table to thereby hold the front side of the wafer through the protective tape on the holding surface of the chuck table under suction, and the suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A wafer is processed by transferring a wafer to a holding surface of a chuck table by using a suction pad. The front side of the wafer is held through a protective tape on the holding surface under suction. The suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer and the back side of the wafer is ground, thereby thinning the wafer and also dividing the wafer into individual device chips. The wafer is mounted on the holding surface while held by the suction pad. The wafer is sandwiched between the suction pad and the holding surface when the suction force is removed. A suction force is applied to the holding surface to thereby hold the front side of the wafer through the protective tape on the holding surface, and the suction pad is then removed from the back side of the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer processing method including a first modified layer forming step of applying a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to a wafer from the back side thereof along each division line in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set inside the wafer near the front side thereof, thereby forming a first modified layer inside the wafer along each division line. The wafer processing method further includes a second modified layer forming step of applying the laser beam to the wafer from the back side thereof along each division line in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set adjacent to the first modified layer thereabove toward the back side of the wafer, thereby forming a second modified layer for growing a crack from the first modified layer toward the front side of the wafer.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer processing method including a stacked member removing step of applying a laser beam having an absorption wavelength to a stacked member through a protective film along each division line formed on the front side of a wafer, thereby performing ablation to remove the stacked member present on each division line, a dividing step of applying an external force to the wafer to divide the wafer into individual device chips along each division line where a modified layer is previously formed, and a plasma etching step of supplying an etching gas in a plasma state to the wafer from the front side thereof after performing the stacked member removing step or after performing the dividing step, thereby removing damage due to the ablation in the stacked member removing step.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer processing method including a first modified layer forming step of applying a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to a wafer from the back side thereof along each division line in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set inside the wafer near the front side thereof, thereby forming a first modified layer inside the wafer along each division line. The wafer processing method further includes a second modified layer forming step of applying the laser beam to the wafer from the back side thereof along each division line in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set adjacent to the first modified layer thereabove toward the back side of the wafer, thereby forming a second modified layer for growing a crack from the first modified layer toward the front side of the wafer.