Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a main imaging unit configured to image a region to be laser-processed and an auxiliary imaging unit. The auxiliary imaging unit includes an objective lens, a camera configured to generate an image via the objective lens, a half-silvered mirror disposed between the camera and the objective lens, a light source configured to illuminate a wafer held on a chuck table via the half-silvered mirror and the objective lens, a first polarizing plate disposed between the camera and the half-silvered mirror, and a second polarizing plate disposed between the light source and the half-silvered mirror. The second polarizing plate is disposed such that a polarization plane of light applied from the light source, passed through the second polarizing plate, and reflected by the half-silvered mirror is rotated by a required angle with respect to a polarization axis of the first polarizing plate.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a holding unit for holding a workpiece thereon, a processing unit for processing the workpiece held on the holding unit, a moving mechanism for moving the holding unit and the processing unit relatively to each other, a processed state measuring unit for measuring a processed state of the workpiece, and a controller for controlling the processing unit, the moving mechanism, and the processed state measuring unit. The controller acquires processed state information of the workpiece from the processed state measuring unit, acquires vibration information regarding vibrations that are being produced while the processed state information is acquired, links the processed state information and the vibration information that have been acquired with each other, and stores the processed state information and the vibration information that have been linked with each other.

Abstract: A processing method of a wafer in which a modified layer is formed inside the wafer. In the processing method, irradiation with a first laser beam is executed from a back surface side of the wafer and the modified layer is formed inside the wafer. Then, irradiation with a second laser beam is executed with the focal point thereof positioned to the inside or the front surface of the wafer and reflected light is imaged by an imaging unit. Furthermore, a processing state of the wafer is determined on the basis of a taken image. The second laser beam is shaped in such a manner that a sectional shape thereof in a surface perpendicular to a traveling direction thereof becomes asymmetric across the modified layer.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a main imaging unit configured to image a region to be laser-processed and an auxiliary imaging unit. The auxiliary imaging unit includes an objective lens, a camera configured to generate an image via the objective lens, a half-silvered mirror disposed between the camera and the objective lens, a light source configured to illuminate a wafer held on a chuck table via the half-silvered mirror and the objective lens, a first polarizing plate disposed between the camera and the half-silvered mirror, and a second polarizing plate disposed between the light source and the half-silvered mirror. The second polarizing plate is disposed such that a polarization plane of light applied from the light source, passed through the second polarizing plate, and reflected by the half-silvered mirror is rotated by a required angle with respect to a polarization axis of the first polarizing plate.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for forming a modified layer within a wafer along planned dividing lines forms the modified layer within the wafer, positions a condensing point within the wafer or at a top surface of the wafer and applies a second laser beam while moving the condensing point, images reflected light, and determines a processed state of the wafer on the basis of an imaged image. The second laser beam is formed such that a sectional shape of the second laser beam in a plane perpendicular to a traveling direction of the second laser beam is not axisymmetric with respect to an axis along the planned dividing lines.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for forming a modified layer within a wafer along planned dividing lines forms the modified layer within the wafer, positions a condensing point within the wafer or at the top surface of the wafer and applies a second laser beam while moving the condensing point in a thickness direction of the wafer, images reflected light, and determines the processed state of the wafer on the basis of a photographed image. The second laser beam is formed such that the sectional shape of the second laser beam in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the second laser beam is asymmetric with respect to the modified layer.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for forming a modified layer within a wafer along planned dividing lines forms the modified layer within the wafer, positions a condensing point within the wafer or at a top surface of the wafer and applies a second laser beam while moving the condensing point, images reflected light, and determines a processed state of the wafer on the basis of an imaged image. The second laser beam is formed such that a sectional shape of the second laser beam in a plane perpendicular to a traveling direction of the second laser beam is not axisymmetric with respect to an axis along the planned dividing lines.

Abstract: A processing method of a wafer in which a modified layer is formed inside the wafer. In the processing method, irradiation with a first laser beam is executed from a back surface side of the wafer and the modified layer is formed inside the wafer. Then, irradiation with a second laser beam is executed with the focal point thereof positioned to the inside or the front surface of the wafer and reflected light is imaged by an imaging unit. Furthermore, a processing state of the wafer is determined on the basis of a taken image. The second laser beam is shaped in such a manner that a sectional shape thereof in a surface perpendicular to a traveling direction thereof becomes asymmetric across the modified layer.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for forming a modified layer within a wafer along planned dividing lines forms the modified layer within the wafer, positions a condensing point within the wafer or at the top surface of the wafer and applies a second laser beam while moving the condensing point in a thickness direction of the wafer, images reflected light, and determines the processed state of the wafer on the basis of a photographed image. The second laser beam is formed such that the sectional shape of the second laser beam in a plane perpendicular to the traveling direction of the second laser beam is asymmetric with respect to the modified layer.

Abstract: A non-destructive detection method includes, after carrying out a preparation step of preparing an inspection apparatus, an image acquisition step of intermittently moving an objective lens by a predetermined distance in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to an X-Y plane to be made closer to a first surface, positioning a focal point to a Z-axis coordinate value where a distance of the focal point extends by a refractive index of a workpiece, acquiring an X-Y plane image of an inside of the workpiece for each of a plurality of Z-axis coordinate values, and then, recording the acquired images in a recording unit, and a modified layer detecting step of detecting a state of a modified layer from the X-Y plane image for each of the plurality of Z-axis coordinate values recorded in the recording unit.

Abstract: A non-destructive detection method includes, after carrying out a preparation step of preparing an inspection apparatus, an image acquisition step of intermittently moving an objective lens by a predetermined distance in a Z-axis direction orthogonal to an X-Y plane to be made closer to a first surface, positioning a focal point to a Z-axis coordinate value where a distance of the focal point extends by a refractive index of a workpiece, acquiring an X-Y plane image of an inside of the workpiece for each of a plurality of Z-axis coordinate values, and then, recording the acquired images in a recording unit, and a modified layer detecting step of detecting a state of a modified layer from the X-Y plane image for each of the plurality of Z-axis coordinate values recorded in the recording 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: 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: A tracking apparatus and method in which the possible position of a current face is estimated based on the face positions previously determined as well as plural pieces of ambient information corresponding to the possible positions obtained. The current face position is estimated based on the position of the ambient information that is most similar to the ambient information obtained from previous detections.

Abstract: An object determining device for selecting a target face for processing from plural faces in an image, includes a face detecting unit that detects faces from an image; a face information recording unit that records the face detected in the past by the face detecting unit and the detection history relating to this detection as associated with each other; and a face selecting unit that selects a target face for processing, from the faces included in the image based upon the detection history. The object determining device includes a face information updating unit that, in a case where the face detected by the face detecting unit is not present in the face information recording unit, newly registers the face, and in a case where the face is present, updates the face information.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for face alignment by building a hierarchical classifier network. The hierarchical classifier network connects the tasks of face detection and face alignment into a smooth coarse-to-fine procedure. Texture classifiers are trained to recognize feature texture at different scales for different resolution layers. A multi-layer structure is employed to organize the texture classifiers, which begins with one classifier at the first layer and gradually refines the localization of feature points using additional texture classifiers in subsequent layers.

Abstract: A method for detecting a location of a pupil. The method involves projecting a modulated light at a first phase towards a face from a lighting source located near an optical axis of a modulated light camera, concurrently projecting a modulated light at a second phase towards the face from a lighting source located off the optical axis of the modulated light camera, where the first phase and the second phase are different; receiving a light reflected from the face; and generating an image from the light reflected from the face, where the image indicates the location of the pupil.

Abstract: A method for facilitating the learning of a language, involves concurrently displaying a video and subtitles corresponding to the video, where the displayed subtitles include selectable sentences, obtaining a selection from a user, including a selected sentence of the selectable sentences, subsequently displaying the selected sentence for selection of a word, obtaining a word selection of the selected sentence from the user, searching for and displaying at least one description including the user selected word.