Abstract: Provided is a protection film bonding method and a protection film bonding apparatus that improves productivity for bonding the protection film onto one surface of a silicon wafer. A carrier film is separated from a three-layer film having a reinforcement film, and is provided on front and rear surfaces of a protection film, to provide a two-layer film. This two-layer film is bonded onto the front surface of the silicon wafer, the reinforcement film is removed from the two-layer film and the protection film is trimmed. An apparatus consists of a supply unit, separation and take-up unit that separates the carrier film from the three-layer film, an assigning and separation unit, a joint unit that joins the two-layer film onto the silicon wafer, and a peel-off unit, that removes the reinforcement film while separating it from the two-layer film.

Abstract: A trimming method and a trimmer capable of ensuring trimming a protection film which protects a silicon wafer and making a cut end of the protection film obtained by trimming neat, are provided. If a laser beam L is applied to the strip protection film 3 bonded onto the silicon wafer 1 to trim the protection film to have a predetermined size and a predetermined shape, an intake flow V such as an air curtain flow is applied to the protection film 3. A trimmer used to execute this method consists of a table 2 on which the silicon wafer 1 is mounted, an assigning and separation unit D for bonding the strip protection film 3 onto the silicon wafer 1, a laser beam unit G provided above the table for forming a cut 28 into the protection film 3 along a peripheral surface 1a of the silicon wafer 1, and an intake unit Av provided below the table for applying an intake flow V to a lower surface of the protection film 3 along the peripheral surface 1a.

Abstract: A trimming method and a trimmer capable of ensuring trimming a protection film which protects a silicon wafer and making a cut end of the protection film obtained by trimming neat, are provided.

Abstract: This invention provides a protection film bonding method and a protection film bonding apparatus, capable of improving productivity for an operation for bonding the protection film onto one surface of a silicon wafer. A carrier film 19 is separated from a three-layer film H3 having a reinforcement film 3 and the carrier film 19 provided on front and rear surfaces of a protection film 2, respectively, to provide a two-layer film H2. This two-layer film H2 is bonded onto the front surface of the silicon wafer 1, the reinforcement film 3 is peeled off from the two-layer film H2 and then the protection film 2 is trimmed.

Abstract: A method of cutting away the unnecessary portions of a masking sheet bonded to a silicon wafer during the IC manufacturing process. The method uses a laser cutting device which includes an optical fiber containing silver halide and a CCD camera to control the position of the laser focal point.