Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes: a chuck table that holds a workpiece; a laser beam applying unit that applies a pulsed laser beam having a predetermined line width to the workpiece held by the chuck table; and a processing feeding unit that performs relative processing feeding of the chuck table and the laser beam applying unit. The laser beam applying unit includes: a laser oscillator that oscillates the pulsed laser beam; a focusing device that focuses the pulsed laser beam oscillated by the laser oscillator; and a pulse width adjustment unit that is disposed between the laser oscillator and the focusing device and that generates a time difference in a wavelength region of the pulsed laser beam in the predetermined line width, thereby adjusting the pulse width.

Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of a III-V compound crystal including a seed-crystal-formed substrate provision step of providing a seed-crystal-formed substrate in which a III-V compound seed crystal has been formed on a substrate, a seed crystal partial separation step of separating part of a portion in contact with the substrate in the III-V compound seed crystal from the substrate, and a crystal growth step of generating and growing the III-V compound crystal by reacting a group III element and a group V element with use of the III-V compound seed crystal as a nucleus after the seed crystal partial separation step.

Abstract: A comparing method includes a processing trace forming step of positioning a condenser at a reference height and a plurality of heights by moving the condenser, and forming a plurality of processing traces in one surface of a workpiece by irradiating different positions of the one surface with a laser beam according to each of the heights, a calculating step of calculating at least one of an average of widths in a plurality of predetermined directions of each of the plurality of processing traces and an area ratio of each of the plurality of processing traces to a circle of a predetermined diameter by analyzing an image of the plurality of processing traces by an image analyzing section, and a comparing step of quantitatively comparing deviations of the plurality of processing traces from a predetermined shape on the basis of at least one of the average and the area ratio.

Abstract: A laser processing method for processing a substrate having a device formed on the front side, an electrode pad being formed on the device. The method includes applying a pulsed laser beam to the back side of the substrate at a position corresponding to the electrode pad, thereby forming a fine hole in the substrate so that the fine hole reaches the electrode pad, detecting first plasma light generated from the substrate by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the substrate and also detecting second plasma light generated from the electrode pad by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the electrode pad, and stopping the laser beam when the second plasma light is detected. Time intervals of the pulsed laser beam repeatedly applied to the same fine hole are set to 0.1 ms or more.

Abstract: A method of processing a wafer includes: preparing a support substrate that can transmit ultraviolet rays having a wavelength of 300 nm or shorter and can support the wafer thereon; integrating a face side of the wafer and the support substrate by sticking the face side of the wafer and the support substrate to each other with an UV-curable resin whose adhesive power can be lowered by ultraviolet rays applied thereto interposed therebetween, thereby integrally combining the wafer and the support substrate with each other; processing a reverse side of the wafer; destroying the UV-curable resin by applying a focused laser beam in an ultraviolet range having a wavelength of 300 nm or shorter from a support substrate side; and peeling off the support substrate from the face side of the wafer.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a laser beam applying unit for applying a pulsed laser beam to the workpiece held by the chuck table while positioning spots of the pulsed laser beam on the workpiece, thereby processing the workpiece with the pulsed laser beam, and a control unit for controlling operation of the laser beam applying unit. The laser beam applying unit includes a laser oscillator for oscillating pulsed laser to emit a pulsed laser beam, a decimator for decimating pulses of the pulsed laser beam to adjust a repetitive frequency thereof, a scanner for scanning the spots of the pulsed laser beam over the workpiece at predetermined intervals, and an f? lens for focusing the pulsed laser beam.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a laser processing method including a first application step of applying a first laser beam having a pulse width shorter than time of electron excitation generated by application of a laser beam to a workpiece, and a second application step of applying a second laser beam within the electron excitation time.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate, having a first surface with at least one division line formed thereon and a second surface opposite the first surface, includes applying a pulsed laser beam to the substrate from the side of the first surface, at least in a plurality of positions along the at least one division line, so as to form a plurality of modified regions in the substrate, each modified region extending at least from the first surface towards the second surface. Each modified region is formed by melting substrate material by means of the pulsed laser beam and allowing the molten substrate material to resolidify. The method further comprises removing substrate material along the at least one division line where the plurality of modified regions has been formed.

Abstract: A substrate has a first surface with at least one division line formed thereon and a second surface opposite the first surface. The substrate is processed by applying a pulsed laser beam from the side of the first surface. The substrate is transparent to the pulsed laser beam. The pulsed laser beam is applied at least in a plurality of positions along the at least one division line, a focal point of the pulsed laser beam located at a distance from the first surface in the direction from the first surface towards the second surface, so as to form a plurality of modified regions inside the substrate. Each modified region is entirely within the bulk of the substrate, without any openings open to the first surface or the second surface. Substrate material is removed along the at least one division line where the modified regions are present.

Abstract: A laser processing method for a substrate with a device formed on a front surface thereof and including an electrode pad, the method including: a laser beam applying step of applying the laser beam to the back surface of the substrate to form a fine hole in the substrate at a position corresponding to the electrode pad; a detecting step of detecting first plasma light emitted from the substrate at the same time that the fine hole is formed in the substrate by the laser beam applied thereto, and second plasma light emitted from the electrode pad; and a laser beam irradiation finishing step of stopping application of the laser beam when the second plasma light is detected in the detecting step. A peak power density of the laser beam to be applied is set in a range from 175 GW/cm2 or less to 100 GW/cm2 or more.

Abstract: A laser processing method for processing a substrate having a device formed on the front side, an electrode pad being formed on the device. The method includes applying a pulsed laser beam to the back side of the substrate at a position corresponding to the electrode pad, thereby forming a fine hole in the substrate so that the fine hole reaches the electrode pad, detecting first plasma light generated from the substrate by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the substrate and also detecting second plasma light generated from the electrode pad by the application of the pulsed laser beam to the electrode pad, and stopping the laser beam when the second plasma light is detected. Time intervals of the pulsed laser beam repeatedly applied to the same fine hole are set to 0.1 ms or more.

Abstract: A laser processing method for applying a laser beam to the reverse side of a substrate with a device formed on a face side thereof and including an electrode pad, to form a pore in the substrate that leads to the electrode pad, includes an irradiation area setting step of detecting the size of the electrode pad and setting an irradiation area for the laser beam such that the pore to be formed is positioned within the electrode pad. After the irradiation area setting step has been performed, the laser beam is applied to the reverse side of the substrate to form a pore in the substrate at a position corresponding to the electrode pad. First plasma light emitted from the substrate and second plasma light emitted from the electrode pad are detected. When the second plasma light is detected, the beam is stopped from being applied to the substrate.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is an inspecting apparatus including an illuminating unit adapted to be positioned in the periphery of a transparent member for illuminating the transparent member from the outside of the circumference thereof, an imaging unit adapted to be opposed to the transparent member for imaging the transparent member illuminated by the illuminating unit, and a displaying monitor for displaying an image obtained by the imaging unit.

Abstract: A laser processing method includes holding a single crystal silicon wafer as a workpiece, selecting a laser beam having a wavelength of 1950 nm or more in a transmission wavelength region to the single crystal silicon wafer, and applying the laser beam to the single crystal silicon wafer along a predetermined area with the focal point of the laser beam set inside the wafer, thereby forming a plurality of shield tunnels arranged along the predetermined area. Each shield tunnel is composed of a fine hole and an amorphous region formed around the fine hole for shielding the fine hole. The fine hole extends from a beam applied surface of the wafer where the laser beam is applied to the other surface opposite to the beam applied surface.

Abstract: A processing method for a wafer including a crack detection step for irradiating illumination of a wavelength transparent to wafer, picking up an image of the wafer, and detecting whether a crack is generated within the wafer, a crack direction verification step for verifying, when a crack is detected, to which one of the first and second directions a direction in which the crack extends is nearer, a first cutting step for positioning the cutting blade to a scheduled division line of a direction decided to be a direction farther from the direction in which the crack extends from between the first and second directions and cutting the scheduled division line, and next a second cutting step for positioning the cutting blade to a scheduled division line of a direction decided to be nearer to the direction in which the crack extends and cutting the scheduled division line.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes: a protective member placing step of placing a protective member on the face side of a wafer; a shield tunnel forming step of applying a laser beam, which has a wavelength that is transmittable through single-crystal silicon, to areas of the wafer that correspond to projected dicing lines from a reverse side of the wafer, thereby successively forming a plurality of shield tunnels in the wafer, each including a fine pore extending from the reverse side to the face side of the wafer and an amorphous region surrounding the fine pore; and a dividing step of dividing the wafer into individual device chips by etching the shield tunnels according to plasma etching. The pulsed laser beam used in the shield tunnel forming step has a wavelength of 1950 nm or higher.

Abstract: A method of processing a plate-shaped work-piece with a laser beam so as to be divided along a plurality of projected dicing lines on the workpiece includes: forming a plurality of first shield tunnels, each including fine pores and an amorphous substance surrounding the fine pores, in the workpiece along the projected dicing lines by applying a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through the workpiece to the workpiece along the projected dicing lines while positioning a converged zone of the pulsed laser beam within the workpiece; changing the converged zone of the pulsed laser beam to be applied to the workpiece to a position along thicknesswise directions of the workpiece; and, forming a plurality of second shield tunnels in the workpiece adjacent and parallel to the first shield tunnels along the direction in which the pulsed laser bream is applied.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a wafer thinning method for thinning a wafer formed from an SiC substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The wafer thinning method includes an annular groove forming step of forming an annular groove on the second surface of the SiC substrate in an annular area corresponding to the boundary between a device area and a peripheral marginal area in the condition where a thickness corresponding to the finished thickness of the wafer after thinning is left, and a separation start point forming step of applying the laser beam to the second surface as relatively moving a focal point and the SiC substrate to thereby form a modified layer and cracks inside the SiC substrate at the predetermined depth.

Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing method of a III-V compound crystal including a seed-crystal-formed substrate provision step of providing a seed-crystal-formed substrate in which a III-V compound seed crystal has been formed on a substrate, a seed crystal partial separation step of separating part of a portion in contact with the substrate in the III-V compound seed crystal from the substrate, and a crystal growth step of generating and growing the III-V compound crystal by reacting a group III element and a group V element with use of the III-V compound seed crystal as a nucleus after the seed crystal partial separation step.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes: a protective member placing step of placing a protective member on the face side of a wafer; a shield tunnel forming step of applying a laser beam, which has a wavelength that is transmittable through single-crystal silicon, to areas of the wafer that correspond to projected dicing lines from a reverse side of the wafer, thereby successively forming a plurality of shield tunnels in the wafer, each including a fine pore extending from the reverse side to the face side of the wafer and an amorphous region surrounding the fine pore; and a dividing step of dividing the wafer into individual device chips by etching the shield tunnels according to plasma etching. The pulsed laser beam used in the shield tunnel forming step has a wavelength of 1950 nm or higher.