Abstract: A laser beam machining apparatus including a laser beam irradiation unit, the laser beam irradiation unit including: a laser beam oscillator for oscillating a laser beam; a beam splitter by which the laser beam oscillated by the laser beam oscillator is split into a first laser beam and a second laser beam; a rotary half-wave plate disposed between the laser beam oscillator and the beam splitter; a condenser lens disposed in a first optical path for guiding the first laser beam split by the beam splitter; a first reflecting mirror disposed in a second optical path for guiding the second laser beam split by the beam splitter; a first quarter-wave plate disposed between the beam splitter and the first reflecting mirror; a second reflecting mirror disposed in a third optical path for splitting thereinto the second laser beam returned to the beam splitter through the second optical path; a second quarter-wave plate disposed between the beam splitter and the second reflecting mirror; and a cylindrical lens dispose

Abstract: An optical device wafer processing method for dividing an optical device wafer into a plurality of individual optical devices. The optical device wafer is composed of a substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on the front side of the substrate. The optical devices are partitioned by a plurality of crossing division lines formed on the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An optical device wafer processing method for dividing an optical device wafer into a plurality of individual optical devices. The optical device wafer is composed of a substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on the front side of the substrate. The optical devices are partitioned by a plurality of crossing division lines formed on the semiconductor layer.

Abstract: An optical device wafer processing method for dividing an optical device wafer into a plurality of individual optical devices. The optical device wafer is composed of a substrate and a semiconductor layer formed on the front side of the substrate. The optical devices are partitioned by a plurality of division lines formed on the semiconductor layer. The optical device wafer processing method includes a division start point forming step of applying a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the substrate along the division lines in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set inside the substrate in an area corresponding to the division lines, thereby forming a plurality of modified layers as division start points inside the substrate along the division lines; and a crack growing step of applying a CO2 laser beam along the division lines to grow cracks inside the substrate from the division start points.

Abstract: A wafer dividing method for dividing a wafer into individual devices along a plurality of division lines formed on the front side of the wafer, the individual devices being respectively formed in a plurality of regions partitioned by the division lines. The wafer dividing method includes a division inducing region forming step of applying a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the wafer along the division lines in the condition where the focal point of the laser beam is set inside the wafer, thereby forming a plurality of modified layers as division inducing regions inside the wafer along the division lines; and a dividing step of applying a CO2 laser beam along the modified layers formed by the division inducing region forming step to thereby heat the wafer along the modified layers and next spraying a cooling medium to a heated area of the wafer heated by the CO2 laser beam, thereby dividing the wafer into the individual devices.

Abstract: A method of forming a via hole reaching a bonding pad in a wafer having a plurality of devices on the front surface of a substrate and bonding pads formed on each of the devices by applying a pulse laser beam from the rear surface side of the substrate, wherein when a pulse laser beam having a spot diameter which satisfies D/2?d?D?2 ?m (wherein a diameter of the via hole to be formed is represented as D and a spot diameter of the pulse laser beam is represented as d) is applied in such a manner that the periphery of the spot moves along the inner circumference of the via hole to be formed, the pulse laser beam is applied at an angle of 120 to 180° from the previous application position.

Abstract: A laser processing machine that includes a chuck table adapted to hold a workpiece thereon and laser beam irradiation unit for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table. The laser beam irradiation unit includes: a laser beam oscillation section for emitting a pulse laser beam; a defection section for deflecting the pulse laser beam emitted from the laser beam oscillation section; and a concentrator having an ellipsoidal focusing spot forming section for focusing the pulse laser beam deflected by the deflection unit and forming a focusing spot into an ellipse.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser applying unit. The laser applying unit includes a first laser oscillating unit, a second laser oscillating unit, a first laser branching unit for branching a laser beam oscillated from the first laser oscillating unit into three optical paths, a second laser branching unit for branching a laser beam oscillated from the second laser oscillating unit into three optical paths, three first focusing units for respectively focusing the laser beams through the three optical paths obtained by the first laser branching unit toward a glass substrate, and three second focusing units for respectively focusing the laser beams through the three optical paths obtained by the second laser branching unit. The first focusing units and the second focusing units are alternately arranged in a line in an indexing direction.

Abstract: A wafer separating method including a laminated member removing step for partially removing a laminated member of a wafer along streets by applying a laser beam to the wafer along the streets, and a cutting step for cutting a substrate of the wafer along the streets after the laminated member removing step.

Abstract: A method of forming a via hole reaching a bonding pad in a wafer having a plurality of devices on the front surface of a substrate and bonding pads on each of the devices, by applying a laser beam from the rear surface side of the substrate, comprising the steps of forming an annular groove by applying a laser beam to an annular area surrounding a via hole forming area on the rear surface of the substrate; and forming a via hole reaching a bonding pad by applying a laser beam to the via hole forming area surrounded by the annular groove from the rear surface side of the substrate.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus including a laser beam applying unit. The laser beam applying unit includes a laser beam generating unit, a focusing unit, and an optical system for guiding a laser beam from the laser beam generating unit to the focusing unit.

Abstract: A method of carrying out laser processing along processing lines having linear portions and curved portions formed on a workpiece by using a laser beam processing machine comprising a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on a chuck table which comprises a condenser for converging a laser beam, having a focal spot changing means for changing the shape of a focal spot between an elliptic spot and a circular spot, comprising the steps of: moving a processing line formed on the workpiece to the application position of a laser beam, activating the focal spot changing means to make an elliptic focal spot and positioning the long axis of the elliptic spot along a linear portion of the processing line when the linear portion of the processing line is located at the application position of the laser beam and activating the focal spot changing means to make a circular focal spot when a curved portion of the processing line is located at the application position of the laser beam.

Abstract: A device processing method for improving the die strength of a device divided from a semiconductor wafer. The device processing method includes a chamfering step of applying a pulsed laser beam having an absorption wavelength to the device along the periphery of the device to thereby chamfer the periphery of the device, wherein the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam to be applied in the chamfering step is set to 2 ns or less, and the peak energy density is set in the range of 5 to 200 GW/cm2.

Abstract: A laser processing method for a semiconductor wafer including a groove forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having an absorption wavelength to the semiconductor wafer along a division line formed on the semiconductor wafer to thereby form a laser processed groove along the division line on the semiconductor wafer, wherein the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam to be applied in the groove forming step is set to 2 ns or less, and the peak energy density per pulse of the pulsed laser beam is set less than or equal to an inflection point where the depth of the laser processed groove steeply increases with an increase in the peak energy density.

Abstract: A laser processing method for a semiconductor wafer including a groove forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having an absorption wavelength to the semiconductor wafer along a division line formed on the semiconductor wafer to thereby form a laser processed groove along the division lines on the semiconductor wafer, wherein the pulse width of the pulsed laser beam to be applied in the groove forming step is set to 2 ns or less, and the peak energy density is set in the range of 5 to 200 GW/cm2.

Abstract: A wafer laser processing method for forming a groove in a wafer having a plurality of areas which are sectioned by streets formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface of a substrate, a device being formed in each of the plurality of areas, and an insulating film being formed on the surfaces of the devices, by applying a pulse laser beam along the streets, the method comprising a heating step for applying a first pulse laser beam set to an output for preheating the insulating film so as to soften it to the insulating film and a processing step for applying a second pulse laser beam set to an output for processing the insulating film and the substrate to the spot position of the first pulse laser beam applied in the heating step, the heating step and the processing step being carried out along the streets alternately.

Abstract: A laser processing method including a first step of forming a first groove and a second step of forming a second groove on the workpiece. In the first step, the laser beam is intermittently applied to the first street except the intersections between the first street and the second street, thereby forming a discontinuous groove as the first groove in such a manner that each intersection is not grooved. In the second step, the laser beam is continuously applied to the second street, thereby forming a continuous groove as the second groove intersecting the first groove in such a manner that each intersection is grooved by the second groove. In the second step, heat generated at a portion immediately before each intersection is passed through the intersection to be dissipated forward, thereby suppressing overheating at this portion.

Abstract: A laser processing device capable of recognizing a failure of pulsed laser beam irradiation during a process of pulsed laser beam irradiation and taking appropriate measures. A first judgment section and a second judgment section monitor respectively whether a pulsed laser beam is actually irradiated by an oscillation of a laser oscillator at the timing when a pulse signal is output from a pulse signal output section and whether the pulse signal output section outputs the pulse signal as setting to the laser oscillator at the timing when the pulse signal is output based on the preset pulse number. When there is a failure of the pulsed laser beam irradiation during the processing, the occurrence of failure is recognized and it can be recognized whether the failure is caused by a laser beam irradiating unit or a controller including the pulse signal output section.

Abstract: A laser beam processing machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a laser beam application device for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table, a processing-feed device for moving the chuck table and the laser beam application device relative to each other in a processing-feed direction (X-axis direction), and an indexing-feed device for moving the chuck table and the laser beam application device relative to each other in an indexing-feed direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the processing-feed direction (X-axis direction), wherein the laser beam application device includes a laser oscillation device for oscillating a laser beam, a first acousto-optic deflection device for deflecting the optical axis of a laser beam oscillated by the laser beam oscillation device in the processing-feed direction (X-axis direction), and a second acousto-optic deflection device for deflecting the optical axis of a laser beam oscillated by the laser beam oscillation device in the i

Abstract: A laser beam processing machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece, a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table, and a processing-feed means for moving the chuck table and the laser beam application means relative to each other, wherein the chuck table comprises a body and a workpiece holding member disposed on the top surface of the body, and the workpiece holding member is made of a material which transmits a laser beam having a predetermined wavelength.