Abstract: A method for adhering a protecting tape to a protection surface of a wafer is disclosed. The method comprises: cutting the protecting tape of which one surface is processed to be an adhering surface into predetermined size and shape; storing the protecting tape so as to release tensile force therein; holding the protecting tape by a protecting tape holding device; holding the wafer by a wafer holding device; locating the protecting tape and the wafer in a vacuum chamber in such a way that the adhering surface and the protection surface are facing each other; evacuating an interior of the vacuum chamber; and bringing the protecting tape holding device and/or the wafer holding device close to each other, thereby adhering the adhering surface of the protecting tape and the protection surface of the wafer.

Abstract: To facilitate handling of a wafer with its thickness reduced by grinding its rear surface, and prevent any protrusions and depressions matching those of the front surface from being formed on its rear surface, the method including the steps of disposing an unevenness absorbing pad between a chuck table and a device region of the wafer for absorbing unevenness of the device region, and causing the wafer held by the chuck table to be rotated and ground, while having a grindstone kept in contact with rear surface of the wafer at center of rotation of the wafer, and out of contact with a portion of its rear surface opposite from the outer excess region, thereby forming a concavity in the portion of the rear surface of the wafer opposite from the device region, and forming an annular reinforcing portion including the outer excess region around the concavity.

Abstract: To facilitate handling of a wafer with its thickness reduced by grinding its rear surface, and prevent any protrusions and depressions matching those of the front surface from being formed on its rear surface, the method including the steps of disposing an unevenness absorbing pad between a chuck table and a device region of the wafer for absorbing unevenness of the device region, and causing the wafer held by the chuck table to be rotated and ground, while having a grindstone kept in contact with rear surface of the wafer at center of rotation of the wafer, and out of contact with a portion of its rear surface opposite from the outer excess region, thereby forming a concavity in the portion of the rear surface of the wafer opposite from the device region, and forming an annular reinforcing portion including the outer excess region around the concavity.

Abstract: To facilitate handling a wafer during processing even when the wafer is formed thin, a protective member is stuck through an adhesive agent to an outer-peripheral surplus region of a front surface of the wafer, the region being formed with no individual devices, and a back surface of the wafer is ground in a state where the whole front surface of the wafer is supported by the protective member. Since an outer periphery of the wafer is reinforced by the protective member, the wafer can be easily handled even after having been thinned by the grinding.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for generating chip stacks during the production of chips from wafers, the chips located on the wafer being separated from one another, the wafer being ground thin and the chips being stacked to form chip stacks, the chips being checked for the purpose of a functional check, characterized in that the chips are checked in a first work step, that adhesive material is applied on the good chips, whereas the bad chips are not provided with adhesive material, that the wafer is assembled and ground thin afterwards and that the bad chips are subsequently removed and replaced by good chips.