Abstract: A self-powered water leakage detector includes a water cell having a positive electrode and a negative electrode and a transmitter for transmitting a reporting signal by using electric power generated by the water cell that is brought into contact with water that has leaked. The water cell and the transmitter are fixedly housed in a case, and the case is adapted to be placed in an installation site where a water leakage is to be detected. When the case is placed in the installation site, the positive electrode and the negative electrode have respective lower ends disposed in a position that is equal to or lower than a level of the water leakage to be detected.

Abstract: An SiC substrate processing method for producing an SiC substrate from an SiC ingot. The SiC substrate processing method includes a separation layer forming step of setting a focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to SiC inside the SiC ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the SiC ingot and next applying the laser beam LB to the SiC ingot to thereby form a separation layer for separating the SiC substrate from the SiC ingot, a substrate attaching step of attaching a substrate to the upper surface of the SiC ingot, and a separating step of applying an external force to the separation layer to thereby separate the SiC substrate with the substrate from the SiC ingot along the separation layer.

Abstract: A cutting apparatus includes a processing feed direction determining mechanism. The processing feed direction determining mechanism includes an imaging unit that images a region including a cut groove and a recording unit that records chipping data of the imaged cut groove. The recording unit records first chipping data of a cut groove formed by cutting a workpiece from a first direction, second chipping data of a cut groove formed by cutting the workpiece from a direction opposite from the first direction, third chipping data of a cut groove formed by cutting the workpiece from a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and fourth chipping data of a cut groove formed by cutting the workpiece from a direction opposite from the second direction.

Abstract: A method of processing a wafer includes a protective member affixing step of affixing a protective member whose area covers a face side or a reverse side of the wafer to the wafer, and after the protective member affixing step has been carried out, a ring-shaped stiffener removing step of removing a ring-shaped stiffener from the wafer. The ring-shaped stiffener removing step includes a ring-shaped stiffener separating step of dividing the wafer along an outer circumference of a device region to separate the device region and the ring-shaped stiffener from each other, and after the ring-shaped stiffener separating step has been carried out, a removing step of processing the ring-shaped stiffener with a grindstone to remove the ring-shaped stiffener from the wafer while a processing fluid is being supplied to the wafer.

Abstract: An automated workpiece conveying vehicle included in a conveyance system that conveys a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses is provided. The automated workpiece conveying vehicle includes: a workpiece support part that supports the workpiece; a traveling mechanism provided on the workpiece support part; a vibration detection unit that detects vibration of the workpiece support part and records the vibration as vibration data; and a receiver that receives a control signal transmitted from a control unit included in the conveyance system, the control signal instructing conveyance of the workpiece to the processing apparatus.

Abstract: A cutting blade mounting mechanism for mounting a cutting blade to a tip portion of a spindle includes: a blade mount mounted to the tip portion of the spindle; and an air supply unit supplying air to the blade mount. The blade mount includes: a columnar boss section inserted into a through-hole provided in an annular base of the cutting blade; a flange section projecting in a radial direction from a side of a base end of the boss section and having a support surface supporting the cutting blade; and an ejector type blade suction section having a first air passage connecting a supply port supplied with air from the air supply unit and a discharge port discharging air, and a second air passage connecting a suction port opening to a side of the support surface of the flange section and the first air passage.

Abstract: A wafer holding apparatus for holding a wafer having undulation. The wafer holding apparatus includes a holding portion having a holding surface for holding the wafer, the holding portion being composed of a plurality of piezoelectric elements having suction holes selectively connected to a vacuum source, the piezoelectric elements having front end surfaces collected to form the holding surface. The wafer holding apparatus further includes a frame member supporting the holding portion and a control unit controlling a voltage to be applied to each of the piezoelectric elements according to the undulation of the wafer, whereby the wafer is held on the holding surface in the condition where the undulation of the wafer is followed by undulation produced on the holding surface due to a change in a length of each of the piezoelectric elements.

Abstract: A conveyance system for conveying a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses includes a conveyance passage disposed in a space directly above one processing apparatus of the plurality of processing apparatuses, an automated conveying vehicle for traveling on the conveyance passage, the automated conveying vehicle including a workpiece storage member having a housing space for housing a workpiece therein, a traveling member having a storage space for storing the workpiece storage member therein, a traveling mechanism mounted on the traveling member, a lifting and lowering mechanism disposed in the traveling member for lifting and lowering the workpiece storage member while suspending the workpiece storage member from above, and a receiver for receiving control signals.

Abstract: A conveyance system for conveying a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses includes a conveyance passage, an automated conveying vehicle for travelling on the conveyance passage, the automated conveying vehicle including a workpiece storage member, travelling mechanisms, and a receiver, a stock unit including a storage member holding base and a receiver, and a storage member conveying unit for conveying the workpiece storage member between a region of the conveyance passage above the stock unit and the storage member holding base or between a region of the conveyance passage above the processing apparatus and the inside of the processing apparatus.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a processing apparatus including a wafer testing unit for testing whether or not a wafer carried from a cassette mount unit is a wafer corresponding to a processing condition. The wafer testing unit measures characteristics of the carried wafer by a measuring section, and a determining section of a control unit compares actual measurements of the wafer characteristics measured by the measuring section with setpoints of wafer characteristics corresponding to the processing condition, to thereby determine conformability of the carried wafer. When it is determined by the determining section that the carried wafer is a wafer corresponding to the processing condition, the wafer is carried to a processing unit and processed. When it is determined by the determining section that the carried wafer is not a wafer corresponding to the processing condition, an error is notified by a notifying section.

Abstract: An installation method of a solar panel includes: an installation step of installing the solar panel such that a light receiving surface of the solar panel is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction and faces the sun; and an ultrasonic vibrator arrangement step of arranging an ultrasonic vibrator generating ultrasonic vibration to the light receiving surface of the solar panel, before or after the installation step is performed, and snow or dust deposited on the light receiving surface of the solar panel is removed by the ultrasonic vibration.

Abstract: An SiC substrate processing method includes a separation layer forming step of setting a focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to SiC inside an SiC substrate and next applying the laser beam to the SiC substrate to thereby form a separation layer inside the SiC substrate, the SiC substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a first plate attaching step of attaching a first plate to the first surface of the SiC substrate; a second plate attaching step of attaching a second plate to the second surface of the SiC substrate; and a separating step of applying an external force to the separation layer after performing the first plate attaching step and the second plate attaching step, thereby separating the SiC substrate into a first SiC substrate and a second SiC substrate along the separation layer.

Abstract: A wafer uniting method includes a thermocompression bonding step of causing a thermocompression bonding sheet having a size comparable to or greater than a size and a shape of a wafer and a front surface of the wafer to face each other, and pressing them against each other while applying heat to thermocompression bond the thermocompression bonding sheet to the front surface of the wafer. The thermocompression bonding sheet thermocompression bonded to the wafer in the thermocompression bonding step includes at least a first thermocompression bonding sheet and a second thermocompression bonding sheet.

Abstract: A conveyance system for conveying a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses includes a track extending over the plurality of processing apparatuses and fixed to the upper portions of the processing apparatuses; an automated conveying vehicle for traveling on the track, the automated conveying vehicle including a storage member having a housing space for housing the workpiece therein, a traveling member coupled from above to the storage member, a traveling mechanism mounted on the traveling member, a lifting and lowering mechanism mounted on the traveling member, for lifting and lowering the storage member while suspending the storage member from above, and a receiver for receiving control signals.

Abstract: A tape attaching method of attaching an adhesive tape to a workpiece includes a tape attaching step of attaching the adhesive tape to the workpiece in gas having a smaller molecular weight than an average molecular weight of the atmosphere, and a gas permeating step of causing the gas remaining between the workpiece and the adhesive tape to permeate the adhesive tape to thereby be removed, after the tape attaching step is carried out.

Abstract: A chuck table having a holding portion for holding a workpiece and a frame for supporting the holding portion. The holding portion includes a substrate having a plurality of fine holes arranged like a matrix at given intervals and a plurality of acoustic emission sensors arranged like a matrix on the substrate and spaced from each other so that each fine hole of the substrate is located between any adjacent ones of the acoustic emission sensors. The plurality of fine holes are connected through the frame to a vacuum source, thereby holding the workpiece on the acoustic emission sensors under suction. An elastic wave generated from the workpiece in processing the workpiece is collected at a plurality of positions by the plurality of acoustic emission sensors.

Abstract: A tape attaching method for mounting an adhesive tape to an annular frame having an inside opening to thereby support a plate-shaped workpiece through the adhesive tape to the frame in the inside opening thereof. The tape attaching method includes an adhesive tape attaching step of attaching the adhesive tape to the workpiece, the adhesive tape being larger in size than the frame, a frame positioning step of positioning the frame with a spacing defined between the frame and the adhesive tape in the condition where the inside opening of the frame is opposed to the workpiece attached to the adhesive tape, and a tape attaching and cutting step of partially pressing the adhesive tape against the frame by using a roller rotating along the inner circumference of the frame defining the inside opening.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a first chuck table that has a porous holding surface corresponding to a first wafer and holds the first wafer, a second chuck table that has a porous holding surface corresponding to a second wafer different from the first wafer in size or shape and holds the second wafer, and a grinding unit that grinds, by a grinding wheel, the first wafer sucked and held by the first chuck table positioned at the grinding position or the second wafer sucked and held by the second chuck table positioned at the grinding position.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for processing a wafer includes an annular groove forming step, a close contact making step, a protective member fixing step, a grinding step, and a peeling step. The wafer has a device area and a peripheral marginal area surrounding the device area on the front side, and devices each having asperities are formed in the device area. In the annular groove forming step, an annular groove is formed on the front side of the wafer along the inner circumference of the peripheral marginal area. In the close contact making step, the device area and the annular groove are covered with a protective film, and the protective film is bring into close contact with the front side of the wafer.

Abstract: A chuck table correction method includes the step of: positioning a lower end of a cutting blade, relative to a chuck table, at a predetermined height for cutting into a holding surface; and relatively moving the chuck table and a cutting unit in a processing feeding direction, to cut the holding surface side of the chuck table, thereby forming the chuck table with a corrected surface that functions as a new holding surface.