Abstract: A wafer processing method includes sticking a protective tape to a front surface of a wafer, applying a laser beam to the wafer from a back surface of the wafer to thereby form trial modified layers, dividing the wafer to form a sample piece, bending the sample piece to the protective tape side to expose a section, imaging the section, and measuring the positions of the trial modified layers, thereby generating measurement data. Thereafter, appropriate positions inside the wafer at which to position a focal point of the laser beam are set based on the measurement data. The laser beam is applied to the wafer with the focal point of the laser beam positioned at the positions thus set, to thereby form modified layers, and an external force is exerted on streets to divide the wafer into individual device chips.

Abstract: A treatment device includes a flexible sheath; a wire configured to be inserted into the sheath; a first treatment member disposed at distal side from the wire; a second treatment member disposed at a distal side from the first treatment member; and a protection member configured to cover the second treatment member when the first treatment member projects from a distal end of the sheath.

Abstract: Provided is a dental floss that keeps cleaning performance thereof on one hand, and that is easy to handle because of a high rigid portion thereof on the other hand. Dental floss includes: a floss part that is formed by twisting a plurality of filaments together but not tying up the filaments; and tied-up parts that are provided continuously with the floss part, and are formed by tying up the plurality of the filaments, wherein each of the tied-up parts is formed in such a manner that filaments are covered with a contour part in a cross section thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a browning-suppressed composition containing ascorbic acid 2-glucoside basic amino acid salt. Blending of the ascorbic acid 2-glucoside basic amino acid salt makes it possible to suppress browning of the composition.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a holding step of holding a wafer on a chuck table; a dressing step of cutting a peripheral marginal area of the wafer by a cutting blade mounted to a cutting unit to condition a state of a cutting edge; and a dividing step of cutting streets by the cutting blade mounted to the cutting unit to divide the wafer into individual device chips.

Abstract: A method of processing a wafer to divide the wafer into individual device chips, includes a second modified layer forming step of applying a laser beam to the wafer while positioning a focused spot of the laser beam inside the wafer along the projected dicing lines extending in a second direction intersecting with a first direction, thereby forming second modified layers in the wafer along the projected dicing lines extending in the second direction. In the second modified layer forming step, when the focused spot of the laser beam along the projected dicing lines extending in the second direction reaches first modified layers, the focused spot of the laser beam is shifted along the first modified layers to thereby undulate the laser beam in a staggered pattern to prevent the second modified layers from being formed straight in the wafer along the projected dicing lines extending in the second direction.

Abstract: A processing method of a wafer includes trimming the wafer along its outer peripheral edge while causing a cutting blade to cut from a front surface into a chamfered portion to a depth greater than a finish thickness, so that an annular stepped portion is formed in an outer peripheral surplus region. A protective member is bonded to a side of the front surface of the wafer, and the wafer is ground from its back surface to thin the wafer to a finish thickness. Between trimming and grinding, a laser beam is applied to the stepped portion, so that annular modified layers which are to be fractured under a pressing force to be applied by the grinding are formed in the stepped portion, whereby the fractured fragments of the stepped portion are subdivided.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processing method of a wafer having a first surface and a second surface by arranging a thermocompression bonding sheet on the first surface and processing the second surface. The processing method includes a plasma processing step of subjecting the first surface to plasma processing, and also subjecting a third surface of the thermocompression bonding sheet, the third surface facing the first surface, to plasma processing, a thermocompression bonding step of bringing the third surface into contact with the first surface, heating the thermocompression bonding sheet, and thermocompression bonding the thermocompression bonding sheet to the first surface, and a processing step of holding the wafer at the thermocompression bonding sheet on a chuck table with the second surface of the wafer exposed upward, and processing the second surface.

Abstract: A DC-DC converter according to one or more embodiments is disclosed that may include: a drive voltage switching circuit of a drive circuit that drives a synchronous rectification MOS transistor. The drive voltage switching circuit may switch a connection so that the drive circuit supplies power from the output voltage to the drive circuit in response to the drive voltage for supplying power to the drive circuit being set to be lower than the output voltage. The drive voltage switching circuit may switch a connection so that the drive circuit supplies power from the drive voltage in response to the drive voltage for supplying power to the drive circuit being set to be higher than the output voltage.

Abstract: A holding jig has a plate shape and is interposed between a workpiece with a circular plate shape and a chuck table when the workpiece is held by the chuck table in a grinding apparatus including the chuck table and a grinding unit including a grinding wheel. The holding jig has a first surface, a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface, and an outer circumferential surface that connects the first surface and the second surface. An altered layer that reaches a central region of the second surface from a central region of the first surface is formed. The material of the main component of the holding jig is the same as the material of the main component of the workpiece.

Abstract: A control unit of a laser processing apparatus includes: a reference image storage section that images streets before formation of modified layers by an imaging unit and stores the captured image as a reference image; a calculation section that compares the reference image stored in the reference image storage section with an image of a wafer held by a chuck table that is captured by the imaging unit, and calculates the degree of agreement of the two images; and a decision section that decides whether the wafer is an unprocessed wafer not formed with the modified layers in the case where the degree of agreement calculated by the calculation section is more than a first predetermined value, and decides whether the wafer is a processed wafer formed with the modified layers in the case where the degree of agreement is equal to or less than a second predetermined value.

Abstract: A processing method of a wafer includes a water-soluble resin application step of applying a water-soluble resin to a front surface of the wafer, a modified-layer forming step of applying a laser beam of a wavelength that has transmissivity for the wafer, from a back surface of the wafer with a focal point of the laser beam positioned corresponding to each of dividing lines inside the wafer, thereby forming modified layers along the each of the dividing lines, a resin removing step of removing the wafer-soluble resin from the front surface of the wafer, and a dividing step of applying an external force to the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips.

Abstract: A chip treating method includes a first tape affixing step of affixing a first tape to a circular wafer, a ring frame unit forming step of removing a central part of the wafer to form a ring frame unit having an opening, and a chip disposing step of disposing chips on the first tape exposed in the opening.

Abstract: A verification method for device chips, includes a providing step of providing a wafer having a front surface with a plurality of devices formed thereon and demarcated by streets, the devices including non-defective devices and defective devices that are distinguished from each other based on an electrical characteristic, a dividing step of dividing the wafer into individual device chips along the streets, a defective device chip extracting step of extracting defective device chips from the individual device chips, the defective device chips corresponding to the defective devices and being defective in the electrical characteristic, and a verification step of verifying a physical characteristic of each of the extracted defective device chips.

Abstract: A method of handling a wafer includes a frame unit forming step of forming a frame unit by placing the wafer in a central opening of an annular frame, affixing a dicing tape to a surface of the annular frame, and affixing the wafer to the dicing tape, a dividing step of processing the wafer along projected dicing lines thereon to divide the wafer into individual device chips including respective devices, a package unit forming step of forming a package unit by affixing a sheet to another surface of the annular frame and surrounding the wafer with the dicing tape and the sheet, and a delivery step of delivering the package unit.

Abstract: A direct current to direct current converter is disclosed that controls an output voltage based on an error signal between a feedback voltage and a target voltage. A direct current to direct current converter according to one or more embodiments may include a temperature sensor, a reference voltage generator circuit that generates a reference voltage, a compensation calculator that calculates a compensation value from a temperature detected from the temperature sensor using a function of temperature, a compensator that corrects a target initial value by the compensation value to generate the target value, and a digital-to-analog converter that converts the target value to the target voltage based on the reference voltage.

Abstract: The disclosure is a heat treatment furnace which heats an element wire for a wire electrode to perform a heat diffusion treatment and includes: first, second and third rotary electrodes to which a voltage is applied; a motor that rotationally drives the rotary electrodes; and a control device. The first, second and third rotary electrodes are arranged in a manner that the element wire is laid in a V-shape or an I-shape in an order of the second rotary electrode, the first rotary electrode and the third rotary electrode from the upstream side in a travel direction of the element wire. The element wire is caused to travel, a voltage is applied to the first, second and third rotary electrodes, and a current flows through and heats the element wire which travels in a first heating section and a second heating section.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes forming a start point of division along division lines, providing, on a front surface of the wafer, a protective member for protecting the front surface of the wafer, grinding a back surface of the wafer to a desired thickness, forming division grooves in the division lines to divide the wafer into individual device chips, providing an expandable sheet to the back surface of the wafer and removing the protective member from the front surface of the wafer, coating the front surface of the wafer with an adhesive liquid having flowability, expanding and shrinking the sheet so as to allow the adhesive liquid to enter each of the division grooves and to discharge the adhesive liquid from the division grooves, and removing the adhesive liquid from the front surface of the wafer to clean a side surface of each of the division grooves.

Abstract: Provided is a wafer processing method including a back surface film processing step of removing or roughening a back surface film that is applied to the back surface of the wafer, a protective member providing step of providing a protective member to a front surface of the wafer before or after the back surface film processing step is carried out, and a back surface grinding step of holding the protective member side on a chuck table and grinding the back surface of the wafer with grinding stones to thin the back surface of the wafer to a desired thickness.

Abstract: A chuck table includes a holding plate having a holding surface for holding the wafer under suction, and a frame body that supports the holding plate thereon and transmits a negative pressure or a positive pressure to the holding surface. The holding plate is formed such that a plurality of cleaved portions are included through cleavage of the holding plate into a plurality of blocks along a plurality of modified layers formed by applying a laser beam of a wavelength, which has transmissivity through the holding plate, with a focal point thereof positioned inside the holding plate, and the negative pressure or the positive pressure is transmitted from the cleaved portions to the holding surface. A grinding machine and a manufacturing method of the chuck table for holding the wafer are also disclosed.