Abstract: A device wafer processing method includes a protective film forming step of forming a protective film that covers a face side of a device wafer, a mask forming step of, after the protective film forming step is carried out, applying a laser beam along streets and forming, in the protective film, a mask that has grooves extending along the streets, a device layer plasma etching step of, after the mask forming step is carried out, performing plasma etching on a device layer of the device wafer by device layer gas through the mask, and a base member plasma etching step of, after the device layer plasma etching step is carried out, performing plasma etching on the base member by base member gas through the mask.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for processing a wafer having a front surface on which a pattern and a plurality of crossing planned dividing lines are formed, along the planned dividing lines. The method includes holding the front surface of the wafer by a holding table, detecting the planned dividing lines on the front surface from a side of the front surface through the holding table or from a side of a back surface by using an infrared camera and processing the wafer by using a processing unit from the side of the back surface along the planned dividing lines, and an inspection step of placing the wafer on an inspection table and inspecting processing quality from the back surface after the processing step. In the inspection step, a defective portion is stored on a basis of a characteristic point such as a notch.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing chips includes a preparing step of preparing a wafer unit in which a wafer having a plurality of devices formed thereon is affixed to a tape with a die-attach layer being interposed therebetween, the die-attach layer including fillers, and the devices are protected by a protective member and a face side of the wafer is exposed along the projected dicing lines, a wafer processing step of performing plasma etching on the wafer from the face side thereof to divide the wafer and expose the die-attach layer along the projected dicing lines, a die-attach layer processing step of performing plasma etching on the die-attach layer from the face side of the wafer, and a cleaning step of ejecting a fluid to the face side of the wafer to remove filler residuals along the projected dicing lines from the wafer unit.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for processing a wafer having a substrate and a device layer formed on a front side of the substrate includes forming a mask on a back side of the wafer, so as to form an etched groove along each street through a thickness of the substrate from the back side of the wafer, performing plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to the substrate after forming the mask, thereby forming the etched groove in the substrate along each street so that the etched groove has a depth equal to the thickness of the substrate, and applying a laser beam to the device layer along each street from the front side of the wafer before etching and mask forming, thereby forming a device layer dividing groove corresponding to the etched groove along each street.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes the following steps: forming, on a back side of a wafer including a device layer, a mask to be used in forming grooves in a substrate along streets from the back side of the wafer; applying plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to form the grooves in the substrate along the streets and to define chip regions surrounded by the grooves; immersing the wafer in water, to which ultrasonic vibrations are being applied, after the etching step, whereby the device layer is cracked or ruptured along outer peripheral edges of the chip regions; and bonding a tape to a front side of the wafer before performance of the water immersion step.

Abstract: A plasma etching apparatus for processing a workpiece of a frame unit including the workpiece formed with division start points or division grooves along a plurality of mutually intersecting streets, and a frame that has an opening and that supports the workpiece on inside of the opening through an expanding tape includes a plasma etching unit that has a chuck table for holding the workpiece on a holding surface through the expanding tape and that supplies a plasmatized gas to the workpiece held by the chuck table, and an expanding unit that expands the expanding tape to divide the workpiece along the division start points or to widen a width of the division grooves.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing method includes a step of forming a laser processed groove on the front side of a semiconductor wafer along each division line, a step of forming a mask layer on a protective layer except in an area above a metal electrode formed in each device on the front side of the wafer, a first etching step of etching the protective layer by using the mask layer to expose each metal electrode, a second etching step of etching the inner surface of each laser processed groove by using the mask layer used in the first etching step, thereby expanding each laser processed groove, and a dividing step of dividing the wafer along each laser processed groove expanded in the second etching step.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes the following steps: forming, on a back side of a wafer including a device layer, a mask to be used in forming grooves in a substrate along streets from the back side of the wafer; applying plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to form the grooves in the substrate along the streets; ejecting high-pressure fluid against the back side of the wafer with the wafer mounted at its front side on a mounting surface to press the wafer at regions surrounded by the etched grooves; and bonding a tape to the front side of the wafer before performance of at least the pressing step.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for processing a wafer having a substrate and a device layer formed on a front side of the substrate includes forming a mask on a back side of the wafer, so as to form an etched groove along each street through a thickness of the substrate from the back side of the wafer, performing plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to the substrate after forming the mask, thereby forming the etched groove in the substrate along each street so that the etched groove has a depth equal to the thickness of the substrate, and applying a laser beam to the device layer along each street from the front side of the wafer before etching and mask forming, thereby forming a device layer dividing groove corresponding to the etched groove along each street.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes the following steps: forming, on a back side of a wafer including a device layer, a mask to be used in forming grooves in a substrate along streets from the back side of the wafer; applying plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to form the grooves in the substrate along the streets and to define chip regions surrounded by the grooves; immersing the wafer in water, to which ultrasonic vibrations are being applied, after the etching step, whereby the device layer is cracked or ruptured along outer peripheral edges of the chip regions; and bonding a tape to a front side of the wafer before performance of the water immersion step.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes the following steps: forming, on a back side of a wafer including a device layer, a mask to be used in forming grooves in a substrate along streets from the back side of the wafer; applying plasma etching from the back side of the wafer through the mask to form the grooves in the substrate along the streets; ejecting high-pressure fluid against the back side of the wafer with the wafer mounted at its front side on a mounting surface to press the wafer at regions surrounded by the etched grooves; and bonding a tape to the front side of the wafer before performance of at least the pressing step.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing method includes a step of forming a laser processed groove on the front side of a semiconductor wafer along each division line, a step of forming a mask layer on a protective layer except in an area above a metal electrode formed in each device on the front side of the wafer, a first etching step of etching the protective layer by using the mask layer to expose each metal electrode, a second etching step of etching the inner surface of each laser processed groove by using the mask layer used in the first etching step, thereby expanding each laser processed groove, and a dividing step of dividing the wafer along each laser processed groove expanded in the second etching step.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method in which a wafer formed with devices in a plurality of areas sectioned by a plurality of streets formed in a lattice-like pattern on the front surface is divided into the individual devices along the streets, when the wafer is divided into the individual devices by exposing cut grooves formed along the streets by a dicing before grinding process, a rigid plate is applied to the front surface of the wafer and an adhesive film is attached to the rear surface of the wafer. Thereafter, a separation groove forming step is performed in which a laser beam is directed to the adhesive film along the cut grooves from the dicing tape side applied with the wafer attached with the adhesive film to form separation grooves in the adhesive film along the cut grooves.

Abstract: In a semiconductor device manufacturing method in which a wafer formed with devices in a plurality of areas sectioned by a plurality of streets formed in a lattice-like pattern on the front surface is divided into the individual devices along the streets, when the wafer is divided into the individual devices by exposing cut grooves formed along the streets by a dicing before grinding process, a rigid plate is applied to the front surface of the wafer and an adhesive film is attached to the rear surface of the wafer. Thereafter, a separation groove forming step is performed in which a laser beam is directed to the adhesive film along the cut grooves form the dicing tape side applied with the wafer attached with the adhesive film to form separation grooves in the adhesive film along the cut grooves.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing method comprising affixing a protective tape to the front surface of a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of circuits formed on its front surface, grinding the back surface of the semiconductor wafer and then, executing plasma etching of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein