Abstract: A method of manufacturing laminated device chips includes affixing a support substrate to a face side of a first device wafer, processing the first device wafer from a reverse side thereof to thin down the first device wafer to a predetermined thickness, forming cut grooves in the first device wafer thereby to cut the first device wafer, affixing the first device wafer to a second device wafer, peeling off the support substrate from the first device wafer, and dividing the second device wafer into a plurality of laminated device chips.

Abstract: A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Abstract: In a processing apparatus, a vibration detecting unit includes a light source, an interference unit configured to apply light emitted from the light source to a measurement target member and generate an interference pattern image. A control unit includes a storage section configured to store a first interference pattern image captured at a predetermined timing by the imaging unit and a second interference pattern image captured at a timing different from the timing of the first interference pattern image by the imaging unit, a comparing section configured to compare the first interference pattern image and the second interference pattern image stored in the storage section with each other, and a vibration detecting section configured to detect vibration on the basis of the first interference pattern image and the second interference pattern image compared with each other by the comparing section.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for a device chip includes a wafer preparation step of preparing a wafer including a base substrate, a laser beam absorbing layer layered on a front surface of the base substrate, and a device layer being layered on the laser beam absorbing layer and having devices formed in respective separate regions demarcated by a plurality of crossing division lines, a device layer dividing step of forming respective division grooves that divide at least the device layer into individual device chips along the plurality of division lines, and a lift-off step of, after the device layer dividing step is carried out, applying a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be absorbed in the laser beam absorbing layer, from the base substrate side, and lifting off a device chip from the front surface of the base substrate.

Abstract: A protective film thickness measuring method includes a step of applying light to a top surface of a wafer in a state in which no protective film is formed and measuring a first reflection intensity of the light reflected from the top surface, a step of forming the protective film including a light absorbing material, a step of irradiating the protective film with exciting light of a wavelength at which the light absorbing material fluoresces and measuring a second reflection intensity including fluorescence of the protective film and the light reflected from the top surface, and a step of excluding reflection intensity of patterns formed on the top surface, by subtracting the measured first reflection intensity from the measured second reflection intensity, and calculating fluorescence intensity of the protective film.

Abstract: There is provided a processing method of a workpiece. In the processing method, a protective film including a water-insoluble resin is formed on the front surface of a workpiece and the workpiece on which the protective film is formed is processed. Furthermore, the protective film is deteriorated by supplying an organic solvent to the workpiece processed and the protective film is removed from the front surface of the workpiece by supplying cleaning water to the protective film deteriorated.

Abstract: There is provided a processing method of a workpiece. In the processing method, a protective film including a water-insoluble resin is formed on the front surface of a workpiece and the workpiece on which the protective film is formed is processed. Furthermore, the protective film is deteriorated by supplying an organic solvent to the workpiece processed and the protective film is removed from the front surface of the workpiece by supplying cleaning water to the protective film deteriorated.

Abstract: A jig for assisting in aligning a plurality of rectangular workpieces is in the form of a plate having a plurality of grooves parallel to each other. The grooves have respective one ends aligned straight with each other and have a depth smaller than the thickness of the workpieces. After the workpieces have been fitted in the respective grooves, an adhesive tape is applied to the workpieces and the workpieces are transferred from the jig to the adhesive tape, so that the workpieces are arrayed in alignment with each other on the adhesive tape. The workpieces on the adhesive tape are prevented from being placed in different positions and orientations, and can subsequently be processed efficiently.

Abstract: A jig for assisting in aligning a plurality of rectangular workpieces is in the form of a plate having a plurality of grooves parallel to each other. The grooves have respective one ends aligned straight with each other and have a depth smaller than the thickness of the workpieces. After the workpieces have been fitted in the respective grooves, an adhesive tape is applied to the workpieces and the workpieces are transferred from the jig to the adhesive tape, so that the workpieces are arrayed in alignment with each other on the adhesive tape. The workpieces on the adhesive tape are prevented from being placed in different positions and orientations, and can subsequently be processed efficiently.

Abstract: An ablation method of applying a laser beam to a die attach film to perform ablation. The ablation method includes a protective film forming step of applying a liquid resin containing a fine powder of oxide having absorptivity to the wavelength of the laser beam to at least a subject area of the die attach film to be ablated, thereby forming a protective film containing the fine powder on at least the subject area of the die attach film, and a laser processing step of applying the laser beam to the subject area coated with the protective film, thereby performing ablation through the protective film to the subject area of the die attach film after performing the protective film forming step.

Abstract: A protective film agent for laser dicing according to the present invention comprises a solution having, dissolved therein, a water-soluble resin and at least one laser light absorber selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble dye, a water-soluble coloring matter, and a water-soluble ultraviolet absorber. The protective film agent is coated on a surface of a wafer, which is to be processed, and is then dried to form a protective film. Laser dicing through the protective film produces chips from the wafer. As a result, deposition of debris can be effectively prevented on the entire face of the chips, including their peripheral edge portions.

Abstract: A wafer processing method divides a wafer into a plurality of individual devices along a plurality of crossing division lines formed on the front side of the wafer. The method includes a functional layer removing step of applying a CO2 laser beam to the wafer along each division line with the spot of the CO2 laser beam, having a width corresponding to the width of each division line set on the upper surface of each division line, thereby removing a functional layer along each division line to form a groove along each division line where the functional layer has been removed, and a groove shaping and debris removing step of applying a laser beam having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region to the wafer along each groove, thereby removing debris sticking to the bottom surface of each groove and also shaping the side walls of each groove.

Abstract: A wafer processing method divides a wafer into a plurality of individual devices along a plurality of crossing division lines formed on the front side of the wafer. The method includes a functional layer removing step of applying a CO2 laser beam to the wafer along each division line with the spot of the CO2 laser beam, having a width corresponding to the width of each division line set on the upper surface of each division line, thereby removing a functional layer along each division line to form a groove along each division line where the functional layer has been removed, and a groove shaping and debris removing step of applying a laser beam having a wavelength in the ultraviolet region to the wafer along each groove, thereby removing debris sticking to the bottom surface of each groove and also shaping the side walls of each groove.

Abstract: A wafer processing method divides a wafer into individual devices along crossing streets formed on the front side of the wafer. The wafer has a substrate and a functional layer formed on the substrate, the individual devices being formed from the functional layer and partitioned by the streets. In a functional layer dividing step, a laser beam is applied along both sides of each street to form two parallel grooves. Each groove reaches the substrate, thereby dividing the functional layer. In a division groove forming step, a division groove is formed in the functional layer and the substrate along each street so that the division groove extends between the two grooves. The wavelength of the laser beam in the functional layer dividing step is 300 nm or less, at an absorption wavelength of a passivation film.

Abstract: A laser processing method including the steps of covering the back side of a workpiece with fine particles having absorptivity to the wavelength of a laser beam to be applied to the workpiece, thereby forming a fine particle layer on the back side of the workpiece, and next applying the laser beam through the fine particle layer to the back side of the workpiece to thereby perform ablation to the workpiece. The laser beam applied to the workpiece is absorbed by the fine particle layer to thereby suppress the scattering of the energy of the laser beam and the reflection of the laser beam, so that the ablation to the workpiece can be efficiently performed.

Abstract: A protective film forming method for forming a protective film of resin on the front side of a wafer, where the method includes a step of holding the wafer on a spinner table in the condition where the front side of said wafer is oriented upward; a step of forming a water layer of a thickness of between about 1 mm and about 3 mm to cover the front side of the wafer; a step of dropping a liquid resin onto the water layer at the center of the wafer; and a step of rotating the spinner table to rotate the wafer held on the spinner table, thereby scattering the water layer and radially spreading the liquid resin dropped on the water layer to form a first resin film covering the front side of the wafer by a centrifugal force produced during rotation of the wafer.

Abstract: A device fabrication method for fabricating individual devices from a wafer, wherein the back side of each device is covered with an adhesive film for die bonding. The device fabrication method includes a wafer dividing step of dividing the wafer into the individual devices along a plurality of kerfs by using a dicing before grinding process, an adhesive film mounting step of mounting an adhesive film on the back side of the wafer after performing the wafer dividing step, and an adhesive film dividing step of applying a laser beam to the adhesive film along the kerfs after performing the adhesive film mounting step, thereby dividing the adhesive film along the kerfs.

Abstract: A protective film forming method for forming a protective film of resin on the front side of a wafer to be laser-processed.

Abstract: A protective film agent for laser dicing according to the present invention comprises a solution having, dissolved therein, a water-soluble resin and at least one laser light absorber selected from the group consisting of a water-soluble dye, a water-soluble coloring matter, and a water-soluble ultraviolet absorber. The protective film agent is coated on a surface of a wafer, which is to be processed, and is then dried to form a protective film. Laser dicing through the protective film produces chips from the wafer. As a result, deposition of debris can be effectively prevented on the entire face of the chips, including their peripheral edge portions.

Abstract: A method for applying a resin film to the face of a semiconductor wafer, comprising: an assembly holding step of holding an assembly on the surface of chuck means, with the back of the assembly being opposed to the surface of the chuck means, the assembly including a frame having a mounting opening formed in a central portion of the frame, and a semiconductor wafer mounted in the mounting opening of the frame by sticking a mounting tape to the back of the frame and the back of the semiconductor wafer; a liquid droplet supply step of supplying liquid droplets of a solution having a resin dissolved therein onto the face of the semiconductor wafer in the assembly after the assembly holding step; and a spreading step of rotating the chuck means subsequently to the liquid droplet supply step, thereby spreading the liquid droplets throughout the face of the semiconductor wafer.