Abstract: A wafer grinding method and a wafer grinding machine are disclosed for grinding a wafer by executing both the rough grinding process and the finish grinding process. After the rough grinding process before the finish grinding process, the wafer thickness is measured with a noncontact-type thickness gauge, and during the finish grinding process, the finish thickness is finely adjusted by use of a contact-type thickness gauge and referring to the measurement data of the noncontact-type thickness gauge.

Abstract: A grinding method for grinding a back surface of a semiconductor wafer that performs infeed grinding of a back surface of a wafer laminated body, the method, during the grinding of the back surface of the wafer laminated body, having: measuring respectively a thickness of an outer peripheral portion and an inner peripheral portion of the wafer laminated body; calculating a thickness difference between the thickness of the outer portion and the thickness the inner portion; and tilting an axis of a grinding wheel by a predetermined angle in an arbitrary direction so as to reduce the calculated thickness difference.

Abstract: A wafer processing method is provided comprising the steps of: holding a wafer (20) having devices formed on its front surface (21) so that a back surface (22) of the wafer is exposed; grinding the back surface of the wafer to form a brittle fracture layer (Z) on the back surface; and polishing the back surface of the wafer entirely so that the brittle fracture layer remains partially. It is possible to improve the strength of the wafer and reduce its surface roughness while allowing utilization of a gettering effect. It is also preferable to remove only an outermost layer of the back surface of the wafer. Further, it is preferable that the wafer is polished by at least one of wet polishing, dry polishing, wet etching and dry etching.

Abstract: A wafer grinding method and a wafer grinding machine are disclosed for grinding a wafer by executing both the rough grinding process and the finish grinding process. After the rough grinding process before the finish grinding process, the wafer thickness is measured with a noncontact-type thickness gauge, and during the finish grinding process, the finish thickness is finely adjusted by use of a contact-type thickness gauge and referring to the measurement data of the noncontact-type thickness gauge.

Abstract: A wafer is supplied from a wafer cassette to an etching part by a wafer transport robot so as to be etched. After the etching process, a wafer frame is supplied from a wafer frame supply part to a mount part. The mount part to which the wafer frame is supplied moves to the upper part of a processing vessel of the etching part, and mounts the wafer at that position. After that, the mount part returns to its original position. A wafer frame collecting robot collects the wafer frame from the mount part that has returned to its original position, and stores the wafer frame in the wafer frame cassette.

Abstract: The reverse of a wafer is processed after adhering a protecting sheet and a reinforcing plate to the obverse of a wafer. The wafer is mounted on a frame for dicing via a dicing sheet and diced. Then, the protecting sheet is separated from the wafer after irradiating the wafer with ultraviolet light.