Abstract: A wafer processing method includes: a wafer providing step of providing a wafer by placing a thermoplastic polymer sheet on an upper surface of a substrate on which the wafer is supported and positioning a back surface of the wafer on an upper surface of the polymer sheet; a sheet thermocompression bonding step of evacuating an enclosing environment in which the wafer is provided through the polymer sheet on the substrate, heating the polymer sheet, and pressing the wafer toward the polymer sheet to pressure-bond the wafer through the polymer sheet to the substrate; and a dividing step of positioning a cutting blade on the front surface of the wafer and cutting the wafer along the division lines to divide the wafer into individual device chips.

Abstract: A tape attaching method for attaching a tape to a workpiece includes a placing step of placing the workpiece with respect to the tape, which has a base material and an adhesive layer on the base material, in such a manner that the adhesive layer is in contact with an attached face of the workpiece, and a close contact step of causing, after the placing step is performed, a ball to roll in contact with the base material of the tape, thereby to bring the tape in close contact with the workpiece.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of cooling the polyester sheet in each of the plurality of separate regions corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip through the polyester sheet, then picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of cooling the polyolefin sheet in each of the plurality of separate regions corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip through the polyolefin sheet, then picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of cutting the wafer by using a cutting apparatus to thereby divide the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of heating the polyester sheet in each of the plurality of separate regions corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip through the polyester sheet, then picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of heating the polyolefin sheet in each of the plurality of separate regions corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip through the polyolefin sheet, then picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A stacked wafer processing method for processing one wafer of a stacked wafer having at least two layers laminated, includes a sheet laying step of laying a thermocompression bonding sheet on an upper face of the one wafer, a thermocompression bonding step of thermocompression-bonding the thermocompression bonding sheet to an outer peripheral portion of the one wafer where a chamfered portion is formed, a modified layer forming step of irradiating the stacked wafer with a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the thermocompression bonding sheet and the one wafer from the thermocompression bonding sheet side with a focal point of the laser beam positioned inside the outer peripheral portion of the one wafer, thereby continuously forming a modified layer inside the one wafer, and a chamfered portion removing step of expanding the thermocompression bonding sheet to break the chamfered portion, thereby removing the chamfered portion from the one wafer.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of blowing out air to push up each device chip and picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of blowing out air to push up each device chip and picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a cutting blade mounted on a spindle, the cutting blade having a cutting edge for cutting a workpiece held on a holding table, a measuring portion for measuring an edge projection amount of the cutting edge at a predetermined frequency, and a data processing portion. The data processing portion includes a lower limit recording portion for recording a lower limit of the edge projection amount of the cutting edge as an allowable limit for use of the cutting blade, a storing portion for storing blade information including the edge projection amount measured by the measuring portion and a cutting distance traveled by the cutting blade at the time of measurement of the edge projection amount.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side or a front side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of applying an ultrasonic wave to the polyolefin sheet in each region of the polyolefin sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of applying an ultrasonic wave to the polyester sheet in each region of the polyester sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyester sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of cooling the polyolefin sheet in each region of the polyolefin sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of cooling the polyester sheet in each region of the polyester sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyester sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of heating the polyester sheet in each region of the polyester sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyester sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

Abstract: A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of heating the polyolefin sheet in each region of the polyolefin sheet corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet side to pick up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet.