Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a support unit that supports a wafer including a plurality of functional elements disposed adjacent to each other via a street, an irradiation unit that irradiates the street with laser light, and a control unit that controls the irradiation unit based on information about the streets so that a first region and a second region of the street are simultaneously irradiated with the laser light, and a power of the laser light for removing a surface layer of the street in the first region is higher than a power for removing the surface layer of the street in the first region. The information about the street includes information that a processing threshold value indicating a difficulty of laser processing in the first region is lower than a processing threshold value in the second region.

Abstract: A laser processing method includes: a first step of preparing a wafer including a plurality of functional elements disposed to be adjacent to each other via a street; and a second step of, after the first step, irradiating the street with laser light based on information regarding the street such that a surface layer of the street is removed in a first region of the street and the surface layer remains in a second region of the street. The information regarding the street includes information indicating that, when a modified region is formed in the wafer along a line passing through the street, a fracture extending from the modified region does not reach the street along the line in the first region, and reaches the street along the line in the second region.

Abstract: A laser processing method includes a first step of preparing a wafer including a plurality of functional elements disposed to be adjacent to each other via a street, a second step of, after the first step, forming a modified region in the wafer along a line passing through the street, and a third step of, after the second step, irradiating the street with laser light such that a surface layer of the street is removed, and a fracture extending from the modified region reaches a bottom surface of a recess formed by removing the surface layer, along the line.

Abstract: A object cutting method includes a first step of attaching an expandable sheet to a front surface or a back surface of a object, a second step of irradiating the object with a laser light along a line to cut to form a modified region, and expanding the expandable sheet to divide at least a part of the object into a plurality of chips and to form a gap that exists between the chips and extends to a side surface crossing the front surface and the back surface of the object, a third step of, after the second step, filling the gap with a resin from an outer edge portion including the side surface of the object, a fourth step of, after the third step, curing and shrinking the resin, and a fifth step of, after the fourth step, taking out the chips from the expandable sheet.

Abstract: An inspection device includes a laser irradiation unit irradiating a wafer with laser light, a display displaying information, and a control unit. The control unit is constituted to execute deriving of an estimated processing result including information a modified region and a crack extending from the modified region formed on the wafer when the wafer is irradiated with the laser light by the laser irradiation unit on the basis of set recipes (processing conditions), and controlling the display so as to display an estimated processing result image depicting both a graphic image of the wafer and a graphic image of the modified region and the crack in the wafer in consideration of positions of the modified region and the crack in the wafer derived as the estimated processing result.

Abstract: This laser processing apparatus includes a controller. The controller executes first control for causing the laser light to be modulated such that the laser light is branched into a plurality of rays of processing light and a plurality of converging points of the plurality of rays are positioned in different positions in a direction perpendicular to an irradiation direction of the laser light. In the first control, the laser light is modulated such that, in the irradiation direction, the converging point of each of the plurality of rays is positioned on a side opposite to a converging point of non-modulated light of the laser light with respect to an ideal converging point of the processing light, or the converging point of each of the plurality of rays is positioned on a side opposite to the ideal converging point with respect to the converging point of the non-modulated light.

Abstract: An inspection device includes: a laser irradiation unit; an imaging unit; and a control unit. The control unit is configured to execute a processing process of controlling the laser irradiation unit according to a recipe set such that a plurality of modified regions are formed inside a wafer by irradiating the wafer with a laser beam and a full-cut state where cracks extending from the modified regions have reached a back surface and a surface is attained; an identification process of identifying a state of the crack on the back surface extending from the modified region, and a state of at least one of the modified regions and the cracks inside the wafer, based on a signal; and a determination process of determining whether or not a dicing force applied to the wafer according to the recipe is proper, based on information identified in the identification process.

Abstract: A laser processing device includes: a stage that supports a wafer having a front surface, on which a plurality of functional elements are formed and a street region extends so as to pass between adjacent functional elements, and a back surface on a side opposite to the front surface; a light source that emits laser light to the wafer from the front surface side to form one or more modified regions inside the wafer; a spatial light modulator as a beam width adjusting unit; and a control unit that controls the spatial light modulator so that the beam width of the laser light is adjusted to be equal to or less than the width of the street region and a target beam width according to surface information including the position and height of a structure forming a functional element adjacent to the street region.

Abstract: This inspection device includes: a laser irradiation unit that irradiates a wafer having a back surface and a front surface with a laser beam from the back surface side of the wafer; an imaging unit that outputs light having permeability to the wafer and detects the light propagating through the wafer; and a control part configured to perform a first process of controlling the laser irradiation unit so that a modified region is formed inside the wafer by irradiating the wafer with the laser beam and a second process of deriving a position of the modified region on the basis of a signal output from the imaging unit that detects the light and deriving a thickness of the wafer on the basis of the derived position of the modified region and a set recipe.

Abstract: This inspection device includes: a laser irradiation unit, an imaging unit that takes an image of a wafer, a display that receives an input, and a control part, wherein the display receives an input of wafer processing information including information of the wafer and a laser processing target for the wafer, and the control part is configured to determine a recipe (a processing condition) including an irradiation condition of the laser beam by the laser irradiation unit based on the wafer processing information received through the display, to control the laser irradiation unit so that the wafer is irradiated with the laser beam according to the determined recipe, to acquire a laser processing result of the wafer due to the irradiation of the laser beam by controlling the imaging unit to take an image of the wafer, and to evaluate the recipe based on the laser processing result.

Abstract: A laser processing device comprising: a light source configured to output laser light; a spatial light modulator configured to display a modulation pattern for modulating the laser light output from the light source; a condenser lens configured to condense the laser light modulated by the spatial light modulator, on an object; and a control unit configured to control the spatial light modulator to adjust the modulation pattern in accordance with a traveling direction of a condensing point of the laser light with respect to the object.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a support part, a light source, a spatial light modulator, a converging part, and a controller. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that laser light is branched into a plurality of rays of processing light including 0th-order light and a plurality of converging points for the plurality of rays of processing light are located at positions different from each other in a Z direction and an X direction, and controls at least one of the support part and the converging part so that the X direction coincides with an extension direction of a line and the plurality of converging points move relatively along the line. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that a converging point of the 0th-order light is located one side with respect to a converging point of non-modulated light of the laser light, in a Y direction.

Abstract: A cutting method includes: forming a reformed region in a workpiece; and after forming the reformed region in the workpiece, cutting the workpiece along an intended cut line. In the cutting the workpiece, a dry etching process is performed from a front surface toward a rear surface of the workpiece while the workpiece is fixed on a support member at least under its own weight or by suction, to form a groove from the front surface to reach the rear surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a support part, a light source, a spatial light modulator, a converging part, and a controller. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that laser light is branched into a plurality of rays of processing light including 0th-order light and a plurality of converging points for the plurality of rays of processing light are located at positions different from each other in a Z direction and an X direction, and controls at least one of the support part and the converging part so that the X direction coincides with an extension direction of a line and the plurality of converging points move relatively along the line. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that a converging point of the 0th-order light is located one side with respect to a converging point of non-modulated light of the laser light, in the X direction.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a support part, a light source, a spatial light modulator, a converging part, and a controller. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that laser light is branched into a plurality of rays of processing light including 0th-order light and a plurality of converging points for the plurality of rays of processing light are located at positions different from each other in a Z direction and an X direction, and controls at least one of the support part and the converging part. The controller controls the spatial light modulator so that a converging point of the 0th-order light in the Z direction is located on an opposite side of a converging point of non-modulated light of the laser light with respect to an ideal converging point of the 0th-order light.

Abstract: A cutting method includes: forming a reformed region in a workpiece; and after forming the reformed region in the workpiece, forming a groove in the workpiece along an intended cut line. In the forming a groove, a first dry etching process is performed from a front surface toward a rear surface of the workpiece. After the first dry etching process, a first pressure-reducing process is performed in which the workpiece is placed under an atmosphere of reduced pressure as compared to pressure during the first dry etching process. After the first pressure-reducing process, a second dry etching process is performed from the front surface toward the rear surface of the workpiece.

Abstract: Provided is a laser processing method including a first step of forming a first modified region along a cutting line by converging laser light on an object having a surface and a back surface with the back surface as an incident surface and moving a first converging point along the cutting line set to pass between an effective region and an ineffective region adjacent to each other while maintaining a distance between a surface and the first converging point at a first distance, and a second step of forming a second modified region along the cutting line by converging the laser light on the object with the back surface as the incident surface and moving a second converging point along the cutting line while maintaining a distance between the surface and the second converging point at a second distance larger than the first distance.

Abstract: A laser processing device includes a laser light source, a converging optical system, a controller, and a reflective spatial light modulator. The controller and the reflective spatial light modulator, while using an aberration as a reference aberration, the aberration occurring when laser light is converged at a converging position with an amount of aberration correction in a state in which an ideal converging position is shifted by a predetermined distance to a laser light entrance side from the converging position, adjusts the aberration such that a first converging length longer than a reference converging length of the reference aberration is obtained and a first converging intensity less than a reference converging intensity of the reference aberration is obtained, when a modified region is formed within a first region closest to a front face of an object to be processed.

Abstract: An object cutting method includes: a first step of preparing an object including a single crystal silicon substrate and a functional device layer provided on a first main surface side; a second step of irradiating the object with laser light to form at least one row of modified regions in the single crystal silicon substrate and to form a fracture in the object so as to extend between the at least one row of modified regions and a second main surface of the object; and a third step of performing dry etching on the object from the second main surface side to form a groove opening to the second main surface. In the third step, in a state in which an etching protection layer having a gas passing region formed, is formed on the second main surface, the dry etching is performed by using a xenon difluoride gas.

Abstract: A cutting method includes: forming a reformed region in a workpiece; and after forming the reformed region in the workpiece, forming a groove in the workpiece along an intended cut line. In the forming a groove, a first dry etching process is performed from a front surface toward a rear surface of the workpiece. After the first dry etching process, a first pressure-reducing process is performed in which the workpiece is placed under an atmosphere of reduced pressure as compared to pressure during the first dry etching process. After the first pressure-reducing process, a second dry etching process is performed from the front surface toward the rear surface of the workpiece.