Abstract: An ingot is processed by applying exciting light, and detecting fluorescence occurring from an upper surface of the ingot. A distribution of the number of photons of the fluorescence on the upper surface of the ingot is stored as two-dimensional data in association with XY coordinate positions, and a Z-coordinate position at which the two-dimensional data is obtained is also stored. A laser beam forms a peeling layer by irradiating the ingot while positioning the condensing point of the laser beam at a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer from the upper surface of the ingot. A wafer is separated from the ingot with the peeling layer as a starting point, and three-dimensional data is generated representing the distribution of the number of photons of the fluorescence in the whole of the ingot on the basis of two-dimensional data at each Z-coordinate position of the ingot.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a holding table that holds a wafer, a grinding unit that grinds an exposed surface of the wafer held by the holding table, a detecting unit that detects a physical quantity used for determination of the state of exposure of a separation surface of the wafer, and a control unit having an exposure determining unit that determines the state of exposure of the separation surface on the basis of the physical quantity detected by the detecting unit.

Abstract: A method of grinding a workpiece includes a holding step of holding the workpiece on a flat holding surface of a holding table and a grinding step of rotating a grinding wheel to turn grindstones along an annular track while rotating the holding table, and bringing the grindstones into grinding contact with an upper surface of the workpiece to thereby grind the workpiece. The grinding step includes the step of bringing the grindstones into grinding contact with the upper surface of the workpiece in a state where the annular track is closest to the holding surface in an area between a point above a center of the holding surface and a point above an outer circumferential end of the holding surface.

Abstract: A surface irregularity reducing method includes a holding step of holding a first workpiece on a first holder and holding a second workpiece that is of the same material as the first workpiece on a second holder, and a surface irregularity reducing step of moving the first holder and the second holder relatively to each other while the first workpiece held on the first holder and the second workpiece held on the second holder are being kept in contact with each other, thereby removing surface irregularities of a contact surface of at least either the first workpiece or the second workpiece.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece thereon, a table base supporting the chuck table, a grinding unit for grinding the workpiece held on the chuck table with a grinding wheel mounted on an end of a spindle, a load detecting unit for detecting a load applied from the grinding unit to the table base, a tilt adjustment unit supporting the table base thereon, for adjusting a tilt of the table base, a storage for storing a correlative relation between loads applied to the table base and changes in the tilt of the table base, and a controller for controlling the tilt adjustment unit based on the load detected by the load detecting unit and the correlative relation, to adjust the tilt of the table base so that a change in the tilt of the table base that corresponds to the detected load is cancelled out.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a chuck table, a grinding unit, a moving mechanism for moving the chuck table and the grinding unit relatively to each other in predetermined directions, a detector for emitting a web-shaped laser beam and detecting a reflected laser beam thereof, and a control unit. The control unit includes a storing section for storing a relative vertical position of a holding surface to a grinding wheel along the predetermined directions, a first distance calculating section for calculating a first distance in one of the predetermined directions from the detector to a lower surface of the at least one of grindstones, and a lower surface position calculating section for calculating the position of a lower surface of the at least one of grindstones to the holding surface on the basis of the relative vertical position stored in the storing section and the first distance calculated.

Abstract: An ingot is processed by applying exciting light, and detecting fluorescence occurring from an upper surface of the ingot. A distribution of the number of photons of the fluorescence on the upper surface of the ingot is stored as two-dimensional data in association with XY coordinate positions, and a Z-coordinate position at which the two-dimensional data is obtained is also stored. A laser beam forms a peeling layer by irradiating the ingot while positioning the condensing point of the laser beam at a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer from the upper surface of the ingot. A wafer is separated from the ingot with the peeling layer as a starting point, and three-dimensional data is generated representing the distribution of the number of photons of the fluorescence in the whole of the ingot on the basis of two-dimensional data at each Z-coordinate position of the ingot.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a holding table that holds a wafer, a grinding unit that grinds an exposed surface of the wafer held by the holding table, a detecting unit that detects a physical quantity used for determination of the state of exposure of a separation surface of the wafer, and a control unit having an exposure determining unit that determines the state of exposure of the separation surface on the basis of the physical quantity detected by the detecting unit.

Abstract: A grinding apparatus includes a chuck table for holding a workpiece thereon, a table base supporting the chuck table, a grinding unit for grinding the workpiece held on the chuck table with a grinding wheel mounted on an end of a spindle, a load detecting unit for detecting a load applied from the grinding unit to the table base, a tilt adjustment unit supporting the table base thereon, for adjusting a tilt of the table base, a storage for storing a correlative relation between loads applied to the table base and changes in the tilt of the table base, and a controller for controlling the tilt adjustment unit based on the load detected by the load detecting unit and the correlative relation, to adjust the tilt of the table base so that a change in the tilt of the table base that corresponds to the detected load is cancelled out.

Abstract: A method of grinding a workpiece includes a holding step of holding the workpiece on a flat holding surface of a holding table and a grinding step of rotating a grinding wheel to turn grindstones along an annular track while rotating the holding table, and bringing the grindstones into grinding contact with an upper surface of the workpiece to thereby grind the workpiece. The grinding step includes the step of bringing the grindstones into grinding contact with the upper surface of the workpiece in a state where the annular track is closest to the holding surface in an area between a point above a center of the holding surface and a point above an outer circumferential end of the holding surface.