Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a wafer conveying-out mechanism; a wafer table; a frame conveying-out mechanism; a frame table; a tape attaching mechanism that attaches a tape to a frame; a tape-attached frame conveying mechanism that conveys the tape-attached frame; a tape pressure bonding mechanism that pressure bonds the tape of the tape-attached frame to a back surface of a wafer; a frame unit conveying-out mechanism that conveys out a frame unit in which the tape of the tape-attached frame and the back surface of the wafer are pressure bonded; a reinforcement section removing mechanism that cuts and removes a ring-shaped reinforcement section from the wafer; a ringless unit conveying-out mechanism that conveys out a ringless unit from which the reinforcement section has been removed; and a frame cassette table on which a frame cassette accommodating the ringless unit is to be placed.

Abstract: A workpiece processing method for processing a workpiece using a processing apparatus including a chuck table, a processing unit, a moving mechanism for moving the chuck table and the processing unit relative to each other, and an imaging unit for imaging the workpiece, where the chuck table includes a holding member formed by a transparent body and a supporting member supporting a part of the holding member and connected to an angle control mechanism. The method includes a tape affixing step, a holding step of holding the workpiece by the chuck table via the tape, and an identifying step of imaging the top surface side of the workpiece through the transparent holding member by the imaging unit positioned in a region that is on a lower side of the holding member and is not superimposed on the supporting member, and identifying a region to be processed in the workpiece.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a wafer carrying-out unit, a wafer table that supports a wafer carried out, a frame carrying-out unit, a frame table that supports an annular frame carried out, a tape sticking unit that sticks a tape to the annular frame, a tape-attached frame conveying unit, a tape pressure bonding unit that executes pressure bonding of the tape of a tape-attached frame to the back surface of the wafer, a frame unit carrying-out unit, and a reinforcing part removing unit that cuts and removes a ring-shaped reinforcing part from the wafer of a frame unit.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a chuck table configured to hold a workpiece by a holding surface, a processing unit configured to process the workpiece held by the chuck table, a moving mechanism configured to move the chuck table and the processing unit relative to each other along a direction parallel with the holding surface of the chuck table, an angle control mechanism disposed on the moving mechanism and on a lower side of the chuck table, the angle control mechanism controlling an angle of the chuck table, and an imaging unit configured to image the workpiece held by the chuck table, the chuck table including a holding member formed by a transparent body and holding the workpiece and a supporting member supporting a part of the holding member and connected to the angle control mechanism.

Abstract: There is provided a chuck table for holding a workpiece under suction. The chuck table includes a base table having a suction path to be connected to a suction source, a support member that is mounted on the base table and supports the workpiece, and a protective plate disposed so as to cover an upper surface of the support member and to protect the support member. The protective plate has a plurality of through-holes that transmits a suction force from the suction source to the workpiece.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a spinner table for holding a workpiece thereon, a cleaning nozzle for supplying cleaning water to the workpiece held on the spinner table, an ultrasonic vibrator for applying ultrasonic vibrations to the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning nozzle to the workpiece, a water layer forming unit for forming a layer of the cleaning water in a clearance between the cleaning nozzle and the workpiece, the water layer forming unit having a cover surrounding the cleaning nozzle, and a drain unit for draining the cleaning water out of the cleaning apparatus, the drain unit having a flow channel for allowing the cleaning water supplied from the cleaning nozzle to the workpiece to flow therethrough.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a wafer conveying-out mechanism; a wafer table; a frame conveying-out mechanism; a frame table; a tape attaching mechanism that attaches a tape to a frame; a tape-attached frame conveying mechanism that conveys the tape-attached frame; a tape pressure bonding mechanism that pressure bonds the tape of the tape-attached frame to a back surface of a wafer; a frame unit conveying-out mechanism that conveys out a frame unit in which the tape of the tape-attached frame and the back surface of the wafer are pressure bonded; a reinforcement section removing mechanism that cuts and removes a ring-shaped reinforcement section from the wafer; a ringless unit conveying-out mechanism that conveys out a ringless unit from which the reinforcement section has been removed; and a frame cassette table on which a frame cassette accommodating the ringless unit is to be placed.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a debris discharging unit disposed in a space between a beam condenser and a workpiece on a chuck table, for drawing and discharging plasma or debris produced at a processing spot on the workpiece by a laser beam applied to a face side of the workpiece. The debris discharging unit includes a dust collecting unit and a suction source connected to the dust collecting unit. The dust collecting unit includes a slanted portion, a ceiling, a bottom wall, and a pair of side walls.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a holding table. The holding table includes a frustoconical portion and a wafer holding portion formed on the upper surface of the frustoconical portion for holding the wafer. Light is applied from a light emitting member to the side surface of the frustoconical portion and next reflected on the side surface of the frustoconical portion. The light reflected is applied to the outer circumference of the wafer held on the wafer holding portion of the holding table to thereby image the outer circumference of the wafer by an imaging unit.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a chuck table configured to hold a workpiece by a holding surface, a processing unit configured to process the workpiece held by the chuck table, a moving mechanism configured to move the chuck table and the processing unit relative to each other along a direction parallel with the holding surface of the chuck table, an angle control mechanism disposed on the moving mechanism and on a lower side of the chuck table, the angle control mechanism controlling an angle of the chuck table, and an imaging unit configured to image the workpiece held by the chuck table, the chuck table including a holding member formed by a transparent body and holding the workpiece and a supporting member supporting a part of the holding member and connected to the angle control mechanism.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a holding table. The holding table includes a frustoconical portion and a wafer holding portion formed on the upper surface of the frustoconical portion for holding the wafer. Light is applied from a light emitting member to the side surface of the frustoconical portion and next reflected on the side surface of the frustoconical portion. The light reflected is applied to the outer circumference of the wafer held on the wafer holding portion of the holding table to thereby image the outer circumference of the wafer by an imaging unit.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator configured to oscillate a laser beam, a first condenser configured to focus an S-polarized laser beam, a second condenser configured to focus a P-polarized laser beam, an X-moving unit configured to processing-feed a holding table that holds a wafer thereon in X directions, and first and second indexing feed units configured to indexing-feed the first and second condensers respectively in Y directions. While the wafer is being processed with the laser beam from the first condenser along a projected dicing line on the wafer in the X directions, the second condenser is indexing-fed and positioned on a next projected dicing line along which to process the wafer.

Abstract: A laser processing apparatus includes a laser oscillator configured to oscillate a laser beam, a first condenser configured to focus an S-polarized laser beam, a second condenser configured to focus a P-polarized laser beam, an X-moving unit configured to processing-feed a holding table that holds a wafer thereon in X directions, and first and second indexing feed units configured to indexing-feed the first and second condensers respectively in Y directions. While the wafer is being processed with the laser beam from the first condenser along a projected dicing line on the wafer in the X directions, the second condenser is indexing-fed and positioned on a next projected dicing line along which to process the wafer.

Abstract: A laser processing machine is provided in which a flat plate-like mask is disposed between a mirror and a relay lens in an optical system so as to be perpendicular to the optical path of a laser beam. The mask is horizontally shiftable. The laser beam is allowed to pass through an elongate trapezoidal aperture formed in the mask to extend in the shifting direction. The sectional shape of a portion of the laser beam passing through the aperture of the wafer is focused on the wafer. Shifting the mask can adjust the width of an image of the laser beam focused on the wafer.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer processing method for dividing a semiconductor wafer comprising semiconductor chips, which are composed of a laminate consisting of an insulating film and a functional film laminated on the front surface of a semiconductor substrate and are sectioned by streets, into individual semiconductor chips by cutting the wafer with a cutting blade along the streets, the method comprising a laser groove forming step for forming laser grooves which reach the semiconductor substrate by applying a pulse laser beam to the streets of the semiconductor wafer; and a cutting step for cutting the semiconductor substrate with the cutting blade along the laser grooves formed in the streets of the semiconductor wafer, wherein in the laser groove forming step, spots of the pulse laser beam applied to the streets are shaped into rectangular spots by a mask member and the processing conditions are set to satisfy L>(V/Y) (in which Y (Hz) is a repetition-frequency of the pulse laser beam, V (mm/sec) is a proces