Abstract: A method of dividing, along dividing lines, a wafer having function elements formed in areas sectioned by the dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, which comprises: a protective member affixing step for affixing a protective member to the front surface of the wafer; a polishing step for polishing the back surface of the wafer having the protective member affixed to the front surface; a deteriorated layer formation step for forming a deteriorated layer along the dividing lines in the inside of the wafer by applying a pulse laser beam capable of passing through the wafer to the wafer along the dividing lines from the polished back surface side of the wafer; a frame holding step for affixing the back surface of the wafer in which the deteriorated layers have been formed along the dividing lines, to a dicing tape mounted on an annular frame; a dividing step for dividing the wafer into individual chips along the dividing lines by exerting external force along the dividing lines where the

Abstract: A method of dividing, along dividing lines, a wafer having function elements formed in areas sectioned by the dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, comprising: a frame holding step for affixing the back surface of the wafer to a dicing tape mounted on an annular frame; a deteriorated layer forming step for forming a deteriorated layer along the dividing lines in the inside of the wafer by applying a pulse laser beam capable of passing through the wafer to the wafer along the dividing lines, from the side of the front surface of the wafer held on the frame; a dividing step for dividing the wafer into individual chips along the dividing lines by exerting external force along the dividing lines where the deteriorated layers have been formed of the wafer held on the frame; an expansion step for enlarging the interval between chips by stretching the dicing tape affixed to the wafer divided into individual chips; and a picking up step for picking up each chip from the expanded dicing tape

Abstract: A laser processing method for forming a deteriorated layer, which has been once molten and then re-solidified, in the inside of a wafer by applying a pulse laser beam capable of passing through the wafer to the wafer along a dividing line formed on the wafer, comprising: a protective tape affixing step for affixing a protective tape having gas permeability to one side of the wafer; a wafer holding step for holding the wafer having the protective tape affixed thereto on the chuck table of a laser beam machine in such a manner that the surface side onto which the protective tape has been affixed comes into contact with the chuck table; and a laser beam application step for applying a pulse laser beam capable of passing through the wafer from the other surface side of the wafer held on the chuck table with its focusing point set to a position near the one surface of the wafer to form the deteriorated layer exposed to the one surface along the dividing line in the inside of the wafer.

Abstract: A method of checking a deteriorated layer formed in the inside of a workpiece along a dividing line by applying a laser beam capable of passing through the workpiece to the workpiece along the dividing line formed on the workpiece, the method comprising a focusing step of positioning a microscope of infrared image pick-up means to the dividing line formed on the workpiece, and setting the focusing point of the microscope to a position where the deteriorated layer in the inside of the workpiece has been formed; and an image pick-up step of picking up an image of the inside of the workpiece by moving the infrared image pick-up means and the workpiece along the dividing line relative to each other to scan the workpiece, wherein the deteriorated layer formed in the inside of the workpiece is checked based on the image picked up in the image pick-up step.

Abstract: An apparatus for checking a laser processed deteriorated layer formed in the inside of a workpiece by applying a laser beam capable of passing through the workpiece to the workpiece, comprising a workpiece holding means for holding the workpiece; a light application means for applying light capable of passing through the workpiece held on the workpiece holding means to the exposed surface of the workpiece at a predetermined angle; a light receiving means for receiving light that is applied from the light application, passes through the inside of the workpiece and is reflected from the workpiece; and a display means for displaying the state of light received by the light receiving means.

Abstract: A processing method using a laser beam, which can locate the focus point of a laser beam (82), sufficiently easily and promptly, at a position of a predetermined depth (D) below the face of a workpiece (34). The spacing between a focusing optical system (78) and the face of the workpiece when the laser beam is focused onto the face of the workpiece is adopted as a reference spacing (BL), and the spacing (SL) between the focusing optical system and the face of the workpiece is set based on a set equation taking into consideration the numerical aperture of the focusing optical system and the refractive index of the workpiece in combination with the reference spacing (BL).

Abstract: A method of dividing a silicon wafer along predetermined dividing lines, comprising a deteriorated layer forming step for forming deteriorated layers exposed to at least a surface to which a laser beam is applied, from the inside of the silicon wafer by applying a pulse laser beam with a wavelength capable of passing through the silicon wafer to the silicon wafer along the dividing lines; and a dividing step for dividing the silicon wafer along the dividing lines by applying a laser beam having absorptivity for the silicon wafer to the silicon wafer along the dividing lines where the deteriorated layers have been formed, from the side to which the deteriorated layers have been exposed, to generate thermal stress along the dividing lines.

Abstract: A method of dividing a wafer along predetermined dividing lines, comprising the steps of a deteriorated layer forming step for applying a pulse laser beam capable of passing through the wafer along the dividing lines to form deteriorated layers in the inside of the wafer along the dividing lines; an extensible protective tape affixing step for affixing an extensible protective tape to one side of the wafer before or after the deteriorated layer forming step; and a dividing step for dividing the wafer along the deteriorated layers by expanding the protective tape affixed to the wafer after the deteriorated layer forming step.

Abstract: A laser beam machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece and a laser beam application means for applying a laser to the workpiece held on the chuck table, wherein the machine further comprises a processing sound wave detection means for detecting processing sound waves generated when a laser beam is applied to the workpiece from the laser beam application means and a control means for judging whether a detection signal from the processing sound wave detection means falls within a predetermined permissible range.

Abstract: A laser beam machine comprising a chuck table for holding a workpiece and a laser beam application means for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the chuck table, wherein the machine further comprises a light detection means for detecting light of a processing portion of the workpiece to which a laser beam is applied from the laser beam application means and a control means for judging whether the output value of the light detection means falls within a predetermined permissible range.

Abstract: A dividing method and apparatus which apply a pulse laser beam capable of passing through a sheet-shaped workpiece to the workpiece, and move the workpiece and the pulse laser beam relative to each other along a division line of the workpiece. The repetition frequency Y (Hz) of the pulse laser beam is set at 200 kHz or more. The following conditions are set: 0.8?V/(Y×D)?2.5 where D (mm) is the spot diameter of the pulse laser beam, and V (mm/second) is the relative moving speed of the workpiece and the pulse laser beam.

Abstract: A laser beam processing method comprising the step of processing-feeding a wafer having devices which are formed in a large number of areas sectioned by streets arranged in a lattice pattern on the front surface while a laser beam capable of passing through the wafer is applied to the wafer to form deteriorated layers along the streets in the inside of the wafer, wherein the laser beam is applied at a predetermined angle toward a direction intersecting at right angles to the processing-feed direction relative to a direction perpendicular to the laser beam applied surface of the wafer.

Abstract: A dividing method and apparatus which apply a pulse laser beam capable of passing through a sheet-shaped workpiece to the workpiece, and move the workpiece and the pulse laser beam relative to each other along a division line of the workpiece. The following conditions are set: 0.8?V/(Y×D)?2.5 where Y (Hz) is the repetition frequency of the pulse laser beam, D (mm) is the spot diameter of the pulse laser beam, and V (mm/second) is the relative moving speed of the workpiece and the pulse laser beam.

Abstract: A laser beam machine comprising a workpiece holding means for holding a workpiece, a laser beam application means comprising a condenser for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the workpiece holding means, and a focusing point position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the focusing point of the laser beam applied by the condenser, wherein the machine further comprises a temperature detection means for detecting a temperature of the condenser and a control means for controlling the focusing point position adjusting means based on the temperature of the condenser detected by the temperature detection means.

Abstract: A laser beam machine comprising a workpiece holding means for holding a workpiece and a laser beam application means comprising a condenser for applying a laser beam to the workpiece held on the workpiece holding means, wherein the machine further comprises thermostatic means for maintaining the temperature of a case for housing the condenser lenses of the condenser constant.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for dividing a wafer having optical devices that are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, along the dividing lines, which comprises a laser beam application step of applying a laser beam to the wafer along the dividing lines from the side of back surface thereof to form grooves having a predetermined depth in the back surface; a protective sheet affixing step of affixing a protective sheet to the front surface of the wafer having the grooves in the back surface; a dividing step of dividing the wafer having the protective sheet affixed to the front surface along the grooves; and a grinding step of grinding the back surface of the wafer divided along the grooves in a state of the protective sheet being affixed to the wafer, to remove the grooves.

Abstract: A wafer processing method for dividing a wafer having optical devices that are formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by dividing lines formed in a lattice pattern on the front surface, along the dividing lines, comprising a laser beam application step of applying a laser beam capable of passing through the wafer along the dividing lines to form deteriorated layers having a predetermined depth from the back surface of the wafer; a protective sheet affixing step of affixing a protective sheet to the front surface of the wafer having the deteriorated layers formed therein; a dividing step of dividing the wafer having the protective sheet affixed to the front surface along the deteriorated layers; and a grinding step of grinding the back surface of the wafer divided along the deteriorated layers in a state of the protective sheet being affixed to the wafer, to remove the deteriorated layers.

Abstract: When it is judged that the IP address of a PC for the administrator is not included in IP addresses received from the PC for the administrator under accessing while a PC whose access is to be authorized is registered (NO in S20), the IP address of the PC for the administrator is registered besides IP addresses received for identifying PCs (S21). Meanwhile, when it is judged that the IP address of a PC for the administrator is included in IP addresses received from the PC for the administrator under accessing while a PC whose access is to be rejected is registered (YES in S43), the IP addresses received for identifying PCs are registered after excluding the IP address of the PC for the administrator therefrom (S21). This makes it possible to avoid a situation that an access from the terminal device for the administrator to a network device becomes impossible.

Abstract: A method of dividing a semiconductor wafer having circuits formed in a plurality of areas defined by streets arranged on the front surface in a lattice form along the streets, comprising the step of detecting the streets from the back surface of the semiconductor wafer and the step of cutting the semiconductor wafer along the streets detected in the street detection step by applying a laser beam to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer along the streets.

Abstract: A method of processing a wafer having devices in a plurality of areas sectioned by streets arranged in a lattice pattern on the front surface to form a metal film on a back surface thereof, wherein a laser beam application step for applying a laser beam capable of passing through a wafer, along the streets formed on the wafer to form a deteriorated layer is carried out before a metal film forming step for forming a metal film on the back surface of the wafer.