Embodiments of the invention are directed to a method of separating a wafer of light emitting devices. The method includes scribing a first groove on a dicing street on the wafer and checking the alignment of the wafer using a location of the first groove relative to a feature on the wafer. After checking the alignment, a second groove is scribed on the dicing street.

A cutting apparatus includes a width measuring unit for measuring the width of a grooving groove formed in a wafer by laser grooving and the width of a cut groove formed by a cutting blade. The width measuring unit includes an imaging camera for imaging the grooving groove and the cut groove, and an illuminating unit for illuminating an area to be imaged by the imaging camera with light supplied in a predetermined light quantity. Therefore, when first light is radiated from the illuminating unit, a first image in which the grooving groove is sharply imaged can be imaged by the imaging camera, whereas when second light is radiated from the illuminating unit, a second image in which the cut groove is clearly imaged can be imaged by the imaging camera. Consequently, the grooving groove and the cut groove can be easily distinguished from each other.

A substrate processing tool is prevented from falling out of a tool holder. This substrate processing tool is a tool for attachment to a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing tool includes a tool main body, a blade edge portion, and an engaging portion. A holding portion that is to be held by the chuck portion of the substrate processing apparatus is formed in at least a portion of the tool main body. The blade edge portion is formed on one end side of the tool main body. The engaging portion is formed on the other end side of the tool main body, and protrudes farther than the surface of the tool main body.

A substrate processing tool is prevented from falling out of a tool holder. This substrate processing tool is a tool for attachment to a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing tool includes a tool main body, a blade edge portion, and an engaging portion. A holding portion that is to be held by the chuck portion of the substrate processing apparatus is formed in at least a portion of the tool main body. The blade edge portion is formed on one end side of the tool main body. The engaging portion is formed on the other end side of the tool main body, and protrudes farther than the surface of the tool main body.

A method for transferring a layer from a single-crystal substrate, called a donor substrate, onto a receiver substrate, includes supplying the single-crystal donor substrate, the substrate having a notch oriented in a first direction of the crystal and a weakness region bounding the layer to be transferred, bonding of the single-crystal donor substrate onto the receiver substrate, the main surface of the donor substrate opposite to the weakness region with respect to the layer to be transferred being at the bonding interface, and detachment of the donor substrate along the weakness region. In the method, the donor substrate has, on the main surface bonded to the receiver substrate, an array of atomic steps extending essentially in a second direction of the crystal different from the first direction.

A method for transferring a layer from a single-crystal substrate, called a donor substrate, onto a receiver substrate, includes supplying the single-crystal donor substrate, the substrate having a notch oriented in a first direction of the crystal and a weakness region bounding the layer to be transferred, bonding of the single-crystal donor substrate onto the receiver substrate, the main surface of the donor substrate opposite to the weakness region with respect to the layer to be transferred being at the bonding interface, and detachment of the donor substrate along the weakness region. In the method, the donor substrate has, on the main surface bonded to the receiver substrate, an array of atomic steps extending essentially in a second direction of the crystal different from the first direction.

A wafer producing method produces a hexagonal single crystal wafer from a hexagonal single crystal ingot. The method includes a separation start point forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam to the inside of the ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the ingot, which depth corresponds to the thickness of the wafer to be produced, and next applying the laser beam to the upper surface of the ingot while relatively moving the focal point and the ingot to thereby form a modified layer parallel to the upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from the modified layer, thus forming a separation start point. The separation start point forming step includes an indexing step of relatively moving the focal point in a direction of formation of an off angle to thereby index the focal point by a predetermined index amount.

A wafer producing method for producing a hexagonal single crystal wafer from a hexagonal single crystal ingot is disclosed. The wafer producing method includes a separation start point forming step of forming a modified layer parallel to the upper surface of the ingot and cracks extending from the modified layer to thereby form a separation start point in the ingot. The separation start point forming step includes a first separation start point forming step of setting the focal point of a laser beam at a first depth which is N times (N is an integer not less than 2) the depth corresponding to the thickness of the wafer from the upper surface of the ingot and next applying the laser beam to the ingot to thereby form a first separation start point composed of a first modified layer and first cracks extending therefrom.

Synthetic quartz glass substrates are prepared by furnishing a synthetic quartz glass block, coating two opposed surfaces of the glass block with a liquid having a transmittance of at least 99.0%/mm at a birefringence measuring wavelength, measuring a birefringence of the glass block by directing light thereacross, determining a slice thickness on the basis of the birefringence measurement and the dimensions of the substrate, and slicing the glass block at the determined slice thickness.

In one aspect, the invention relates to methods to prepare markings on diamond surfaces which are encapsulated by diamond, and the marked diamonds prepared by the disclosed methods. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.