The present invention provides a composition which is suppressed in decrease of the etching rate over time. A composition which contains; at least one of a quaternary alkyl ammonium fluoride and a hydrate of a quaternary alkyl ammonium fluoride; (A) an N-substituted amide compound that has no active hydrogen on a nitrogen atom and (B) a dipropylene glycol dimethyl ether, which serve as aprotic solvents; and an antioxidant.

The method provides for the growth of an epitaxial layer (200) made of a first semiconductor material on a substrate (100) made of a second semiconductor material; the materials are different and have different CTEs; the method comprises the steps of: A) patterning the substrate (100) by an etching process so to form an array of pillars (110), the pillars (110) being laterally spaced from each other and having a top section (112) larger than a bottom section (114) and/or intermediate sections (116), B) depositing the second semiconductor material on top of the pillars (110) at a growth temperature so to form an epitaxial layer (200) generated by vertical and lateral growth, and C) inducing breaking of the pillars (110) by cooling the substrate (100) and the epitaxial layer (200) below the growth temperature.

A wafer is processed by causing a cutting blade to cut into an outer circumferential surplus region of a first wafer from the front surface side by a predetermined thickness and executing cutting along the outer circumferential edge to form an annular step part in the outer circumferential surplus region, bonding the front surface side of the first wafer and the front surface side of a second wafer to form a bonded wafer, forming an annular modified layer by positioning the focal point of a laser beam with a wavelength having transmissibility with respect to the first wafer to the inside of the first wafer and executing irradiation with the laser beam along the boundary between a device region and the outer circumferential surplus region from the back surface side, and grinding the back surface side of the first wafer to execute thinning to a predetermined finished thickness.

A wafer is processed by causing a cutting blade to cut into an outer circumferential surplus region of a first wafer from the front surface side by a predetermined thickness and executing cutting along the outer circumferential edge to form an annular step part in the outer circumferential surplus region, bonding the front surface side of the first wafer and the front surface side of a second wafer to form a bonded wafer, forming an annular modified layer by positioning the focal point of a laser beam with a wavelength having transmissibility with respect to the first wafer to the inside of the first wafer and executing irradiation with the laser beam along the boundary between a device region and the outer circumferential surplus region from the back surface side, and grinding the back surface side of the first wafer to execute thinning to a predetermined finished thickness.

In a dividing method of a wafer, first edge parts and second edge parts that are the edges of chips are melted by executing irradiation with a laser beam. Therefore, the edges of the chips can be planarize. In addition, cracks, chipping, and so forth caused in the edges of the chips can be coupled. Therefore, it becomes possible to repair at least part of processing strain of the edges of the chips. As a result, a flexural strength of the chips can be enhanced.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide IC dies with rounded corners. In some embodiments, the IC die is a SOIC (system on integrated chip). The rounded corners prevent tip discharge which may adversely affect circuit structure of the SOIC. The IC dies with the rounded corners improve quality of gap filling material in IC packages, for example, reducing cracks in the gap filling material.

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device has a groove portion forming step, a first attachment step, a grinding step, a first ashing step, and a metal film forming step. The groove portion forming step is a step of forming a plurality of groove portions in a base material from a device surface side in which an element region is formed. The grinding step is a step of grinding the base material from a side opposite to the device surface to form a back surface. The grinding step is a step of singulating the base material by making a thickness of the base material equal to or less than depths of the groove portions. The metal film forming step is a step of forming a metal film on the back surface.

According to embodiments of the present invention, there are provided a polishing pad, a process for preparing a polishing pad, and a process for preparing a semiconductor device using the polishing pad. The polishing pad comprises a sub pad and a top pad disposed on the sub pad and comprising a first region and a second region having different densities, wherein the difference between the density of the first region and the density of the second region is 0.03 g/cm.sup.3 or more. A high polishing rate can be provided in the central region of an object to be polished, and enhanced polishing flatness can be provided in the edge region of the object to be polished.

The present invention proposes a substrate processing apparatus, a transport device, and the like capable of properly implementing processing even when a malfunction occurs in a sensor for detecting that an object such as a substrate is properly positioned. The substrate processing apparatus is equipped with a controller configured to accept a predetermined external input if a first sensor does not detect that a substrate is properly positioned in a first holding mechanism when the substrate is transferred from a second holding mechanism to the first holding mechanism and to allow the substrate to be processed or transported using the first holding mechanism based on the predetermined external input being performed regardless of the detection by the first sensor.

Provided is a substrate treating apparatus including a treating module, in which the treating module includes: a polishing treatment unit for polishing a substrate with a polishing pad; a cleaning treatment unit for cleaning the substrate by supplying a treatment liquid to the substrate; and a transfer chamber in which a transfer robot transferring the substrate is placed, a liquid treating chamber is provided in the cleaning treatment unit, the liquid treating chamber includes: a support unit for supporting and rotating the substrate; a treatment liquid supply nozzle for supplying a treatment liquid containing a polymer and a volatile solvent onto the substrate; a first removal liquid supply nozzle for supplying a first removal liquid onto the substrate; and a second removal liquid supply nozzle for supplying a second removal liquid onto the substrate.