A wafer processing method includes: a bonding step of bonding a front surface side of a first wafer chamfered at a peripheral edge portion thereof to a front surface side of a second wafer; a grinding step of holding a back surface side of the second wafer by a chuck table and grinding a back surface of the first wafer to thin the first wafer to a finished thickness, after the bonding step; and a modified layer forming step of applying along a boundary between a device region and a peripheral surplus region of the first wafer a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the first wafer to form an annular modified layer inside the first wafer in the vicinity of the front surface of the first wafer, before the grinding step.

A wafer measurement apparatus for measuring a bonding strength of a bonded wafer includes a wafer holder to hold a bonded wafer into which a blade is inserted and where a crack occurs, a lighting assembly including a light source, a light source controller to select the light source of the lighting assembly for detection of the crack reflected in the bonded wafer, on photographing conditions, a photographing assembly to photograph the bonded wafer by using the photographing conditions corresponding to a wavelength of the light source, on sensitivity of the wavelength of the light source, and a calculator to select one photographing condition, transmit the selected photographing condition, and calculate bonding strength, on a crack distance from a blade edge, extracted from an image of the bonded wafer, to a crack edge.

The present disclosure provides a method and system for manufacturing solar cells and shingled solar cell modules. The method as provided by the present disclosure includes performing scribing and dividing of the solar cells, sorting the obtained solar cell strips, and packaging the cell strips in the solar cell manufacturing process. The solar cell strips can be assembled directly after dismantling the package in the solar module manufacturing process. Therefore, the method can accomplish a smooth flow of manufacturing solar cells and shingled solar cell modules, reduce repeated processing steps, lower the risk of cracking and costs thereof, and optimize the current matching and the color consistency of the cell strips in the shingled solar cell modules.

Implementations of a method for aligning a semiconductor wafer for singulation may include: providing a semiconductor wafer having a first side and a second side. The first side of the wafer may include a plurality of die and the plurality of die may be separated by streets. The semiconductor wafer may include an edge ring around a perimeter of the wafer on the second side of the wafer. The wafer may also include a metal layer on the second side of the wafer. The metal layer may substantially cover the edge ring. The method may include grinding the edge ring to create an edge exclusion area and aligning the semiconductor wafer with a saw using a camera positioned in the edge exclusion area on the second side of the wafer. Aligning the wafer may include using three or more alignment features included in the edge exclusion area.

There is provided a bonding apparatus for bonding substrates together, which includes: a first holding part configured to adsorptively hold a first substrate by vacuum-drawing the first substrate on a lower surface of the first substrate; a second holding part provided below the first holding part and configured to adsorptively hold a second substrate by vacuum-drawing the second substrate on an upper surface of the second substrate; a pressing member provided in the first holding part and configured to press a central portion of the first substrate; and a plurality of substrate detection parts provided in the first holding part and configured to detect a detachment of the first substrate from the first holding part.

A stacked wafer processing method for processing one wafer of a stacked wafer having at least two layers laminated, includes a sheet laying step of laying a thermocompression bonding sheet on an upper face of the one wafer, a thermocompression bonding step of thermocompression-bonding the thermocompression bonding sheet to an outer peripheral portion of the one wafer where a chamfered portion is formed, a modified layer forming step of irradiating the stacked wafer with a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to the thermocompression bonding sheet and the one wafer from the thermocompression bonding sheet side with a focal point of the laser beam positioned inside the outer peripheral portion of the one wafer, thereby continuously forming a modified layer inside the one wafer, and a chamfered portion removing step of expanding the thermocompression bonding sheet to break the chamfered portion, thereby removing the chamfered portion from the one wafer.

A package structure and method of forming the same are provided. The package structure includes a die, a TIV, an encapsulant, a RDL structure, an underfill layer, a protection layer, and a cap. The TIV is aside the die. The encapsulant laterally encapsulates the die and the TIV. The RDL structure is electrically connected to the die. The underfill layer is disposed between the die and the RDL structure and laterally encapsulated by the encapsulant. The protection layer is overlying the die and the encapsulant. The cap covers a top surface of the TIV and laterally aside the protection layer. A top surface of the cap is higher than a top surface of the encapsulant and lower than a top surface of the protection layer.

A conveyance system for conveying a workpiece to each of a plurality of processing apparatuses includes a conveyance passage disposed in a space directly above the processing apparatus over the plurality of processing apparatuses, an automated conveying vehicle for traveling on the conveyance passage, the automated conveying vehicle including a workpiece storage member having a housing space for housing a workpiece therein, a traveling member having a storage space for storing the workpiece storage member therein, a traveling mechanism mounted on the traveling member, a lifting and lowering mechanism disposed in the traveling member for lifting and lowering the workpiece storage member while suspending the workpiece storage member from above, and a receiver for receiving control signals.

There is provided a method of laser-processing a device wafer with a laser beam applied thereto. The device wafer has a face side having thereon a plurality of crossing projected dicing lines and devices formed in respective areas demarcated by the projected dicing lines. The method includes a covering step of supplying the face side of the device wafer with water and a powdery protective film agent to cover the face side with an aqueous solution in which the powdery protective film agent is dispersed, a protective film forming step of evaporating the water content of the aqueous solution to form a protective film on the face side, and a laser processing step of applying a laser beam having a wavelength that is absorbable by the device wafer to the device wafer along the projected dicing lines to form laser-processed grooves in the device wafer along the projected dicing lines.

A dividing apparatus divides a workpiece along projected dicing lines into chips, the workpiece being stuck to an upper surface of a protective tape mounted on an annular frame. The dividing apparatus includes a frame holding unit for holding the annular frame and a dividing unit for pressing the workpiece in the vicinity of one at a time of the projected dicing lines and dividing the workpiece into chips along the projected dicing line. The dividing unit includes a holder for holding a portion of the workpiece in the vicinity of the projected dicing line where the workpiece is to be broken, from both upper and lower surfaces of the workpiece, and a presser for pressing chips next to chips held by the holder across the projected dicing line where the workpiece is to be broken, thereby to divide the workpiece along the projected dicing line.