There is provided a carrier plate removing method of removing a carrier plate from a workpiece disposed on a front surface of the carrier plate with a provisional bond layer interposed between the carrier plate and the workpiece. The carrier plate removing method includes a first holding step of holding the carrier plate and exposing the workpiece, a stepped portion forming step of forming a stepped portion in which an back surface side projects outward of a front surface side at an outer peripheral edge of the carrier plate, a second holding step of holding the workpiece and exposing the carrier plate, and a carrier plate removing step of removing the carrier plate from the workpiece by applying a force to the stepped portion and moving the carrier plate in a direction of being separated from the workpiece by a removing unit.

Multi-operation tools for photovoltaic cell processing are described. In an example, a multi-operation tool includes a conveyor system to move a photovoltaic (PV) cell continuously along a conveyor path through a laser scribing station and an adhesive printing station. Furthermore, the PV cell may be aligned to a laser head of the laser scribing station and a printer head of the adhesive printing station in a single alignment operation prior to being laser scribed and printed with an adhesive in a continuous process.

A method of manufacturing a light-emitting element includes: providing a wafer including: a substrate, and a semiconductor structure; forming a plurality of modified regions inside the substrate of the wafer by irradiating the substrate with a laser beam; and separating the wafer into a plurality of light-emitting elements after said irradiating the substrate with the laser beam. Said forming the plurality of modified regions includes: scanning the laser beam along a plurality of first lines, the plurality of first lines extending in a first direction and being arranged in a second direction, the first direction being parallel to the first surface, the second direction intersecting the first direction and being parallel to the first surface, and scanning the laser beam along a plurality of second lines, the plurality of second lines extending in the second direction and being arranged in the first direction.

A wafer processing method includes a grouping step of dividing a wafer along division lines demarcating a plurality of devices as one block on the wafer to form a plurality of group pieces, a reattaching step of attaching one of the group pieces to an expansion tape, a modified layer forming step of emitting a laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through the wafer along the division lines for each group piece to form modified layers, a dividing step of expanding the expansion tape, and dividing each of the group pieces in which the modified layers are formed into individual devices.

In one embodiment, a substrate treatment apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate provided with a film. The apparatus further includes a film treatment module configured to treat the film in accordance with warpage of the substrate such that the film includes a first region having a first film quality or a first film thickness and a second region having a second film quality or a second film thickness different from the first film quality or the first film thickness.

A time period for cleaning performed to remove a deposit formed within a chamber main body can be reduced. A plasma processing method including the cleaning of an inside of the chamber main body of a plasma processing apparatus is provided. The method includes etching including a main etching of etching an etching target film of a processing target object placed on a stage in a low temperature by generating plasma of a processing gas containing a fluorocarbon gas and/or a hydrofluorocarbon gas; carrying-out the processing target object from a chamber; and cleaning the inside of the chamber main body by generating plasma of a cleaning gas in a state that a temperature of an electrostatic chuck is set to be high.

A method for processing a crystalline substrate to form multiple patterns of subsurface laser damage facilitates subsequent fracture of the substrate to yield first and second substrate portions of reduced thickness. Multiple (e.g., two, three, or more) groups of parallel lines of multiple subsurface laser damage patterns may be sequentially interspersed with one another, with at least some lines of different groups not crossing one another. Certain implementations include formation of multiple subsurface laser damage patterns including groups of parallel lines that are non-parallel to one another, but with each line remaining within 5 degrees of perpendicular to the <1120> direction of a hexagonal crystal structure of a material of the substrate. Further methods involve formation of initial and subsequent subsurface laser damage patterns that are centered at different depths within an interior of a substrate, with the subsurface laser damage patterns being registered with one another and having vertical extents that are overlapping.

Implementations of methods of removing an edge support ring may include: providing a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer may include a first side and a second side. The first side of the semiconductor wafer may include a backmetal. The semiconductor wafer may also include an edge ring around a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer. The method may include mounting a first side of the semiconductor wafer to a film frame. The method may include removing a portion of the backmetal around the edge support ring and singulating the edge support ring from the semiconductor wafer.

Disclosed is a plasma processing device that provides an object to be treated with plasma treatment. A wafer as an object to be treated, which is attached on the upper surface of adhesive sheet held by a holder frame, is mounted on a stage. In a vacuum chamber that covers the stage therein, plasma is generated, by which the wafer mounted on the stage undergoes plasma treatment. The plasma processing device contains a cover member made of dielectric material. During the plasma treatment on the wafer, the holder frame is covered with a cover member placed at a predetermined position above the stage, at the same time, the wafer is exposed from an opening formed in the center of the cover member.

A method of singulating a wafer includes providing a wafer having a plurality of die formed as part of the wafer and separated from each other by spaces. The wafer has first and second opposing major surfaces, a layer of material atop the second major surface, and portions of the layer of material are adapted to remain atop surfaces of the plurality of die after completion of the method of singulating the wafer. The method includes placing the wafer onto a carrier substrate and singulating the wafer through the spaces to form singulation lines, wherein singulating comprises leaving at least a portion of the layer of material under the singulation lines. The method includes separating the layer of material under the singulation lines by applying pressure to the wafer and applying high frequency vibrations to fatigue the layer of material.