Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards a method for workpiece-level alignment with low alignment error and high throughput. In some embodiments, the method comprises aligning a first alignment mark on a first workpiece to a field of view (FOV) of an imaging device based on feedback from the imaging device, and further aligning a second alignment mark on a second workpiece to the first alignment mark based on feedback from the imaging device. The second workpiece is outside the FOV during the aligning of the first alignment mark. The aligning of the second alignment mark is performed without moving the first alignment mark out of the FOV. Further, the imaging device views the second alignment mark, and further views the first alignment mark through the second workpiece, during the aligning of the second alignment mark. The imaging device may, for example, perform imaging with reflected infrared radiation.

A workpiece unit includes a wafer, a tape stuck to the wafer, and an annular frame to which an outer circumferential edge of the tape is stuck and which has an opening defined centrally therein. The wafer is disposed in the opening in the annular frame and supported on the annular frame by the tape. An irreversible ultraviolet radiation detecting seal that discolors when irradiated with an ultraviolet radiation as an external stimulus is stuck to the annular frame.

A workpiece cutting method includes attaching a tape to a lower surface of the workpiece, holding the lower surface through the tape on a holding table including a holding plate, at least a part of a holding surface of the holding plate being an imaging area formed of a material transparent to visible light, cutting the workpiece held on the holding table to divide the workpiece, thereby forming a dividing groove, and imaging at least a part of the dividing groove from a upper surface side of the workpiece by using an upper camera portion located above the holding plate, thereby obtaining an upper image, and also imaging the above part of the dividing groove from the lower surface side of the workpiece through the imaging area of the holding plate and the tape by using a lower camera portion located below the holding plate, thereby obtaining a lower image.

Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. A method includes forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask including a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask and a portion of the semiconductor wafer are patterned with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask and to form trenches partially into but not through the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. Each of the trenches has a width. The semiconductor wafer is plasma etched through the trenches to form corresponding trench extensions and to singulate the integrated circuits. Each of the corresponding trench extensions has the width.

Provided is a substrate holding unit that holds a pair of substrates that are aligned and layered, comprising a first holding member that holds one of the substrates; a plurality of members to be joined that are connected to the first holding member; a second holding member that holds the other of the substrates to face the one of the substrates; a plurality of joining members that exert an adhesion force on the members to be joined and are connected to the second holding member at positions corresponding to positions of the members to be joined; and an adhesion restricting section that restricts the adhesion force until the substrates are aligned.

A method for forming semiconductor devices includes: grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer with a grinding wheel during a first time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is forward moved during the first time interval, wherein a plurality of semiconductor devices are formed on the semiconductor wafer; polishing the backside of the semiconductor wafer with the grinding wheel in a second time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is backward moved during the second time interval; and dicing the semiconductor wafer to separate the plurality of semiconductor devices from each other without additional polishing of the backside of the semiconductor wafer before dicing the semiconductor wafer.

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 bonding a first substrate with a second substrate at respective contact faces of the substrates with the following steps: holding the first substrate to a first sample holder surface of a first sample holder with a holding force F.sub.H1 and holding the second substrate to a second sample holder surface of a second sample holder with a holding force F.sub.H2; contacting the contact faces at a bond initiation point and heating at least the second sample holder surface to a heating temperature T.sub.H; bonding of the first substrate with the second substrate along a bonding wave running from the bond initiation point to the side edges of the substrates, wherein the heating temperature T.sub.H is reduced at the second sample holder surface during the bonding.

The present invention relates to a method, according to claim 1, for separating at least one solid body layer (1), particularly a solid body disk, from a donor substrate (2). The method according to the invention comprises preferably at least the following steps: providing a donor substrate (2); producing or arranging a stress-producing layer (4) on a particularly flat surface (5) of the donor substrate (2) which axially defines the donor substrate (2); pressing at least one pressure application element (6) of a pressure application device (8) onto at least one pre-determined portion of the stress-producing layer (4), in order to press the stress-producing layer (4) onto the surface (5); separating the solid body layer (1) from the donor substrate (2) by thermally applying the stress-producing layer (4), thereby producing mechanical stress in the donor substrate (2), the mechanical stress creating a crack for separating a solid body layer (1), and the pressure application element (6) being pressed onto the stress-producing layer (4) during the thermal application of the stress-producing layer (4).

A method for manufacturing a display device is provided. A process of forming an inspection pattern, in which a protective film unit is partially removed in a thickness direction, in a pad area portion of the protective film unit, which corresponds to a pad area of a display unit, may be performed, and then, a process of delaminating the pad area portion of the protective film unit may be performed. A process of checking whether the inspection pattern exists may be performed to check whether the delamination has succeeded, and, at the same time, a process of measuring distances from an alignment mark to each of a long side and a short side of the display unit may be performed.