An improvement to a lead forming system that provides quick changeover without complete disassembly. By removing a pair of fasteners securing a pair of die inserts, a spring pack in an upper die unit can be freely rotated and interchanged or modified. The spring pack has a plurality of chamfers that allow the spring pack to rotate within the die pack until a narrower side is presented for removal. Straightforward access to the cutting units is afforded when the spring pack is removed. Risk of damage to various components of the lead forming system is minimized and the precision and accuracy of the new setup is increased because the system was minimally disassembled. A method for removing the spring pack in the upper die unit is fully disclosed.

A method of splitting a semiconductor wafer includes: inducing a first stress distribution in the semiconductor wafer by exposing the semiconductor wafer to a first radiation process; inducing a second stress distribution in the semiconductor wafer by exposing the semiconductor wafer to a second radiation process, the second radiation process including applying laser energy to an edge of the semiconductor wafer; and splitting the semiconductor wafer after inducing the first stress distribution and the second stress distribution.

An apparatus configured to calibrate a wafer bonding apparatus includes a stage, a linear moving pin, a detector, and a data processing unit. The stage is configured to hold a wafer thereon, and the wafer includes a predetermined mark thereon. The linear moving pin is configured to push the wafer away from the stage. The detector is configured to detect a position of the predetermined mark when the linear moving pin applies a force to the wafer. The data processing unit receives information on the position of the predetermined mark from the detector and information on a corresponding force applied to the wafer by the linear moving pin, where the data processing unit is configured to compare the information with calibration information.

A wafer processing method includes a polyolefin sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyolefin sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyolefin sheet as applying a pressure to the polyolefin sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyolefin sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of blowing air to each device chip through the polyolefin sheet to push up each device chip, thereby picking up each device chip from the polyolefin sheet after performing the dividing step.

A wafer processing method includes a polyester sheet providing step of positioning a wafer in an inside opening of a ring frame and providing a polyester sheet on a back side of the wafer and on a back side of the ring frame, a uniting step of heating the polyester sheet as applying a pressure to the polyester sheet to thereby unite the wafer and the ring frame through the polyester sheet by thermocompression bonding, a dividing step of applying a laser beam to the wafer to form division grooves in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of blowing air to each device chip through the polyester sheet to push up each device chip, thereby picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet after performing the dividing step.

Provided are a wafer bonding apparatus for accurately detecting a bonding state of wafers in a wafer bonding process and/or in a wafer bonding system including the wafer bonding apparatus. The wafer bonding apparatus includes a first supporting plate including a first surface and vacuum grooves for vacuum-absorption of a first wafer disposed on the first surface, a second supporting plate including a second surface facing the first surface. A second wafer is on the second surface. The wafer bonding apparatus and/or the wafer bonding system include a bonding initiator at a center portion of the first supporting plate, and an area sensor on the first supporting plate and configured to detect a propagation state of bonding between the first wafer and the second wafer.

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 method for inspecting the influence of an installation environment upon a processing apparatus includes setting a mark for specifying a relative positional relation between a chuck table and a processing unit, imaging the mark plural times by using an imaging unit when a moving unit is at rest, and detecting the position of the mark from an image and then determining whether or not the influence of the installation environment upon the processing apparatus is present based on whether the change in position of the mark is less than or more than a threshold.

A method of producing microelectronic components includes forming a functional layer system; applying a laminar carrier to the functional layer system; attaching a workpiece to a workpiece carrier; utilizing incident radiation of a laser beam is focused in a boundary region between a growth substrate and the functional layer system, and a bond between the growth substrate and the functional layer system in the boundary region is weakened or destroyed; separating a functional layer stack from the growth substrate, wherein a vacuum gripper having a sealing zone that circumferentially encloses an inner region is applied to the reverse side of the growth substrate, a negative pressure is generated in the inner region such that separation of the functional layer stack from the growth substrate is initiated in the inner region; and the growth substrate held on the vacuum gripper is removed from the functional layer stack.

Embodiments of apparatus and method for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) are disclosed. In an example, an apparatus for CMP includes a platen, a slurry supply, and at least one scraping fixture. The platen is configured to rotate a pad thereon about a central axis of the pad. The slurry supply is configured to supply a slurry onto the pad while the pad rotates. The at least one scraping fixture is configured to scrape the slurry off the pad when the slurry travels a distance between the slurry supply and the at least one scraping fixture in a circumferential direction of the pad as the pad rotates.