A method for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices includes providing a wafer on a support, covering a central wafer portion of the wafer, and cutting a marginal wafer portion of the wafer from the wafer. According to an embodiment of an apparatus, the apparatus includes a support configured to support a wafer, a masking device configured to cover a central wafer portion of the wafer, and a cutting device configured to cut a marginal wafer portion of the wafer from the wafer.

Disclosed herein is a wafer processing method for dividing a wafer into individual device chips along division lines. The wafer processing method includes a frame supporting step of attaching the wafer to an adhesive tape fixed at its peripheral portion to an annular frame, thereby supporting the wafer through the adhesive tape to the annular frame, a laser processing step of applying a laser beam to each division line to thereby form a strength reduced portion along each division line, and a dividing step of applying a radial tension to the adhesive tape and next applying an external force to the wafer in the condition where the radial tension is kept acting on the adhesive tape, thereby dividing the wafer into the individual device chips along the division lines.

A processing method of processing a workpiece on which a plurality of intersecting planned dividing lines are set is provided. The processing method includes a holding step of holding the workpiece by a holding table, a dividing step of forming a plurality of chips by dividing the workpiece held by the holding table along the planned dividing lines, and a carrying-out step of, after the dividing step is performed, sucking the plurality of chips on the holding table by a suction unit including a suction head sucking the plurality of chips and a suction passage connected to the suction head, and carrying out the plurality of chips from the holding table via the suction passage.

A semiconductor structure bonding apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus may include a leveling adjustment system configured to provide leveling adjustment of upper and lower block assemblies of the apparatus. In some cases, the leveling adjustment system may include a plurality of threaded posts, differentially threaded adjustment collars, and leveling sleeves. In some instances, the leveling adjustment system further may include a plurality of preload springs configured to provide a given preload capacity and range of adjustment. In some instances, the leveling adjustment system further may include a load cell through which one of the threaded posts may be inserted. In some embodiments, the upper block assembly further may include a reaction plate configured to reduce deformation of the upper block assembly. In some embodiments, the upper block assembly further may include a thermal isolation plate configured to provide compliance deflection and being of monolithic or polylithic construction, as desired.

The present disclosure provides a semiconductor fabrication apparatus in accordance with one embodiment. The apparatus includes a wafer stage that is operable to secure and rotate a wafer; a polish head configured to polish a backside surface of the wafer; an air bearing module configured to apply an air pressure to a front surface of the wafer; and an edge sealing unit configured to seal edges of the wafer.

A wafer cutting apparatus comprises a wafer positioning device for holding a wafer that is substantially covered with an opaque material such as molding compound and that has an exposed peripheral area, and for displacing the wafer relative to a wafer inspection system comprising a camera having a field of view. To perform visual data acquisition of said dicing street portions, the wafer is displaced such that a centre of the camera's field of view follows a path along the exposed peripheral area of the wafer. A processing unit analyses the visual data acquired for detecting or calculating locations and directions of the dicing streets. A wafer cutting tool cuts the wafer along straight lines between the dicing street portions which have been detected or calculated by the processing unit.

According to one embodiment, a bonding apparatus for processing a retained substrate includes a main body unit, a nozzle, a gas supply unit, and a substrate support unit. The nozzle opens on a face of the main body unit on a side that a first substrate is retained. The gas supply unit is configured to supply gas to the nozzle, to apply suction to the first substrate and to separate the substrate from the face of the main body unit. The substrate support unit is configured to support a peripheral edge portion of a second substrate provided in opposition to the first substrate with a predetermined gap.

There is provided a method of bonding substrates to each other, which includes: holding a first substrate on a lower surface of a first holding part; adjusting a temperature of a second substrate by a temperature adjusting part to become higher than a temperature of the first substrate; holding the second substrate on an upper surface of a second holding part; inspecting a state of the second substrate by imaging a plurality of reference points of the second substrate with a first imaging part, measuring positions of the reference points, and comparing a measurement result with a predetermined permissible range; and pressing a central portion of the first substrate with a pressing member, bringing the central portion of the first substrate into contact with a central portion of the second substrate, and sequentially bonding the first substrate and the second substrate.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus including an imaging unit configured to image a region in which a holding unit is moved by operation of a moving unit, a basic image storage unit configured to store a basic image corresponding to proper operation of the holding unit or an action unit, and a controller configured to compare an image imaged by the imaging unit with the basic image stored by the basic image storage unit, and control the moving unit or the action unit such that the two images coincide with each other.

Disclosed herein is a resin composition for fixing a plate-shaped workpiece. The resin composition includes a composition and a photopolymerization initiator added to the composition. This composition is composed of (meth)acrylate and a plasticizer or a reactive diluent. Preferably, the composition constituting the resin composition contains 30% to 45% by mass of (meth)acrylate having an urethane bond, 5% to 15% by mass of (meth)acrylate not having an urethane bond, and 40% to 65% by mass of plasticizer, which is an ester.