A bonding apparatus includes a first holder, a second holder, an imaging unit and a moving device. The first holder is configured to hold a first substrate. The second holder is disposed to face the first holder and configured to hold a second substrate to be bonded to the first substrate. The imaging unit includes a first imaging device configured to image a first alignment mark formed on a surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate and a second imaging device configured to image a second alignment mark formed on a surface of the second substrate facing the first substrate. The moving device is configured to move the imaging unit in a first direction and a second direction intersecting with the first direction within a plan region between the first holder and the second holder.

Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with an actively-focused laser beam laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.

A processing apparatus includes a controller configured to control an operation of forming condensing points in a processing target object. In forming the condensing points by radiating a laser light to an inside of the processing target object periodically from a modifying device while rotating the processing target object held by a holder relative to the modifying device by a rotating mechanism and, also, by moving the modifying device in a diametrical direction relative to the holder by a moving mechanism, the controller controls a number and an arrangement of the condensing points, which are simultaneously formed at different positions in a plane direction of the processing target object, based on a relative rotation number of the processing target object and a radiation pitch of the laser light.

Provided herein include various examples of a method for manufacturing aspects of an apparatus, a sensor system. The method may include obtaining a first carrier bonded to an upper surface of the silicon wafer. This wafer includes through silicon vias (TSVs) extended through openings in a passivation stack, with electrical contacts coupled to portions of the TSVs exposed through these openings. The method may include de-bonding the first carrier from the upper surface of the silicon wafer. The method may include dicing the silicon wafer into subsections comprising dies.

A cleaning apparatus capable of effectively removing dirt attached to a bottom surface of a heat exchanger, is disclosed. The cleaning apparatus cleans the heat exchanger for regulating a surface temperature of a polishing pad. This cleaning apparatus includes: a moving mechanism configured to move the heat exchanger between a temperature-regulating position in which the heat exchanger can exchange heat with the polishing pad, and a retreat position in which the heat exchanger is separated from a surface of the polishing pad; and a cleaning mechanism configured to clean a bottom surface of the heat exchanger moved to the retreat position The retreat position is located on a side of the polishing pad. The cleaning mechanism includes at least one cleaning nozzle for ejecting a cleaning liquid to the bottom surface of the heat exchanger, or a cleaning tank in which the bottom surface of the heat exchanger can be immersed.

A processing apparatus includes a chuck table configured to hold a workpiece by a holding surface, a processing unit configured to process the workpiece held by the chuck table, a moving mechanism configured to move the chuck table and the processing unit relative to each other along a direction parallel with the holding surface of the chuck table, an angle control mechanism disposed on the moving mechanism and on a lower side of the chuck table, the angle control mechanism controlling an angle of the chuck table, and an imaging unit configured to image the workpiece held by the chuck table, the chuck table including a holding member formed by a transparent body and holding the workpiece and a supporting member supporting a part of the holding member and connected to the angle control mechanism.

A protective film forming agent for dicing of semiconductor wafers for forming a protective film on the surface of the semiconductor wafers and capable of forming a protective film of high absorbance index, and a production method of semiconductor chips using the protective film forming agent. In a protective film forming agent containing a water-soluble resin, light absorber and solvent, a compound having a specific structure is used as the light absorber. The content of the light absorber in the protective film forming agent is 0.1% by mass or more and 10% by mass or less.

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 or a front 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 modified layers in the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of cooling the polyester sheet in each of the plurality of separate regions corresponding to each device chip, pushing up each device chip through the polyester sheet, then picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

An alignment apparatus according to one embodiment, includes: a first and a second stage; a first and a second detector; a first and a second moving mechanism; and a controller. The first and second stages are configured to respectively hold a first and a second semiconductor substrate on which a first and a second alignment mark are respectively disposed. The first and second moving mechanisms are configured to respectively move the first and second stages relatively to each other. The controller is configured to perform the following (a), (b). (a) The controller control the detectors and the moving mechanisms to cause the first detector to detect the second alignment mark and to cause the second detector to detect the first alignment mark. (b) The controller calculate a position deviation between the substrates in accordance with results of the detections.

A waste liquid treating apparatus for purifying a waste liquid discharged from a processing apparatus includes a waste liquid accommodating tank for the waste liquid discharged by the processing apparatus, a spray water seal type pump that sucks a spray together with air in a processing region where a processing unit is disposed, a sealing water reservoir tank that recovers the spray and reserves the spray as a waste liquid, and a waste liquid filter unit that filters that waste liquid and the waste liquid in the waste liquid accommodating tank, to purify the waste liquid into fresh water. A fresh water reservoir tank reserves the fresh water obtained by filtering the waste liquid, and a pure water producing unit purifies the fresh water reserved in the fresh water reservoir tank into pure water. A temperature control unit controls the temperature of the pure water.