A wafer held on a chuck table is processed by applying a laser beam to the wafer. The laser processing method includes positioning a height detecting unit in a work area of the wafer where the laser beam is to be applied, relatively moving the chuck table and the height detecting unit along a forward path in an X direction, detecting the height of the upper surface of the wafer along the forward path by using the height detecting unit, and storing height information at plural X coordinates on the forward path into a memory; and relatively moving the chuck table and the height detecting unit along a backward path in the X direction, detecting the height of the upper surface of the wafer along the backward path by using the height detecting unit, and storing height information at plural X coordinates on the backward path into the memory.

A film forming apparatus for forming a film on a substrate includes a driver configured to bring a curable composition arranged on the substrate and a flat surface into contact with each other, a heater configured to heat the curable composition by electromagnetic waves to reduce the viscosity of the curable composition and make the curable composition conform to the flat surface, and a curing device configured to form a film made of a cured product of the curable composition by curing the curable composition in a state in which the curable composition conforms to the flat surface.

A package structure and method of forming the same are provided. The package structure includes a die, a TIV, an encapsulant, a RDL structure, an underfill layer, a protection layer, and a cap. The TIV is aside the die. The encapsulant laterally encapsulates the die and the TIV. The RDL structure is electrically connected to the die. The underfill layer is disposed between the die and the RDL structure and laterally encapsulated by the encapsulant. The protection layer is overlying the die and the encapsulant. The cap covers a top surface of the TIV and laterally aside the protection layer. A top surface of the cap is higher than a top surface of the encapsulant and lower than a top surface of the protection layer.

A processing apparatus configured to process a substrate includes a substrate holder having a substrate holding surface configured to attract and hold the substrate thereon; and an edge cleaning device configured to clean an edge portion of the substrate holding surface. Further, a processing method of processing a rear surface of the substrate by using the processing apparatus includes processing the rear surface of the substrate while a front surface of the substrate is attracted to and held by a substrate holding surface of a substrate holder; and cleaning an edge portion of the substrate holding surface.

A wafer producing method includes a facet area detecting step of detecting a facet area from an upper surface of an SiC ingot, a coordinates setting step of setting the X and Y coordinates of plural points lying on the boundary between the facet area and a nonfacet area in an XY plane, and a feeding step of setting a focal point of a laser beam having a transmission wavelength to SiC inside the SiC ingot at a predetermined depth from the upper surface of the SiC ingot, the predetermined depth corresponding to the thickness of the SiC wafer to be produced, next applying the laser beam from a focusing unit in a laser processing apparatus to the SiC ingot, and relatively moving the SiC ingot and the focal point in an X direction parallel to the X axis in the XY plane, thereby forming a belt-shaped separation layer extending in the X direction inside the SiC ingot.

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes a mounting unit arranged to mount an annular member, having an annular shape, to a work substrate including a first substrate and a second substrate bonded to each other so that the annular member surrounds the first substrate. The apparatus further includes a holding unit arranged to hold the work substrate having the annular member mounted thereto. The apparatus further includes a first fluid supply unit arranged to supply a first fluid to the second substrate of the work substrate held by the holding unit.

A substrate holder includes a central support portion configured to support a central portion of a substrate, and an circumferential support portion arranged on an outside of the central support portion and configured to support a circumferential portion on an outside of the central portion, and the circumferential support portion is configured to support the circumferential portion so that at least a partial region of the circumferential portion is curved toward the substrate holder with a curvature greater than that of the central portion.

A processing apparatus includes a wafer unloading unit, a wafer table, a frame unloading unit, a frame table, a tape affixing unit, a tape-affixed frame transporting unit, a tape compression-bonding unit, a frame unit unloading unit that unloads a frame unit in which a tape of a tape-affixed frame and the undersurface of a wafer are compression-bonded to each other from the wafer table, a reinforcing portion removing unit, a no-ring unit unloading unit, and a frame cassette table.

A holding mechanism includes a wafer holding section that holds a wafer under suction, and a frame support section that is disposed on the outer circumference of the wafer holding section and that supports a frame. The frame support section includes a permanent magnet.

A protective sheet disposing method of disposing a protective sheet on a top surface of a wafer in which a device region having a plurality of devices formed thereon and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region are formed, the protective sheet disposing method including: a first protective sheet preparing step of preparing a first protective sheet having a non-adhesive portion corresponding to the device region and an adhesive portion having an adhesive layer laid on a periphery of the non-adhesive portion; a protective sheet affixing step of affixing the first protective sheet to the peripheral surplus region; a liquid resin dropping step of dropping a liquid resin onto a region of a second protective sheet; an integrating step of integrating the first protective sheet and the second protective sheet with each other; and a cutting step of cutting the first protective sheet and the second protective sheet.