According to one embodiment, there is provided a substrate bonding apparatus including a first chuck stage and a second chuck stage. The first chuck stage includes a first electromagnetic force generation unit. The first chuck stage is chuckable for a first substrate. The second chuck stage includes a second electromagnetic force generation unit. The second electromagnetic force generation unit faces the first electromagnetic force generation unit. The second chuck stage is chuckable for a second substrate.

A method of processing a wafer includes a groove forming step of forming grooves in the wafer to a depth equal to or larger than a thickness of chips to be produced from the wafer from a face side of the wafer along projected dicing lines, a separation initiating point forming step of positioning a focused spot of a laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through the wafer, at a depth in the wafer corresponding to a thickness of the chips from a reverse side of the wafer that is opposite the face side thereof, applying the laser beam to the wafer while moving the focused spot and the wafer relatively to each other, thereby forming separation initiating points in the wafer that are parallel to the face side of the wafer and made up of modified layers and cracks extending from the modified layers in the wafer, and a chip peeling step of peeling off the chips from the wafer at the separation initiating points.

An apparatus that utilizes high-pressure air therein includes a main body, an air pipe configured to be supplied with high-pressure air from a high-pressure air supply source and supply the high-pressure air into the main body, a filter configured to remove oil contained in the high-pressure air flowing through the air pipe, a gas detector configured to detect an organic gas derived from oil and contained in the high-pressure air that has passed through the filter, and a reporting unit configured to report, when the gas detector detects the organic gas contained in the high-pressure air, that the high-pressure air is mixed with the oil.

An image capturing unit of a processing apparatus includes a light field camera, an image recorder for recording an image of the workpiece captured by the light field camera, a two-dimensional image processor for generating two-dimensional multi-focal-point images from the image recorded by the image recorder, and a three-dimensional image processor for producing a three-dimensional image by layering the two-dimensional multi-focal-point images. The light field camera includes a main lens, a microlens array having a plurality of microlenses for converging light from the main lens, and an image sensor for capturing the light converged by the microlens array.

A semiconductor substrate alignment device includes: a lower chuck; a lower chuck driving unit; an upper chuck above and overlapping the lower chuck; observation windows in the upper chuck, imaging units respectively configured to irradiate light through the observation windows and to obtain images by detecting light reflected from the semiconductor substrates; a distance sensor configured to detect a distance between an edge of the lower chuck and an edge of the upper chuck; and a control unit configured to identify first and second alignment keys from images of first and second semiconductor substrates, determine an alignment error value of the first and second semiconductor substrates, and compensate for the alignment error value by driving the lower chuck driving unit.

An apparatus for planarizing a substrate may include a supporting plate, an injection mechanism and a controller. The supporting plate may be configured to receive the substrate including a coating layer formed on the substrate before a hardening process. The supporting plate may have at least one of a function for controlling a temperature of the substrate, a function for rotating the substrate and a function for vibrating the substrate. The injection mechanism may inject a gas having a set temperature and a set pressure to the coating layer of the substrate to horizontally planarize the coating layer. The controller may control a movement, a temperature and a pressure of the injection mechanism, and the temperature control, the rotation control and the vibration control of the supporting plate.

A wafer processing method includes an outer edge removing step of removing an outer edge of a first wafer having a first wiring layer formed on a front surface thereof from the front surface, and a polishing step of polishing the first wiring layer on the front surface of the first wafer after the outer edge removing step.

In an embodiment is provided a method of forming a blind via in a substrate comprising a mask layer, a conductive layer, and a dielectric layer that includes conveying the substrate to a scanning chamber; determining one or more properties of the blind via, the one or more properties comprising a top diameter, a bottom diameter, a volume, or a taper angle of about 80° or more; focusing a laser beam at the substrate to remove at least a portion of the mask layer; adjusting the laser process parameters based on the one or more properties; and focusing the laser beam, under the adjusted laser process parameters, to remove at least a portion of the dielectric layer within the volume to form the blind via. In some embodiments, the mask layer can be pre-etched. In another embodiment is provided an apparatus for forming a blind via in a substrate.

In an embodiment, a method of forming a blind via in a substrate comprising a mask layer, a conductive layer, and a dielectric layer is provided. The method includes detecting the mask layer by a sensor, the mask layer providing a substrate surface; determining a property of the blind via, the property comprising one or more of a top diameter, a bottom diameter, a volume, or a taper angle; focusing a Gaussian laser beam, under laser process parameters, at the substrate surface to remove at least a portion of the mask layer; adjusting the laser process parameters based on the property; and focusing the laser beam, under the adjusted laser process parameters, to remove at least a portion of the dielectric layer within the volume to form the blind via. The mask layer can be pre-etched. Apparatus for forming a blind via in a substrate are also provided.

In an embodiment, a semiconductor processing tool for implementing hybrid laser and plasma dicing of a substrate is provided. The semiconductor processing tool comprises a transfer module, where the transfer module comprises a track robot for handling the substrate, and a loadlock attached to the transfer module. In an embodiment, the loadlock comprises a linear transfer system for handling the substrate. In an embodiment, the processing tool further comprises a processing chamber attached to the loadlock, wherein the linear transfer system of the loadlock is configured to insert and remove the substrate from the processing chamber.