Improved methods and apparatuses for singulating integrated circuit (IC) dies that reduce or eliminate die collisions and work well with very small dies. Embodiments simultaneously separate dies in two dimensions by utilizing a break and expansion system that avoids die collisions by maintaining IC die separation after singulation. Singulation is achieved by placing the joined dies of the wafer substrate on a dicing tape, scoring the wafer substrate between the joined dies, and imposing a bending action by pressing a curved surface against the scored wafer substrate, which also expands the wafer substrate by stretching the dicing tape. After breaking, an inner expansion grip ring is pressed into an outer expansion grip ring in a nested configuration so as to maintain the stretched state of the dicing tape after the curved surface is fully removed, thereby maintaining the dicing tape in tension and the singulated die in spaced apart relation.

An apparatus and method for cleaving a liquid sample are disclosed. The apparatus includes a load lock chamber containing a cleaving module, a cryo-cooler, a vacuum chamber configured to receive the cleaving module from the load lock chamber, and a gate valve between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber. The cleaving module is configured to cleave a crystalline sample holder and the liquid sample. The liquid sample includes one or more liquid phase materials and is cleavable by the cleaving module when in the solid phase. The cryo-cooler is configured to cool and/or maintain a temperature of the sample holder and the sample below the melting point of each of the liquid phase materials. The gate valve has at least one opening therein configured to (i) allow the cleaving module to enter and exit the vacuum chamber and/or (ii) permit gaseous communication between the load lock chamber and the vacuum chamber.

A wafer production method for producing a wafer from an ingot oriented to have a c-axis inclined in an off-angle direction at an off-angle more than zero degree From a central axis includes steps of emitting a laser beam to a top surface that is one of end surfaces of the ingot opposed to each other in height direction thereof to form a separation layer at a depth from the top surface of the ingot which corresponds to a thickness of the wafer, applying a physical load in a single direction to a first end that is one of ends of the ingot which are opposed to each other in an off-angle direction to remove a wafer precursor from the ingot at the separation layer, and planarizing a major surface of a removed object derived by separating the wafer precursor from the ingot at the separation layer, thereby forming a wafer. The ingot has a given degree of transmittance to the laser beam. The wafer precursor is created by a portion of the ingot between the top surface of the ingot and the separation layer.

A wafer producing method for producing a wafer from a semiconductor ingot includes a thermal stress wave generating step of applying a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength that is absorbable by the semiconductor ingot to the semiconductor ingot held on the chuck table to generate a thermal stress wave and a fracture layer forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having a wavelength that is transmittable through the semiconductor ingot to the semiconductor ingot in synchronism with a time during which the thermal stress wave reaches a position corresponding to a thickness of a wafer to be produced from the semiconductor ingot, causing the pulsed laser beam whose wavelength is transmittable through the semiconductor ingot to be absorbed in a region where a band gap is reduced by a tensile stress of the thermal stress wave.

A wafer processing method includes: a holding step of holding a wafer on a chuck table through a dicing tape; and a dividing step of cutting the wafer along division lines by a cutting blade. In the dividing step, cleaning water including pure water mixed with carbon dioxide is supplied to the front surface of the wafer, and cutting water including pure water alone or pure water mixed with carbon dioxide in a concentration lower than that of the cleaning water is supplied to the cutting blade. During cutting, therefore, the cleaning water and the cutting water are always shielded by each other. Consequently, the cutting blade can be prevented from being corroded or excessively worn due to the cleaning water, and the cutting water can be prevented from contacting the front surface of the wafer to cause electrostatic discharge damage to the devices.

An apparatus which comprises an expansion unit configured for expanding a foil, and a mounting unit configured for subsequently mounting the expanded foil on a frame and a workpiece, in particular a wafer, on the expanded foil.

A brittle plate processing method includes having a first portion of a brittle plate supported flat on a flat part of a support member that supports a first surface of the brittle plate, pressing a cutter against a second surface of the brittle plate opposite to the first surface, and forming a scribe line in the second surface of the brittle plate by moving the cutter and the support member relative to each other. In pressing the cutter, the cutter is pressed to a predetermined position on a second portion of the brittle plate other than the first portion. When the cutter is pressed to the predetermined position on the second portion of the brittle plate, the shape of the brittle plate due to bending deformation is defined by a defining part of the support member.

After a glass sheet (G) having a scribe line (S) formed thereon is placed on a placement table (10) and positioned so that the scribe line (S) is positioned in a bending stress applying portion (15) of the placement table (10), when the glass sheet (G) is split along the scribe line (S) by applying a bending stress to a formation region of the scribe line (S) by the bending stress applying portion (15), the glass sheet (G) is positioned by laying a resin sheet (9) under the glass sheet (G) on the placement table (10) and aligning one side (G1) of the glass sheet (G) extending in a direction along the scribe line (S) with marks (Ma to Nd) projected onto a protruding portion (9a) of the resin sheet (9) by laser markers (16a to 16d).

A gallium oxide substrate manufacturing method for manufacturing a substrate from a workpiece formed of gallium oxide includes a separation layer forming step of applying a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the gallium oxide to the workpiece, with a focal point of the laser beam positioned at a predetermined depth from a front surface of the workpiece, to thereby form a separation layer including a modified part and a crack extending from the modified part, inside the workpiece, and a separation step of exerting an external force on the workpiece to thereby separate the substrate from the workpiece with the separation layer as a start point, after the separation layer forming step.

A peel-off layer is finally formed in an area, i.e., a first inner area or a second inner area, in a workpiece that is closer to the center of the workpiece among a plurality of areas. The workpiece has a cylindrical shape, so that the second inner area is wider than the other areas, e.g., the second outer area, in which the peel-off layers are formed. Consequently, when the peel-off layer is finally formed in the second inner area, the internal stresses in the workpiece are dispersed in a wider range than when the peel-off layer is finally formed in the second outer area. Thus, large cracks thicknesswise of the workpiece are prevented from being developed from modified regions contained in the peel-off layer. Therefore, the amount of workpiece material to be disposed of in subsequent steps is reduced, resulting in increased manufacturing productivity.