A wafer producing apparatus includes an ingot grinding unit that grinds the upper surface of an ingot to planarize the upper surface, a laser irradiation unit that positions the focal point of a laser beam with such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the ingot to a depth corresponding to the thickness of a wafer to be produced from the upper surface of the ingot and irradiates the ingot with the laser beam to form a separation layer, a wafer separating unit that separates the wafer from the ingot, and a tray having a support part that supports the separated wafer.

A cutting apparatus is provided. The cutting apparatus includes a processing chamber, a chuck table, a transferring mechanism, and a cleaning member. The chuck table is disposed in the processing chamber and configured to hold a workpiece on a chuck surface of the chuck table. The transferring mechanism is configured to transfer the workpiece to the chuck surface or transfer the workpiece away from the chuck surface. The cleaning member, which is disposed in the processing chamber, is configured to move across and clean the chuck surface before the workpiece is transferred to the chuck table and/or after the workpiece is transferred away from the chuck table.

A cutting apparatus includes a blade changing unit demounting an old cutting blade from a blade mount and mounting a new cutting blade to the blade mount. The blade changing unit includes a blade holder for holding a support base of each cutting blade and a moving portion for moving the blade holder in the axial direction of a boss portion of the blade mount in the condition where each cutting blade is held by the blade holder, thereby mounting the new cutting blade to the boss portion or demounting the old cutting blade from the boss portion. The cutting apparatus further includes a control unit controlling the blade changing unit. The control unit measures a signal indicating a force applied to the moving portion in mounting or demounting, and determines the condition of the blade changing unit and blade mount according to the signal measured by the measuring portion.

A method for slicing a workpiece using a wire saw which includes wire row formed by winding a fixed abrasive grain wire having abrasive grains secured to a surface around a plurality of grooved rollers, the method including feeding a columnar workpiece to wire row for slicing while allowing fixed abrasive grain wire to reciprocate and travel in an axial direction, thereby slicing the workpiece at a plurality of positions aligned in axial direction at same time. After end of slicing the workpiece, the fixed abrasive grain wire is rewound from position at the end of slicing the workpiece by length of or more and or less of the fixed abrasive grain wire fed's length from start of slicing when the workpiece and wire row begin to contact with each other to the end of slicing the workpiece, and then the workpiece is drawn out of wire row.

In one instance, a method of manufacturing an integrated circuit includes a method for dicing a semiconductor wafer that includes disposing the semiconductor wafer on a moveable cutting table, cutting the semiconductor wafer, and ejecting a clearing fluid across an exposed side of the semiconductor wafer, with full coverage across the semiconductor wafer, at least during the cutting of the semiconductor wafer. The ejecting clearing fluid is ejected to form a layer or membrane of fluid that clears or reduces other fluids from the exposed side or surface of the semiconductor wafer. Other aspects are presented.

The invention relates to a cutting system. The cutting system (1) is designed to extend in the direction of a first system axis (7) which extends horizontally along a width (B) of the cutting system (1), in the direction of a second system axis (8) which extends vertically relative to the first system axis (7), and in the direction of a third system axis (9) which extends along the depth (T) of the cutting system orthogonally to the first system axis (7) and the second system axis (8). The cutting system has a support (2), a tool (3; 4) which is received on the support (2) in the form of a saw with a spindle shaft (13; 14), the operating direction of the tool following the direction of the first system axis (7), and an additional tool (5) which is received on the support (2) in the form of a chop saw with a third spindle shaft (15), the operating direction of the additional tool following the direction of the first system axis (7). The tools (3; 4; 5) are used to machine a blank, and the tools (3; 4; 5) are arranged in series in the direction of the first system axis (7). The cutting system (1) has a support element (10) which is received on the support (2) in a movable manner along the first system axis (7) and the second system axis (8), and the support element (10) is provided for supporting the blank. The support element (10) can be rotated about the second system axis (8), and according to the invention, the spindle shaft (13; 14) is orthogonal to the third spindle shaft (15).

A protective member forming apparatus includes an integrating unit that integrates a resin sheet held by a chuck table with a wafer by a resin, a conveying unit that conveys the wafer, and a cutting unit that holds, by a cutting table, the wafer integrated with the resin sheet conveyed by the conveying unit and cuts the resin sheet by a cutting section along the wafer. The cutting unit includes a detection unit that images the wafer by a camera and detects a position of a periphery of the wafer, and a control unit that causes cutting of the resin sheet by the cutting section to be performed only in the case where a peripheral edge of the wafer detected coincides with a track of a cutter blade of the cutting section when the preset resin sheet is cut.

A transfer jig for use in transferring a new cutting blade as a replacement component to the processing unit, in a cutting apparatus including a chuck table holding a workpiece, a processing unit having a spindle and a cutting blade detachably mounted on the spindle, a cutting blade changing unit changing the cutting blade, and a transfer mechanism supplying the workpiece to the processing unit. The transfer jig has a plurality of receiving portions each adapted to receive the new cutting blade and the cutting blade changed by the cutting blade changing unit. The transfer jig is adapted to be transferred by the transfer mechanism transferring the workpiece.

A pressing head of the ingot slicing apparatus includes: a head main body in which a plurality of pneumatic supply ports configured to supply compressed air are formed so that pressure on each portion of the pressing head is separately controlled; pressing units installed on a lower end of the head main body, located to correspond to the pneumatic supply ports, and each configured to apply pressure to a side surface of an ingot by the compressed air supplied through each of the pneumatic supply ports; pneumatic correction units each installed on a lower surface of each of the pressing units and configured to control a pressure deviation between the plurality of pressing units; an adhesive plate installed to be in contact with lower side surfaces of the pneumatic correction units so that a lower surface of the adhesive plate is in direct contact with and presses the side surface of the ingot; and a coupling support unit configured to couple and support the head main body, the pressing units, the pneumatic correction units, and the adhesive plate.

A silicon carbide wafer manufacturing method includes: a bending measuring step of measuring a first edge having the greatest degree of a bending at one surface of a silicon carbide ingot having one surface; a cutting start step of starting a cutting at a second edge having a distance of r?a along an edge of the one surface from the first edge in a direction parallel to or with a predetermined off angle with respect to the one surface through the wire saw, a cutting speed being decreased to a first cutting speed in the cutting start step; a cutting proceeding step in which the first cutting speed is substantially constant within a variation of about ?5% of the first cutting speed; and a finish step in which the cutting speed is increased from the first cutting speed and the cutting of the silicon carbide ingot is completed.