A cutting machine includes a monitoring unit that monitors a cutting edge of a cutting blade. The monitoring unit includes an imaging unit that images the cutting edge of the cutting blade, a pulse light source that emits a pulse light to illuminate an imaging zone imaged by the imaging unit, and a camera that captures an image outputted from the imaging unit. The imaging unit includes a first imaging unit that images one side surface of the cutting edge of the cutting blade, a second imaging unit that images an opposite side surface of the cutting edge, and a third imaging unit that images an outer peripheral edge portion of the cutting edge.

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 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 cutting the wafer by using a cutting apparatus to thereby divide the wafer into individual device chips, and a pickup step of blowing out air to push up each device chip and picking up each device chip from the polyester sheet.

A cutting apparatus includes a cutting dust collection box that collects cutting dust and a cutting dust guide plate that is disposed on the downstream side in a processing feed direction relative to a chuck table and receives cutting water and the cutting dust that flow to the downstream side after cutting to guide the cutting water and the cutting dust to the cutting dust collection box. A cutting dust breaking unit that breaks the cutting dust into small pieces is disposed at a position onto which the cutting dust that flows from a plate-shaped cover drops over the cutting dust guide plate.

A method for preparing a SiC ingot includes: preparing a reactor by disposing a raw material in a crucible body and disposing a SiC seed in a crucible cover, and then wrapping the crucible body with a heat insulating material having a density of 0.14 to 0.28 g/cc; and growing the SiC ingot from the SiC seed by placing the reactor in a reaction chamber and adjusting an inside of the reactor to a crystal growth atmosphere such that the raw material is vapor-transported and deposited to the SiC seed.

A cutting blade mounting mechanism for mounting a cutting blade to a tip portion of a spindle includes: a blade mount mounted to the tip portion of the spindle; and an air supply unit supplying air to the blade mount. The blade mount includes: a columnar boss section inserted into a through-hole provided in an annular base of the cutting blade; a flange section projecting in a radial direction from a side of a base end of the boss section and having a support surface supporting the cutting blade; and an ejector type blade suction section having a first air passage connecting a supply port supplied with air from the air supply unit and a discharge port discharging air, and a second air passage connecting a suction port opening to a side of the support surface of the flange section and the first air passage.

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 manufacturing a pattern structure includes preparing a wafer that has a plurality of fine patterns, generating a first trench by processing the wafer from a first surface to a first depth, and generating a second trench connected to the first trench by processing the wafer from a second surface which is opposite to the first surface to a second depth, thereby cutting the wafer.

A method of processing a plate-shaped workpiece that includes layered bodies containing metal which are formed in superposed relation to projected dicing lines, includes the steps of holding the workpiece on a holding table, and thereafter, cutting the workpiece along the projected dicing lines with an annular cutting blade, thereby separating the layered bodies. The cutting blade has a groove defined in a face side or a reverse side of an outer peripheral portion thereof that cuts into the workpiece in the step of cutting the workpiece. The step of cutting the workpiece includes the step of cutting the workpiece while supplying a cutting fluid containing an organic acid and an oxidizing agent to the workpiece.

A blade mounting and dismounting jig is provided for mounting a blade on and dismounting a blade from a flange of a cutting apparatus which includes a boss, a blade mount for mounting the blade fitted thereover, the flange having an annular end face for supporting the blade thereon and being fixed to a distal end of a spindle, and a holder that cooperates with the flange in gripping and securing the blade in position. The blade mounting and dismounting jig includes a cylindrical jig body, a grip coupled to the jig body and having a diameter larger than the jig body, a plurality of first air ejection ports defined in a distal end portion of the jig body, a plurality of second air ejection ports defined in the jig body at a juncture between the jig body and the grip.

A processing apparatus includes: a holding unit that holds a workpiece; a processing mechanism that processes the workpiece held by the holding unit; a processing liquid supplying mechanism that supplies a processing liquid containing an oxidizing agent to at least the workpiece held by the holding unit at the time of processing the workpiece by the processing means; a processing waste liquid recovery section that recovers a processing waste liquid containing the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supplying mechanism to the workpiece; a discharge passage through which the processing waste liquid is discharged from the processing waste liquid recovery section to the outside of the processing apparatus; and a waste liquid treatment mechanism that is disposed in the discharge passage and that decomposes the processing liquid contained in the processing waste liquid while the processing waste liquid flows through the discharge passage.