A method of processing a workpiece having electrodes embedded therein includes a holding step of holding a face side of the workpiece on a chuck table, a grinding step of, after the holding step, bringing grindstones of a grinding wheel into contact with a reverse side of the workpiece held on the chuck table while rotating the grinding wheel in a first direction, thereby grinding the workpiece until the electrodes are exposed on the reverse side of the workpiece, and an electrode processing step of, after the grinding step, processing the electrodes by bringing the grindstones into contact with the electrodes exposed on the reverse side of the workpiece held on the chuck table while rotating the grinding wheel in a second direction opposite the first direction.

A method of processing a workpiece having electrodes embedded therein includes a holding step of holding a face side of the workpiece on a chuck table, a grinding step of, after the holding step, bringing grindstones of a grinding wheel into contact with a reverse side of the workpiece held on the chuck table while rotating the grinding wheel in a first direction, thereby grinding the workpiece until the electrodes are exposed on the reverse side of the workpiece, and an electrode processing step of, after the grinding step, processing the electrodes by bringing the grindstones into contact with the electrodes exposed on the reverse side of the workpiece held on the chuck table while rotating the grinding wheel in a second direction opposite the first direction.

A method of grinding a surface of a workpiece that has surface irregularities includes a first grinding step of grinding the surface of the workpiece by a predetermined amount of stock removal while keeping a measuring element of a height gauge out of contact with the surface of the workpiece, thereafter, a height difference measuring step of bringing the measuring element of the height gauge into contact with the surface of the workpiece and measuring a height difference of surface irregularities on the surface of the workpiece with the height gauge, and a second grinding step of, if the measured height difference is larger than a preset range, grinding the surface of the workpiece while keeping the measuring element of the height gauge in contact with the surface of the workpiece until the measured height difference falls within the preset range.

A hard wafer grinding method includes a rough grinding step of forming a section along the diameter of a hard wafer into a centrally recessed shape by roughly grinding the hard wafer such that a central part of the hard wafer is thinner than a peripheral part of the hard wafer, a finish grinding step of expanding a ground area of the hard wafer from the peripheral part in an annular shape to the central part while dressing lower surfaces of finish grinding stones by the peripheral part of the hard wafer of the centrally recessed shape after the rough grinding, then setting the whole of a radius part of the hard wafer as the ground area, and further finish-grinding the hard wafer so as to obtain a predetermined thickness.

A hard wafer grinding method includes a rough grinding step of forming a section along the diameter of a hard wafer into a centrally recessed shape by roughly grinding the hard wafer such that a central part of the hard wafer is thinner than a peripheral part of the hard wafer, a finish grinding step of expanding a ground area of the hard wafer from the peripheral part in an annular shape to the central part while dressing lower surfaces of finish grinding stones by the peripheral part of the hard wafer of the centrally recessed shape after the rough grinding, then setting the whole of a radius part of the hard wafer as the ground area, and further finish-grinding the hard wafer so as to obtain a predetermined thickness.

A machine featuring a treatment tool that grinds a surface to a desired profile, imparts a desired roughness to that surface, and removes contamination from the surface, the machine configured to control multiple independent input variables simultaneously, the controllable variables selected from the group consisting of (i) velocity, (ii) rotation, and (iii) dither of the treatment tool, and (iv) pressure of the treatment tool against the surface. The machine can move the treatment tool with six degrees of freedom.

A machine featuring a treatment tool that grinds a surface to a desired profile, imparts a desired roughness to that surface, and removes contamination from the surface, the machine configured to control multiple independent input variables simultaneously, the controllable variables selected from the group consisting of (i) velocity, (ii) rotation, and (iii) dither of the treatment tool, and (iv) pressure of the treatment tool against the surface. The machine can move the treatment tool with six degrees of freedom.

A substrate processing method of processing a combined substrate in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other includes forming a peripheral modification layer along a boundary between a peripheral portion of the first substrate as a removing target and a central portion of the first substrate; forming a non-bonding region in which bonding strength between the first substrate and the second substrate in the peripheral portion is reduced; and removing the peripheral portion starting from the peripheral modification layer. A first crack is developed from the peripheral modification layer toward the second substrate. The peripheral modification layer is formed such that a lower end of the first crack is located above the non-bonding region and an inner end of the non-bonding region is located at a diametrically outer side than the first crack.

A substrate processing method of grinding a first substrate in a combined substrate in which the first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other includes measuring a total thickness distribution of the combined substrate; measuring a thickness distribution of the first substrate; calculating a thickness distribution of the second substrate by subtracting the thickness distribution of the first substrate from the total thickness distribution of the combined substrate; deciding a relative inclination between a substrate holder configured to hold the combined substrate and a grinder configured to grind the combined substrate, based on the thickness distribution of the second substrate; and grinding the first substrate while holding the combined substrate at the inclination which is decided.

A substrate processing method of grinding a first substrate in a combined substrate in which the first substrate and a second substrate are bonded to each other includes measuring a total thickness distribution of the combined substrate; measuring a thickness distribution of the first substrate; calculating a thickness distribution of the second substrate by subtracting the thickness distribution of the first substrate from the total thickness distribution of the combined substrate; deciding a relative inclination between a substrate holder configured to hold the combined substrate and a grinder configured to grind the combined substrate, based on the thickness distribution of the second substrate; and grinding the first substrate while holding the combined substrate at the inclination which is decided.