A dicing blade includes: a first blade portion and a second blade portion at least partially surrounding the first blade portion, wherein the first blade portion includes: a first bonding layer; first diamond particles disposed in the first bonding layer and having a first density in the first bonding layer; and first metal particles disposed in the first bonding layer, and wherein the second blade portion includes: a second bonding layer at least partially surrounding the first bonding layer; and second diamond particles disposed in the second bonding layer and having a second density in the second bonding layer, wherein the second density is higher than the first density.

The wafer trimming device includes a chuck table configured to hold a target wafer via suction, thereby fixing the target wafer, a notch trimmer configured to trim a notch of the target wafer, and an edge trimmer configured to trim an edge of the target wafer. The notch trimmer includes a notch trimming blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to a circumferential surface of the target wafer. The edge trimmer includes an edge trimming blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the circumferential surface of the target wafer.

The wafer trimming device includes a chuck table configured to hold a target wafer via suction, thereby fixing the target wafer, a notch trimmer configured to trim a notch of the target wafer, and an edge trimmer configured to trim an edge of the target wafer. The notch trimmer includes a notch trimming blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to a circumferential surface of the target wafer. The edge trimmer includes an edge trimming blade configured to rotate about a rotation axis parallel to the circumferential surface of the target wafer.

A female screw portion 24 is formed over the entire length of a through hole 23 passing through an axis of an ultrasonic horn 13, first and second male screw portions 25, 26 formed on the ultrasonic horn 13 side of axes of first and second boosters 14, 15 are screwed into the female screw portion 24, the ultrasonic horn 13 and the first and second boosters 14, 15 are fastened coaxially, leading ends 27, 28 of the first and second male screw portions 25, 26 are not in contact with each other inside the through hole 23, and a cutting blade 12 is attached to an outer periphery of a base portion 20 of the ultrasonic horn 13 having a space portion 29 surrounded by an inner wall of the through hole 23 and the leading ends 27, 28 of the first and second male screw portions 25, 26.

A cutting apparatus includes a cassette table on which a first cassette in which a frame unit, ring-shaped frame and wafer are housed, and a second cassette in which a simple wafer is housed. A first conveying unit having a first frame holding part holds the ring-shaped frame of the frame unit withdrawn from the first cassette and conveys the frame unit to a chuck table. A first wafer holding part holds the simple wafer withdrawn from the second cassette and conveys the simple wafer to the chuck table. A cutting unit cuts the wafer, and a second conveying unit conveys the frame unit from the chuck table to a cleaning unit. A second wafer holding part holds the cut simple wafer and conveys it from the chuck table to the cleaning unit.

A cutting apparatus cuts a workpiece by a cutting blade. The cutting apparatus includes a mount flange on which the cutting blade is mounted and a replacement apparatus that replaces the cutting blade mounted on the mount flange with the cutting blade for replacement. The replacement apparatus includes a rotating part, a first holding part that holds the cutting blade mounted on the mount flange on a front surface side, a second holding part that holds the cutting blade for replacement on a front surface side, and a nut rotation part that has a nut holding part that holds a nut for fixing the cutting blade to the mount flange and rotates the nut held by the nut holding part. The rotating part is coupled to the first holding part, the second holding part, and the nut rotation part.

A method of processing a wafer having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface is provided. The method includes the steps of: holding the second surface of the wafer such that the first surface thereof is exposed; processing an exposed first surface side of an outer circumferential edge portion of the wafer with a processing tool including a grinding stone made of abrasive grains bound together by a bonding material, thereby forming on the outer circumferential edge portion a slanted surface that is inclined to the first surface so as to be progressively closer to the second surface in a direction from a central area of the wafer toward an outer circumferential edge thereof; and coating the first surface of the wafer with a liquid material according to a spin coating process, thereby forming a resist film on the first surface of the wafer.

A method for manufacturing a sapphire single-crystal, including melting alumina and/or sapphire in a crucible, and bringing the molten alumina and/or sapphire in contact with a monocrystalline sapphire seed to make the molten alumina and/or sapphire crystallise progressively according to a growth direction to form the sapphire single-crystal. The monocrystalline sapphire seed has a rhombohedral crystallographic structure defining three crystallographic axes [A], [C] and [M] perpendicular to each other and respectively perpendicular to the crystallographic planes. The monocrystalline sapphire seed is a plate delimited by two planar faces which extend parallel to and at a distance from each other, is obtained from an initial sapphire single-crystal which is cut so that one of the crystallographic axes of the monocrystalline sapphire plate forms with a normal to the planar faces of the monocrystalline sapphire plate an angle whose value is comprised between 5 and 85°.

A female screw portion 24 is formed over the entire length of a through hole 23 passing through an axis of an ultrasonic horn 13, first and second male screw portions 25, 26 formed on the ultrasonic horn 13 side of axes of first and second boosters 14, 15 are screwed into the female screw portion 24, the ultrasonic horn 13 and the first and second boosters 14, 15 are fastened coaxially, leading ends 27, 28 of the first and second male screw portions 25, 26 are not in contact with each other inside the through hole 23, and a cutting blade 12 is attached to an outer periphery of a base portion 20 of the ultrasonic horn 13 having a space portion 29 surrounded by an inner wall of the through hole 23 and the leading ends 27, 28 of the first and second male screw portions 25, 26.

A mount flange for mounting a cutting blade on a spindle is provided. The cutting blade has a central engaging hole and a peripheral cutting edge. The mount flange includes a cylindrical boss portion having a front portion adapted to be inserted into the engaging hole of the cutting blade and a rear portion whose inner circumferential surface is adapted to be engaged with the spindle, and a flange portion projecting radially outward from the rear portion of the boss portion and having a front surface functioning as a mounting surface adapted to come into abutment against one side surface of the cutting blade. An annular space is formed in the mount flange so as to surround the spindle and open to the inner circumferential surface of the boss portion, thereby suppressing rearward warpage of the outer circumference of the flange portion due to the rotation of the spindle.