A cut-out glass plate positioning apparatus includes: a cut line forming device 4 provided in a cut line forming position 4a; a bend-breaking and separating device 6 for cutting out unworked plate glasses 5 from an unworked plate glass 2 along the cut lines 3; a pair of position and angle correcting devices 8 for effecting correction of the position and angle with respect to the unworked plate glass 5; a pair of sucking and transporting devices 9 for suckingly lifting and transporting the unworked plate glass 5 to each position and angle correcting device 8; and two CCD cameras 10 respectively installed above the position and angle correcting devices 8.

A sample preparation saw (10) has a base (130, 146, 14, 47), a housing (12, 76), a saw (10) assembly (30, 58) mounted to the base (130, 146, 14, 47), a dressing assembly (58), a sample clamping assembly (100) mounted to the base (130, 146, 14, 47), and a reservoir assembly (30, 58). The saw (10) assembly (30, 58) includes a blade assembly (30) with a rotating blade (24). The blade assembly (30) is movable along x-, y- and z-axes by at least two drives (27, 36). The dressing assembly (58) is operable to dress the rotating blade (24). The sample clamping assembly (100) includes a rail (102), a sample mount (104) removably positioned on the rail (102) and a saddle (106) operable to hold a sample. The reservoir assembly (30, 58) is operable to recirculate a rinse fluid sprayed on the rotating blade (24), and includes a basin (178) having a pump (180) and a series of weirs (188A, 188).

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 slit which is open at an outer peripheral edge thereof. 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.

There is provided a processing method for a package substrate having a plurality of division lines formed on the front side. The processing method includes the steps of holding the back side of the package substrate by using a holding tape and fully cutting the package substrate along the division lines to such a depth corresponding to the middle of the thickness of the holding tape by using a profile grinding tool, thereby dividing the package substrate into individual semiconductor packages. The profile grinding tool has a plurality of projections for cutting the package substrate respectively along the plural division lines. Each projection has an inclined side surface.

A sample preparation saw (10) has a base (130, 146, 14, 47), a housing (12, 76), a saw (10) assembly (30, 58) mounted to the base (130, 146, 14, 47), a dressing assembly (58), a sample clamping assembly (100) mounted to the base (130, 146, 14, 47), and a reservoir assembly (30, 58). The saw (10) assembly (30, 58) includes a blade assembly (30) with a rotating blade (24). The blade assembly (30) is movable along x-, y- and z-axes by at least two drives (27, 36). The dressing assembly (58) is operable to dress the rotating blade (24). The sample clamping assembly (100) includes a rail (102), a sample mount (104) removably positioned on the rail (102) and a saddle (106) operable to hold a sample. The reservoir assembly (30, 58) is operable to recirculate a rinse fluid sprayed on the rotating blade (24), and includes a basin (178) having a pump (180) and a series of weirs (188A, 188).

A workpiece processing method includes: a dresser preparing step of preparing a dresser of a predetermined thickness; a fixing step of fixing the workpiece and the dresser on a support member adjacently to each other in a first direction; a holding step of holding the support member by a holding table, after the fixing step is performed; and a cutting step of positioning a tool edge of the cutting blade at a predetermined height and cutting the workpiece and the dresser in the first direction by a cutting blade, after the holding step is performed.

A workpiece support jig includes a support plate supporting a workpiece on a first surface while covering a support surface of a chuck table with a second surface opposite to the first surface and a retainer plate including an area sufficient to cover the whole of the workpiece and sandwiching the workpiece, held on the first surface of the support plate, between the support plate and itself. The support plate includes a plurality of groove parts corresponding to projected division lines of the supported workpiece and a plurality of through holes formed in chip-holding regions demarcated and divided by the intersecting groove parts. When the workpiece divided by a processing unit into chips is unloaded from the chuck table, the workpiece is unloaded while being sandwiched between the support plate and the retainer plate.

There is provided a processing method for a package substrate having a plurality of division lines formed on the front side. The processing method includes the steps of holding the back side of the package substrate by using a holding tape and fully cutting the package substrate along the division lines to such a depth corresponding to the middle of the thickness of the holding tape by using a profile grinding tool, thereby dividing the package substrate into individual semiconductor packages. The profile grinding tool has a plurality of projections for cutting the package substrate respectively along the plural division lines. Each projection has an inclined side surface.

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 slit which is open at an outer peripheral edge thereof. 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 cut-out glass plate positioning apparatus includes: a cut line forming device 4 provided in a cut line forming position 4a; a bend-breaking and separating device 6 for cutting out unworked plate glasses 5 from an unworked plate glass 2 along the cut lines 3; a pair of position and angle correcting devices 8 for effecting correction of the position and angle with respect to the unworked plate glass 5; a pair of sucking and transporting devices 9 for suckingly lifting and transporting the unworked plate glass 5 to each position and angle correcting device 8; and two CCD cameras 10 respectively installed above the position and angle correcting devices 8.