There is provided a cutting method for cutting a processing-target object by a cutting blade. The cutting method includes a holding step of holding the processing-target object by a holding table and a cutting step of cutting the processing-target object by the cutting blade by causing the cutting blade that rotates to cut into the processing-target object held by the holding table and causing the holding table and the cutting blade to relatively move after the holding step is carried out. In the cutting step, cutting is carried out with detection of whether or not a crack in the processing-target object exists by a crack detecting unit disposed on the rear side relative to the cutting blade in a cutting progression direction in which cutting processing of the processing-target object by the cutting blade progresses.

The invention is equipped with a hydrophilic group generating gas supply portion, an installation stand, an irradiation device, and a flow generation portion. The hydrophilic group generating gas supply portion supplies a hydrophilic group generating gas into the treatment chamber. The installation stand is equipped with an installation plate and a support member. The installation plate has a ventilation portion, and the support member is provided protrusively from the installation plate, and supports the workpiece with an air gap left between the workpiece and the installation plate. The irradiation device irradiates the workpiece with an energy wave that induces activation of the hydrophilic group generating gas. The flow generation portion generates a flow of at least part of the activated hydrophilic group generating gas such that the hydrophilic group generating gas flows via the ventilation portion of the installation plate and flows around into the air gap.

A method of manufacturing a chip formation wafer includes: forming an epitaxial film on a first main surface of a silicon carbide wafer to provide a processed wafer having one side adjacent to the epitaxial film and the other side; irradiating a laser beam into the processed wafer from the other side of the processed wafer so as to form an altered layer along a surface direction of the processed wafer; and separating the processed wafer with the altered layer as a boundary into a chip formation wafer having the one side of the processed wafer and a recycle wafer having the other side of the processed wafer. The processed wafer has a beveling portion at an outer edge portion of the processed wafer, and an area of the other side is larger than an area of the one side in the beveling portion.

A method of manufacturing a chip formation wafer includes: forming an epitaxial film on a first main surface of a silicon carbide wafer to provide a processed wafer having one side adjacent to the epitaxial film and the other side; irradiating a laser beam into the processed wafer from the other side of the processed wafer so as to form an altered layer along a surface direction of the processed wafer; and separating the processed wafer with the altered layer as a boundary into a chip formation wafer having the one side of the processed wafer and a recycle wafer having the other side of the processed wafer. The processed wafer has a beveling portion at an outer edge portion of the processed wafer, and an area of the other side is larger than an area of the one side in the beveling portion.

A method of assessing a semiconductor substrate includes a sticking step of sticking a device layer of the semiconductor substrate to a support substrate, a thinning step of thinning the semiconductor substrate from a reverse side thereof to a thickness smaller than a finished thickness after the sticking step is carried out, and an assessing step of applying light to the semiconductor substrate from the reverse side thereof and measuring scattered light from the semiconductor substrate thereby to assess a property of the semiconductor substrate.

Production of an integrated circuit including an electrical contact on SiC is disclosed. One embodiment provides for production of an electrical contact on an SiC substrate, in which a conductive contact is produced on a boundary surface of the SiC substrate by irradiation and absorption of a laser pulse on an SiC substrate.

A method of assessing a semiconductor substrate includes a sticking step of sticking a device layer of the semiconductor substrate to a support substrate, a thinning step of thinning the semiconductor substrate from a reverse side thereof to a thickness smaller than a finished thickness after the sticking step is carried out, and an assessing step of applying light to the semiconductor substrate from the reverse side thereof and measuring scattered light from the semiconductor substrate thereby to assess a property of the semiconductor substrate.

There is provided a cutting method for cutting a processing-target object by a cutting blade. The cutting method includes a holding step of holding the processing-target object by a holding table and a cutting step of cutting the processing-target object by the cutting blade by causing the cutting blade that rotates to cut into the processing-target object held by the holding table and causing the holding table and the cutting blade to relatively move after the holding step is carried out. In the cutting step, cutting is carried out with detection of whether or not a crack in the processing-target object exists by a crack detecting unit disposed on the rear side relative to the cutting blade in a cutting progression direction in which cutting processing of the processing-target object by the cutting blade progresses.

Production of an integrated circuit including an electrical contact on SiC is disclosed. One embodiment provides for production of an electrical contact on an SiC substrate, in which a conductive contact is produced on a boundary surface of the SiC substrate by irradiation and absorption of a laser pulse on an SiC substrate.

A method of manufacturing a stacked semiconductor package includes forming a semiconductor package, the semiconductor package having one or more semiconductor chips on an upper surface of a printed circuit board (PCB), and a mold layer covering the upper surface of the PCB, marking the semiconductor package with an identification mark by scanning a laser of a laser supply apparatus onto the semiconductor package, controlling a focus level of the laser, and performing laser drilling on the mold layer of the semiconductor package to form openings.