A method of processing a warped workpiece includes a warpage eliminating step of applying a laser beam whose wavelength is transmittable through the workpiece to the workpiece while positioning a focused spot of the laser beam in the workpiece at a predetermined first position thicknesswise across the workpiece, thereby forming modified layers in the workpiece and cracks extending from the modified layers to a lower surface of the workpiece along all of projected dicing lines on the workpiece, thereby eliminating the warpage from the workpiece, and a modified layer forming step of, after the warpage eliminating step, applying the laser beam to the workpiece while positioning the focused spot of the laser beam in the workpiece at a position above the first position away from the lower surface of the workpiece, thereby forming modified layers in the workpiece along the projected dicing lines.

A method for processing semiconductor wafers includes obtaining measurement data from a surface of a semiconductor wafer processed by a front-end process tool. The method includes determining a center plane of the wafer based on the measurement data, generating raw shape profiles, and generating ideal shape profiles. The method further includes generating Gapi profiles based on the raw shape profiles and the ideal shape profiles, and calculating a Gapi value of the semiconductor wafer based on the Gapi profiles. The generated Gapi profiles and/or the calculated Gapi value may be used to tune the front-end process tool and/or sort the semiconductor wafer for polishing. Systems include at least a front-end process tool, a flatness measurement tool, and a computing device.

A method for processing semiconductor wafers includes obtaining measurement data of an edge profile of a semiconductor wafer processed by a front-end process tool. The method includes determining an edge profile center point based on the measurement data, generating a raw height profile, and generating an ideal edge profile. The method further includes generating a Gapi edge profile of the semiconductor wafer based on the raw height profile and the ideal edge profile and calculating a Gapi edge value of the semiconductor wafer based on the Gapi edge profile. The generated Gapi edge profile and/or the calculated Gapi edge value may be used to tune the front-end process tool and/or sort the semiconductor wafer for polishing. Systems include at least a front-end process tool, a flatness measurement tool, and a computing device.

A protective member forming apparatus includes a resin film adhering unit which causes a resin film to adhere to a front surface of a substrate so as to conform to recesses and projections on the front surface of the substrate, a support table which supports the substrate, a liquid resin supplying unit which supplies a curable liquid resin, a pressing unit which covers the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with a cover film and presses the cover film by a pressing surface to spread the liquid resin over the resin film, and a curing unit which cures the liquid resin being spread. The support table includes an annular bank region having a height not exceeding a thickness of the substrate and housing the substrate therein, and the bank region prevents the liquid resin to be spread by the pressing unit from flowing out from the substrate.

A first peel-off layer extending along a side surface of a truncated cone that has a first bottom surface positioned near a face side of a wafer and a second bottom surface positioned within the wafer and smaller in diameter than the first bottom surface, and a second peel-off layer extending along the second bottom surface of the truncated cone are formed in the wafer. Then, external forces are exerted on the wafer thicknesswise of the wafer, thereby dividing the wafer along the first peel-off layer and the second peel-off layer that function as division initiating points.

A sheet sticking apparatus includes a sticking unit that sticks a sheet to a workpiece held by a chuck table and a cutting unit that cuts the stuck sheet. The cutting unit includes a cutting blade that cuts the sheet, a movement unit that raises and lowers the cutting blade from and toward the chuck table or moves the cutting blade along the outer circumference of the workpiece, and a cleaning part that removes adhering things of the cutting blade. The cleaning part is disposed on the trajectory of the cutting blade that moves by the movement unit and executes cleaning by coming into contact with the cutting blade that moves.

A wafer producing method includes a peel-off layer forming step of forming a peel-off layer by positioning a focused spot of a laser beam having a wavelength transmittable through an ingot to a depth corresponding to a thickness of the wafer to be produced from the ingot from a first end surface of the ingot and applying the laser beam to the ingot, a first chamfered portion forming step of forming a first chamfered portion by applying, from the first end surface side to a peripheral surplus region of the wafer, a laser beam having a wavelength absorbable by the wafer, a peeling-off step of peeling off the wafer to be produced, and a second chamfered portion forming step of forming a second chamfered portion by applying, from a peel-off surface side of the wafer, the laser beam having a wavelength absorbable by the wafer.

A substrate debonding apparatus includes a chuck attached to a second surface opposite to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate via a second adhesive layer. The chuck is configured to support a lower portion of a base film having a cross-sectional area in a horizontal direction greater than a cross-sectional area of the semiconductor substrate in the horizontal direction. The semiconductor debonding apparatus further includes a fixing ring arranged above the chuck and configured to fix in position an edge portion of the base film, and a cover ring arranged above the fixing ring and configured to adjust a diameter of an opening exposing the carrier substrate. The cover ring includes a guide frame arranged above the fixing ring, and a plurality of cover blades configured to move in a horizontal direction determined by the guide frame.

A substrate debonding apparatus configured to separate a support substrate attached to a first surface of a device substrate by an adhesive layer, the substrate debonding apparatus including a substrate chuck configured to support a second surface of the device substrate, the second surface being opposite to the first surface of the device substrate; a light irradiator configured to irradiate light to an inside of the adhesive layer; and a mask between the substrate chuck and the light irradiator, the mask including an opening through which an upper portion of the support substrate is exposed, and a first cooling passage or a second cooling passage, the first cooling passage being configured to provide a path in which a coolant is flowable, the second cooling passage being configured to provide a path in which air is flowable and to provide part of the air to a central portion of the opening.

A method for cleaning semiconductor substrate without damaging patterned structure on the substrate using ultra/mega sonic device comprising applying liquid into a space between a substrate and an ultra/mega sonic device; setting an ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.1 and power P.sub.1 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; before bubble cavitation in said liquid damaging patterned structure on the substrate, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.2 and power P.sub.2 to drive said ultra/mega sonic device; after temperature inside bubble cooling down to a set temperature, setting said ultra/mega sonic power supply at frequency f.sub.1 and power P.sub.1 again; repeating above steps till the substrate being cleaned. Normally, if f.sub.1=f.sub.2, then P.sub.2 is equal to zero or much less than P.sub.1; if P.sub.1=P.sub.2, then f.sub.2 is higher than f.sub.1; if the f.sub.1<f.sub.2, then, P.sub.2 can be either equal or less than P.sub.1.