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.

Exemplary substrate edge polishing apparatuses may include a chuck body defining a substrate support surface. The apparatuses may include an edge ring seated on the chuck body. The apparatuses may include a retaining wall disposed radially outward of the edge ring. The apparatuses may include a slurry delivery port disposed radially inward of the retaining wall. The apparatuses may include a cylindrical spindle that is positionable over the chuck body. The apparatuses may include an annular polishing pad coupled with a lower end of the cylindrical spindle.

A wafer edge polishing apparatus includes a cleaning mechanism exhibiting a superb effect of cleaning slurry residue adhered on a chuck table. This edge polishing device is provided with: a chuck table which sucks/holds a wafer; a rotation drive mechanism which rotates the chuck table; an edge polishing unit which polishes an edge of the wafer while supplying slurry to the wafer, which is rotating while being sucked/held by the chuck table; and a cleaning unit which removes slurry residue on the chuck table. The cleaning unit includes a cleaning head, and cleans the chuck table through high-pressure cleaning and brush-cleaning by using the cleaning head, wherein the cleaning head is provided with a high-pressure jet nozzle and a brush surrounding the periphery of the high-pressure jet nozzle.

A wafer cleaning apparatus includes a polishing unit used in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) of a wafer and a cleaning dispensing unit arranged to direct cleaning fluids toward a far edge of the wafer after the CMP of the wafer. A wafer cleaning method includes CMP of a wafer by a polishing unit and directing cleaning fluids toward a far edge of the wafer after the CMP of the wafer by a cleaning dispensing unit. Another method can include CMP, applying deionized water, and applying pH adjuster having a pH range from about 2 to about 13.

An apparatus for transferring a substrate is disclosed herein. More specifically, the apparatus relates to substrate handling systems used in semiconductor device manufacturing, and more particularly, to substrate handling systems having a substrate handler with enclosed moving elements and increased compatibility with post-CMP cleaning modules. The apparatus includes one or more indexing assemblies. Each of the indexing assemblies including an enclosure, an actuator assembly disposed within the enclosure, and two handling blades disposed outside of the disclosure. Each of the two blades are moveable in either of a translational or a rotating manner.

A substrate processing apparatus includes a process station for processing a substrate; a cassette station integrated with the process station; a substrate carriage equipped for transferring the substrate between said process station and the cassette station through a passage located at an interface between the process station and said cassette station; and a substrate scanner equipped at said interface between the process station and the cassette station for capturing surface image data during transportation of the substrate that passes through the passage.

A cleaning system includes at least one cleaning module configured to receive a substrate after a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process and to remove contaminants on the substrate using a cleaning solution. The cleaning system further includes a cleaning solution supply system configured to supply the cleaning solution to the at least one cleaning module. The cleaning solution supply system includes at least one temperature control system. The at least one temperature control system includes a heating device configured to heat the cleaning solution, a cooling device configured to cool the cleaning solution, a temperature sensor configured to monitor a temperature of the cleaning solution, and a temperature controller configured to control the heating device and the cooling device.

A transport apparatus includes a hand, a drive mechanism, a cover member, and a gas supply member. The hand is configured to hold a wafer. The drive mechanism is configured to transport the wafer by moving the hand. The cover member has an opposing surface opposed to a surface of the wafer held by the hand and is formed with a plurality of holes opened in the opposing surface. The gas supply member is configured to supply an inert gas to the surface of the wafer via the plurality of holes of the cover member. The plurality of holes are formed in the opposing surface so that an opening ratio of an outer peripheral portion of the opposing surface is higher than an opening ratio of a central portion of the opposing surface.

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 cleaning device includes: a plurality of rollers that hold a peripheral edge part of a substrate; a rotation driving unit that rotates the substrate by rotationally driving the plurality of rollers; a cleaning member that abuts on the substrate and cleans the substrate; a cleaning liquid supply nozzle that supplies a cleaning liquid to the substrate; a microphone that detects a sound generated when a notch of the peripheral edge part of the substrate hits the plurality of rollers; and a rotation speed calculation unit that calculates a rotation speed of the substrate on the basis of the sound detected by the microphone.