# US 12,214,526 B2 · Method of manufacturing substrate

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 12,214,526 B2
- Document ID: US12214526B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/046,198
- Filed: 2022-10-13
- Published: 2023-05-04
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2021-10-29
- Assignees: Disco Corporation
- Applicants: Disco Corporation
- Inventors: Hayato Iga
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12214526B2

## CPC

- B28D 5/0011: {with preliminary treatment, e.g. weakening by scoring}
- B23K 26/0876: {in at least two axial directions}
- B23K 26/38: by boring or cutting
- B23K 26/53: for modifying or reforming the material inside the workpiece, e.g. for producing break initiation cracks
- B23K 2103/56: {being semiconducting}
- B28D 5/0052: {Means for supporting or holding work during breaking (means for conveying work to or discharging work from the breaking machine B28D5/0058)}
- B28D: WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM

## Abstract

A peel-off layer is finally formed in an area, i.e., a first inner area or a second inner area, in a workpiece that is closer to the center of the workpiece among a plurality of areas. The workpiece has a cylindrical shape, so that the second inner area is wider than the other areas, e.g., the second outer area, in which the peel-off layers are formed. Consequently, when the peel-off layer is finally formed in the second inner area, the internal stresses in the workpiece are dispersed in a wider range than when the peel-off layer is finally formed in the second outer area. Thus, large cracks thicknesswise of the workpiece are prevented from being developed from modified regions contained in the peel-off layer. Therefore, the amount of workpiece material to be disposed of in subsequent steps is reduced, resulting in increased manufacturing productivity.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of manufacturing a substrate from a cylindrical workpiece having a first circular surface and a second circular surface positioned opposite the first circular surface, the method comprising:
a peel-off layer forming step of repeatedly moving the workpiece and a focused spot, the focused spot being positioned within the workpiece, of a laser beam that is applied to the workpiece and has a wavelength transmittable through a material of the workpiece, relatively to each other in a processing-feed direction parallel to the first circular surface, thereby forming a peel-off layer in each of a plurality of areas in the workpiece, the areas extending along the processing-feed direction, the peel-off layer containing modified regions formed around a plurality of the focused spots and cracks developed from the modified regions; and
a separating step of separating the substrate from the workpiece along a plurality of the peel-off layers that act as separation initiating points,
wherein the plurality of areas include
a first outer area at a first end of the workpiece and included in one of two semicylindrical regions of the workpiece, the two semicylindrical regions having a common boundary plane extending through a center of the workpiece and parallel to the processing-feed direction,
a first intermediate area included in the one of the two semicylindrical regions and closer to the center of the workpiece than the first outer area in a Y-direction along the first circular surface or the second circular surface of the workpiece,
a first inner area included in the one of the two semicylindrical regions and closer to the center of the workpiece than the first intermediate area in the Y-direction along the first circular surface or the second circular surface of the workpiece,
a second outer area at a second end of the workpiece, wherein the second end is opposite to the first end, the second outer area included in the other one of the two semicylindrical regions,
a second intermediate area included in the other one of the two semicylindrical regions and closer to the center of the workpiece than the second outer area in the Y-direction along the first circular surface or the second circular surface of the workpiece, and
a second inner area included in the other one of the two semicylindrical regions and closer to the center of the workpiece than the second intermediate area in the Y-direction along the first circular surface or the second circular surface of the workpiece, and
the peel-off layer forming step includes the steps of forming a peel-off layer initially in the first outer area and forming a peel-off layer finally in the first inner area or the second inner area.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the peel-off layer forming step includes the step of forming peel-off layers in a sequence of the first outer area, the first intermediate area, the first inner area, the second outer area, the second intermediate area, and the second inner area.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the peel-off layer forming step includes the step of forming peel-off layers in a sequence of the first outer area, the second outer area, the first intermediate area, the second intermediate area, the first inner area, and the second inner area.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the peel-off layer forming step includes the step of forming peel-off layers in a sequence of the first outer area, the first intermediate area, the second outer area, the second intermediate area, the first inner area, and the second inner area.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the separating step includes separating the substrate from the workpiece along a plurality of the peel-off layers using movable members having tapered wedges that are inserted at least partially into the substrate at each of the peel-off layers.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of manufacturing a substrate according to claim 1, wherein the separating step includes separating the substrate from the workpiece along a plurality of the peel-off layers by applying a suction force to the substrate at each of the peel-off layers.