Apparatus for cutting a sheet-like member applied to a surface of a semiconductor wafer

Abstract

The invention provides an apparatus for cutting a sheet-like member such as an adhesive tape applied to a surface of a semiconductor wafer at the periphery of said semiconductor wafer. The apparatus comprises a heating rod to be brought into contact with the periphery of the semiconductor wafer, heating means for heating the heating rod, urging means for relatively urging the heating rod against the periphery of the semiconductor wafer, and a moving mechanism for relatively moving the heating rod along the periphery of the semiconductor wafer. The heating rod is moved relative to the periphery of the semiconductor wafer as the heating rod is urged against the periphery of the semiconductor wafer, and thereby the sheet-like member applied to the semiconductor wafer is melted and cut at the periphery of the semiconductor wafer. In order to avoid a swell of the melted sheet-like member, a portion of the heating rod which is brought into contact with the periphery of the semiconductor wafer may defining a sharp cutting edge.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.