Wafer processing method

1. A wafer processing method comprising:

a bonding step of bonding a front surface side of a first wafer chamfered at a peripheral edge portion thereof to a front surface side of a second wafer, the first wafer having on the front surface thereof a device region formed with a plurality of devices and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region;

after the bonding step, a modified layer forming step of applying along a boundary between the device region and the peripheral surplus region of the first wafer a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the first wafer, to form an annular modified layer inside the first wafer in a vicinity of the front surface, before a grinding step is performed, wherein the modified layer is formed by the laser beam applied from the back surface side of the first wafer after the bonding step and wherein the modified layer does not extend to the back surface of the first wafer;

after the modified layer forming step, the grinding step of holding a back surface side of the second wafer by a chuck table and grinding a back surface of the first wafer to thin the first wafer to a finished thickness;

wherein chipping of the peripheral edge portion of the first wafer generated in the grinding step is restrained from extending into the device region by the annular modified layer.

2. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the modified layer forming step, the laser beam is applied a plurality of times while changing a height of a focal point of the laser beam, to thereby form a plurality of modified layers in the vicinity of the front surface.

3. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the total thickness of the modified layer and any associated crack is at least equal to or more than half of a finished thickness of the first wafer.

4. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the total thickness of the modified layer and any associated crack is equal to or more than a finished thickness of the first wafer.

5. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of devices are image sensors and wherein the modified layer is formed free of the generation of swarf.

6. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , wherein

in the modified layer forming step, the focal point of the laser beam is set to a position which is inside the first wafer and is near the front surface of the first wafer, and, while the chuck table is being rotated, the laser beam is applied to the first wafer.

7. The wafer processing method according to claim 6 , wherein the annular continuous modified layer is formed only in the range of a finished thickness from the front surface of the first wafer.

8. The wafer processing method according to claim 1 , further comprising a pre-grinding step performed after the bonding step and before the modified layer forming step, the pre-grinding step comprising holding a back surface side of the second wafer by a chuck table and grinding a back surface of the first wafer to thin the first wafer to a predetermined thickness greater than the finished thickness.

9. The wafer processing method according to claim 8 , wherein modified layer is formed by the laser beam without the use of a focusing lens with a high numerical aperture.

10. A wafer processing method, wherein a first wafer is chamfered at a peripheral edge portion and has on a front surface thereof a device region formed with a plurality of devices and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region, the method comprising:

a modified layer forming step of applying along a boundary between the device region and the peripheral surplus region of the first wafer a laser beam of such a wavelength as to be transmitted through the first wafer, to form an annular modified layer inside the first wafer in a vicinity of the front surface, wherein the modified layer is formed by the laser beam applied from the back surface side of the first wafer and wherein the modified layer does not extend to the back surface of the first wafer;

after the modified layer forming step, a bonding step of bonding the front surface side of the first wafer to a front surface side of a second wafer; and

after the bonding step is performed, a grinding step of holding a back surface side of the second wafer by a chuck table and grinding a back surface of the first wafer to thin the first wafer to a finished thickness;

wherein chipping of the peripheral edge portion of the first wafer generated in the grinding step is restrained from extending into the device region by the annular modified layer.