Support plate and method for forming support plate

Abstract

A support plate to which a front surface of a wafer having a device region in which plural devices are formed and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region on the front surface is stuck. The support plate includes a base plate in which a recess is formed in a front surface region corresponding to the device region of the wafer to be stuck to the support plate and an annular groove is formed in a region corresponding to the peripheral surplus region of the wafer, and a soft member packed in the recess of the base plate. The wafer is stuck to a front surface of the support plate with the intermediary of an adhesive by injecting the adhesive into the annular groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A support plate to which a front surface of a wafer having a device region in which a plurality of devices are formed and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region on the front surface is stuck, the support plate comprising:
 a base plate in which a recess is formed in a front surface region corresponding to the device region of the wafer to be stuck to the support plate and an annular groove is formed in a region corresponding to the peripheral surplus region of the wafer; and   a soft member packed in the recess of the base plate,   wherein the wafer is adapted to be stuck to a front surface of the support plate with intermediary of an adhesive by injecting the adhesive into the annular groove.   
     
     
         2 . A method for forming a support plate to which a front surface of a wafer having a device region in which a plurality of devices are formed and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region on the front surface is stuck, the support plate having a recess corresponding to the device region of the wafer, a soft member being packed in the recess, the method comprising:
 a recess forming step of forming the recess by grinding a front surface region of a base plate corresponding to the device region of the wafer to be stuck to the support plate;   an annular groove forming step of forming, by a cutting blade, an annular groove in a region of the base plate corresponding to the peripheral surplus region of the wafer to be stuck to the support plate before or after carrying out the recess forming step; and   a soft member packing step of packing the soft member into the recess at least after carrying out the recess forming step.   
     
     
         3 . A method for processing a wafer having a device region in which a plurality of devices are formed and a peripheral surplus region surrounding the device region on a front surface thereof, the method comprising:
 a support plate preparing step of preparing a support plate including a base plate in which a recess is formed in a front surface region corresponding to the device region of the wafer to be stuck to the support plate and an annular groove is formed in a region corresponding to the peripheral surplus region of the wafer and a soft member packed in the recess of the base plate;   an adhesive injecting step of injecting an adhesive into the annular groove of the support plate;   a sticking step of sticking the wafer onto the support plate with intermediary of the adhesive in such a manner that the device region of the wafer abuts against the soft member after carrying out the adhesive injecting step;   a processing step of holding the wafer with intermediary of the support plate and performing processing on the wafer after carrying out the sticking step; and   an adhesive removing step of making a cutting blade cut into a region corresponding to the annular groove of the support plate and removing the adhesive after carrying out the processing step.