Patent ID: 7896050

Claim:
An apparatus for cutting a protective tape of a semiconductor wafer, the apparatus cutting, along with a contour of the semiconductor wafer, the protective tape applied on the surface of the semiconductor wafer, by mounting and holding the semiconductor wafer on a holding table provided with a traveling groove for a cutter, and by rotating a cutter blade stuck into the traveling groove along with a periphery of the semiconductor, the apparatus comprising: a tape supporting section having a surface formed by a face having a low adhesive property with respect to the protective tape, the tape supporting section being provided between the traveling groove for the cutter and a depression to insert the protective tape; a tape holding section for holding and fixing an outer edge of the protective tape; and a tape tensioning device for deforming and inserting a projected part in an outside direction of the protective tape applied on the semiconductor wafer into the depression; wherein the tape holding section is separated from the tape supporting section by the depression.