Patent ID: 7346415

Claim:
A method for detecting a detection site for positioning provided in a peripheral edge of a substantially disc-shaped semiconductor wafer to which a protective sheet is joined, and determining a handling position of the semiconductor wafer, the method comprising the steps of: projecting light of a predetermined wavelength corresponding to the protective sheet from light projecting means toward the semiconductor wafer to which the protective sheet is joined; adjusting an intensity of the light projecting toward the semiconductor wafer; receiving the light, projected from the light projecting means toward the semiconductor wafer, by light receiving means disposed opposite the light projecting means with the semiconductor wafer interposed therebetween; determining a position of the detection site provided in the peripheral edge of the semiconductor wafer based on a change in a reception amount of light in the light receiving means; and positioning a handling position of the semiconductor wafer with the use of positional information of the detection site obtained from the result of determination in the determining step.