Patent ID: 7552528

Claim:
A wafer expanding device for performing expansion of a wafer sheet held by a wafer feeding plate and having a plurality of wafer feed components, which are formed through dicing of a wafer, attached thereto, and for making the plurality of wafer feed components feedable from the wafer sheet, the wafer expanding device comprising: a ring member for expanding the wafer sheet substantially radially, the ring member having an upper end portion; a plate moving device for holding the wafer feeding plate above the ring member, lowering the wafer feeding plate relative to the ring member, and lifting the wafer feeding plate relative to the ring member, wherein lowering the wafer feeding plate causes an expansion of the wafer sheet by depressing a lower face of the wafer sheet against the upper end portion of the ring member; and a heating blower device for blowing heated air through an inside of the ring member to the lower face of the wafer sheet so as to remove slack in the wafer sheet generated by the expansion; wherein the plate moving device is operable to hold the wafer feeding plate at a plurality of height positions, the plurality of height positions including: a first height position for feeding and discharging the wafer feeding plate and preventing interference with the ring member, a second height position for expanding the wafer sheet, and a third height position for removing the slack in the wafer sheet with the heating blower device and avoiding contact between the wafer sheet and the upper end portion of the ring member when removal of the slack is completed.