A method and an apparatus for producing semiconductor devices in which a semiconductor wafer is adhered to an ultraviolet sensitive tape, the adhesion force of which decreases upon irradiation with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet sensitive tape being adhered to a ring frame so that the semiconductor wafer is fixed to the ring frame with the ultraviolet sensitive tape. Successive semiconductor wafers thus fixed to respective ring frames are subjected to a series of steps including dicing, breaking, and ultraviolet irradiation for reducing the adhesiveness of the ultraviolet tape. The semiconductor wafer, broken and divided in dice and held by the ultraviolet sensitive tape with reduced adhesiveness, is sent to a next step, such as a die-bonding step.

A pressure sensitive adhesive sheet for wafer sticking, comprising a base of polyvinyl chloride containing a plasticizer and, superimposed thereon, an energy radiation curable pressure sensitive adhesive layer of vinyl acetate copolymer, the energy radiation curable pressure sensitive adhesive layer, before exposure to energy radiation, having an elastic modulus ranging from 4.0.times.10.sup.4 to 5.0.times.10.sup.6 Pa at 50.degree. C. The use of this pressure sensitive adhesive sheet for wafer sticking enables inhibiting the vibration of wafer at the time of dicing of the wafer so that chipping of the wafer can be minimized.

There is disclosed a semiconductor wafer-securing adhesive tape having a radiation-curable adhesive layer on one surface of a support film, wherein the support film is composed of a laminated film that comprises, as a center layer, a film comprising a styrene/ethylene/butene/styrene block copolymer, a ethylene/acrylic acid-type copolymer, and a polyamide/polyether copolymer in a specific ratio, and has a layer for adhesive coating laid, directly or through a bonding layer, on one surface of the center layer on the side where said radiation-curable adhesive layer is provided, and has a transfer-preventing layer laid, directly or through a bonding layer, on the other surface of the center layer. There is also disclosed a semiconductor wafer-securing adhesive tape wherein the center layer of said semiconductor wafer-securing adhesive tape has a film comprising said SEBS block copolymer or SEPS block copolymer, an amorphous poly .alpha.-olefin, and a polyamide/polyether copolymer, in a specific ratio.

A photopolymerized acrylic pressure-sensitive adhesive having excellent heat-resistance, an adhesive sheet using the adhesive, and methods for producing the adhesive and the adhesive sheet, are disclosed. The pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having excellent heat resistance comprising a photopolymerization product of a composition comprising; a) 100 parts by weight of monomers comprising from 70 to 100% by weight of a (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester having from 2 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety, and from 30 to 0% by weight of a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer copolymerizable with the (meth)acrylic acid alkyl ester, b) from 0.02 to 20 parts by weight of a radical chain inhibitor, c) up to 5 parts by weight of a polyfunctional (meth)acrylate as a crosslinking agent, and d) from 0.01 to 5 parts by weight of a photopolymerization initiator.

A method of and an apparatus for producing semiconductor devices, in which a semiconductor wafer is adhered to an ultraviolet tape the adhesion force of which decreases upon irradiation with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet tape being adhered to a frame ring so that the semiconductor wafer is fixed to the frame ring through the ultraviolet tape. Successive semiconductor wafers thus fixed to respective frame rings are subjected to a series of steps including dicing, breaking and ultraviolet irradiation for reducing the adhesiveness of the ultraviolet tape. The semiconductor wafer, broken and divided into dices and held by the ultraviolet tape with reduced adhesiveness is sent to a next step such as die-bonding step.