Patent ID: 7141443
Filing Date: 2006-11-28
Classification: B23K

Abstract:
1. A dividing method for dividing a semiconductor wafer along a street, said semiconductor wafer being composed of a semiconductor substrate with a back and a face on which a plurality of rectangular regions are demarcated by a plurality of said streets arranged in a lattice pattern, and a circuit is formed in each of said rectangular regions, said dividing method comprising: applying a laser beam from either said back or said face of said semiconductor substrate and (i) focusing said laser beam onto said face, or a vicinity, thereof to partially deteriorate a first zone to a predetermined depth from said face toward said back, and (ii) focusing said laser beam onto said back or a vicinity thereof to partially deteriorate a second zone to a predetermined depth from said back toward said face; relatively moving said semiconductor substrate and said laser beam along said street; and exerting an external force on said semiconductor substrate to break said semiconductor substrate along said street.