Patent ID: 8026153

Claim:
A wafer processing method of dividing a wafer into individual devices, the wafer having on a front surface a device area sectioned by predetermined dividing lines to form a plurality of the devices, and an external circumferential redundant area surrounding the device area, the wafer processing method comprising: a wafer grinding step in which, in a state where the wafer is held on a side of a protection tape stuck to the front surface of the wafer, a rear side of the device area in a rear surface of the wafer is ground to form a recessed portion to form a ringlike reinforcing portion on an outer circumferential side of the recessed portion; a metal film coating step for coating, with a metal film, the rear surface of the wafer stuck with the protection tape on the front surface; and a wafer dividing step for cutting the predetermined dividing lines from a rear surface side of the wafer stuck with the protection tape on the front surface and dividing the wafer into individual devices, without removing the ringlike reinforcing portion.