Patent ID: 8236611

Claim:
A method for singulating a die from a substrate, comprising the steps of: providing the substrate having a top side and a bottom side, with a plurality of layers being disposed on the top side of the substrate including a sacrificial layer and a device layer located above the sacrificial layer, with the device layer being patterned to form a retainer which is anchored to a first portion of the substrate which in combination with the device layer will form a frame about the die after singulation of the die, and with the retainer extending over a second portion of the substrate which will be singulated to form the die; etching at least one trench into the substrate from the bottom side thereof to define a shape for the die being singulated, with the etching being terminated proximate to the sacrificial layer; attaching a handle wafer to the bottom side of the substrate; and etching away at least a part of the sacrificial layer to singulate the die, with the singulated die being retained inside of the frame which is attached to the handle wafer.