Patent ID: 8258046

Claim:
A processing method for dividing a workpiece along a plurality of first division lines and a plurality of second division lines intersecting said first division lines, the front side of said workpiece being partitioned by said first division lines and said second division lines into a plurality of regions where a plurality of functional devices are respectively formed, said processing method comprising: a first modified region forming step of applying a pulsed laser beam having a transmission wavelength to said workpiece along said first division lines and said second division lines to thereby form a plurality of first modified regions in said workpiece near the front side of said workpiece; a second modified region forming step of applying said pulsed laser beam to a plurality of intersecting regions between said first division lines and said second division lines to thereby form a plurality of second modified regions at predetermined positions between the back side of said workpiece and said first modified regions formed or to be formed in said workpiece; and a dividing step of applying an external force to said workpiece after performing said first modified region forming step and said second modified region forming step to thereby divide said workpiece along said first division lines and said second division lines into a plurality of individual chips.