Patent ID: 7064014

Claim:
A method of dicing a microelectronic device wafer, comprising: providing a microelectronic device wafer comprising a semiconductor wafer having a back surface, said microelectronic device including at least two integrated circuit areas formed therein separated by at least one scribe street; forming at least one trench opposing said at least one scribe street and extending from said semiconductor wafer back surface into said semiconductor wafer, wherein said trench comprises at least two sidewalls and a bottom portion; forming a metallization layer on said semiconductor wafer back surface, said at least two trench sidewalls and said trench bottom portion; and forming a channel within said at least one scribe street and extending through said interconnection layer, said semiconductor wafer, and said metallization layer in said trench bottom portion, wherein said at least one trench sidewall resides in a plane substantially parallel to at least one sidewall of said channel.