Patent ID: 8492176

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of: (a) forming a semiconductor element over a first main surface of a semiconductor wafer; (b) after the step (a), attaching a surface protective tape onto a substantially entire surface of the first main surface of the semiconductor wafer; (c) performing back grinding of a second main surface of the semiconductor wafer while having the surface protective tape on the substantially entire surface of the first main surface of the semiconductor wafer; (d) after the step (c), attaching an intermediate portion of a peeling pressure-sensitive adhesive tape to an external surface of the surface protective tape from a peripheral vicinity of the surface protective tape to an internal region thereof; and (e) after the step (d), applying a tension containing a component force, which is directed from a portion of the surface protective tape attached to the peripheral vicinity to the internal region, to an externally extended portion of the peeling pressure-sensitive adhesive tape on the side of the peripheral vicinity in relation to the intermediate portion while having the second main surface of the semiconductor wafer adsorbed onto a vacuum adsorption stage, and thereby separating the surface protective tape from the first main surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the vacuum adsorption stage has two vacuum suction systems, that is, a peripheral suction system for the peripheral vicinity and an internal suction system for the internal region.