Patent ID: 8741777

Claim:
A substrate processing method for forming a space extending along a cutting line in a silicon substrate, the method comprising: a first step of converging a laser light which is an elliptically-polarized light having an ellipticity other than 1 at the silicon substrate so as to form a plurality of modified spots within the silicon substrate along the cutting line and cause a modified region including the plurality of modified spots; and a second step of anisotropically etching the silicon substrate after the first step so as to advance an etching selectively along the modified region and form the space in the silicon substrate; wherein, in the first step, the laser light is converged at the silicon substrate in a first mode when forming the plurality of modified spots align in a plurality of rows along the cutting line, and in a second mode when forming the plurality of modified spots align in a single row along the cutting line, wherein in the first mode, an angle between a moving direction of the laser light with respect to the silicon substrate and a direction of polarization of the laser light is less than 45°, and in the second mode, an angle between a moving direction of the laser light with respect to the silicon substrate and a direction of polarization of the laser light is more than 45°.