Patent ID: 7754582

Claim:
A laser processing method for a workpiece having a plurality of first streets extending in a first direction and a plurality of second streets extending in a second direction intersecting said first direction, said laser processing method comprising the steps of: holding said workpiece by using holding means; feeding said workpiece in said first direction and simultaneously applying a laser beam from laser beam applying means to said first streets except the intersections between said first streets and said second streets so that application of the laser beam is halted while each of the intersections between the first streets and the second streets is fed through a focus point of the laser beam, for forming first grooves along said first streets, said first grooves including gaps at the intersections, each gap having a length less than or equal to a width of one of the first grooves; and then, after forming said first grooves, feeding said workpiece in said second direction and simultaneously applying a laser beam from said laser beam applying means to said second streets, for forming second grooves along said second streets, said second grooves each having a width substantially equal to the width of one of the first grooves and passing through the intersections between the first streets and the second streets to remove the gaps.