Patent ID: 8513096

Claim:
A method of dividing a wafer having devices formed respectively in a plurality of regions demarcated by a plurality of streets formed in a grid pattern on a surface of the wafer, along the streets and into the individual devices, the method comprising: a groove forming step of forming grooves from a face side of the wafer along the streets, the grooves having a depth corresponding to a finished thickness of the devices; an acrylic liquid resin curing step of coating a surface of the wafer having undergone the groove forming step with an acrylic liquid resin curable by irradiation with UV rays so as to fill the grooves with the acrylic liquid resin, disposing a protective film on the acrylic liquid resin, wherein the protective film has an upper surface and a lower surface, and performing irradiation with UV rays from the protective film side so as to cure the acrylic liquid resin and adhere an upper surface of the acrylic liquid resin to the lower surface of the protective film; a wafer dividing step of grinding a back side of the wafer having undergone the acrylic liquid resin curing step so as to expose the grooves on the back side and to divide the wafer into the individual devices; a wafer supporting step of adhering the back side of the wafer having undergone the wafer dividing step to a surface of an adhesive tape having a peripheral portion adhered to an annular frame; and a protective film peeling step of peeling the cured acrylic resin together with the protective film from the surface of the wafer when the wafer is adhered to the surface of the adhesive tape.