Patent attributes
A method of dividing a wafer includes: a denatured layer forming step of forming a denatured layer in the inside of the wafer along streets; a first feeding step in which the whole area of the wafer's back-side surface is suction held, and the wafer is mounted on a support base of a tape adhering unit, with the wafer's back-side surface on the upper side; a dicing tape adhering step of adhering a dicing tape to the wafer's back-side surface and an annular frame; a wafer reversing step of reversing the wafer and the annular frame face side back; a second feeding step of feeding said wafer and said annular frame to a tape expanding unit whole holding them by suction; a protective tape peeling step of peeling off a protective tape adhered to the wafer's face-side surface; and a wafer dividing step of expanding the dicing tape so as to divide the wafer along the streets along which the denatured layer has been formed.
