To provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which simplifies a manufacturing process, reduces an equipment cost, improves a production efficiency, prevents semiconductor wafers from being damaged in transport or in handling, for improving the manufacturing yield.
In a semiconductor device manufacturing method of obtaining semiconductor devices by dividing a semiconductor wafer 6 where a plurality of semiconductor elements are formed into the separate semiconductor elements, the rear surface of the semiconductor wafer 6 opposite to its circuit forming surface 6a is subjected to machining processing to thin the semiconductor wafer 6, and then a mask determining cutting lines 31b is formed by the use of a resist film 31a. A series of plasma processing of irradiating the rear surface of the semiconductor wafer 6 with plasma from above the mask to perform plasma etching on the part of the wafer 6 corresponding to the cutting lines 31b to divide the wafer 6 into separate semiconductor elements 6c, then removing the resist film 31a by plasma, and removing a micro crack layer 6b produced on the machining processed surface of the wafer 6 by plasma etching are carried out by the same plasma processing device.
Tomoyasu Sakaguchi
Hiroki Naito