Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices

A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices by cleaving a semiconductor wafer along a crystal orientation of said semiconductor wafer, comprising:

• forming a semiconductor layer on said semiconductor wafer;
• forming an insulating film on said semiconductor layer such that a series of spaced insulating film removed regions in which said insulating film is absent are located on said semiconductor layer in a direction parallel to the crystal orientation;
• forming an electrode on said insulating film such that said electrode crosses the direction along which said series of insulating film removed regions are located;
• forming a cut in one of said insulating film removed regions, said cut serving as a starting point for cleaving;
• and
• cleaving said semiconductor wafer such that cleaving starts at said cut and propagates along said series of insulating film removed regions.