Method of protecting a mounting tape during laser singulation of a wafer

A method of singulating a semiconductor wafer with laser energy while the semiconductor wafer is supported on a mounting tape during singulation, the method comprising the steps of:

• depositing a coating material onto a portion of the mounting tape adjacent to a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer to form a protective layer over the mounting tape;
• cutting the semiconductor wafer with a laser beam such that the laser beam at least partially impinges upon the protective layer during cutting of the semiconductor wafer;
• and thereafter
• removing the protective layer from the mounting tape after singulation of the semiconductor wafer;
• wherein the step of depositing the coating material on the mounting tape further comprises the step of pumping coating material to a nozzle that is positioned over the mounting tape for controllably dispensing the coating material onto the mounting tape;
• and
• further comprising the step of changing a relative distance between the nozzle and the perimeter of the semiconductor wafer so as to deposit the coating material along the mounting tape to cover an anticipated run-out area of the laser beam.