Process for dividing single-crystal substrates

Abstract

A process for dividing a single-crystal substrate having a cleavage plane inclined with respect to a scribe-surface and a break-surface of the single-crystal substrate is provided. The process includes steps of forming a scribe line on the scribe-surface, attaching an adhesive dicing tape onto the scribe-surface, inverting and placing the single-crystal substrate on a breaking table such that the scribe-surface faces the breaking table, bringing a breaking plate into contact with the break-surface along a break-line which is positioned away from a cross-line where the cleavage plane extending from the scribe line crosses the break-surface, with respect to a reference line where a vertical plane extending from the scribe line in a direction orthogonal to the scribe-surface and the break-surface crosses the break-surface, and applying external force to the break-surface from the breaking plate to divide the single-crystal substrate along the cleavage plane.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.