Dicing methods

A method of dicing a substrate to be processed, a plurality of devices being formed in the substrate, a metal film being formed on one surface of the substrate, the method comprising:

• placing the substrate onto a first stage;
• removing the metal film through a metal processing operation with a diamond tool and forming a groove portion in the metal film;
• placing the substrate onto a second stage;
• generating a clock signal;
• emitting a pulse laser beam synchronized with the clock signal to the groove portion formed in the metal film;
• applying the pulse laser beam to a surface of the substrate in a one-dimensional direction with a pulse picker and a laser beam scanner, while switching the pulse laser beam between passing and blocking in synchronization with the clock signal;
• after applying the pulse laser beam in the one-dimensional direction, moving the stage in a direction perpendicular to the one-dimensional direction;
• further applying the pulse laser beam in the one-dimensional direction in synchronization with the clock signal;
• and
• forming cracks in the substrate, the cracks reaching a surface of the substrate to be processed,
• a processing origin position in each scanning operation being corrected by controlling the passing and blocking of the pulse laser beam at the pulse picker, based on a scan position signal supplied from the laser beam scanner.