Representative implementations provide techniques for processing integrated circuit (IC) dies and related devices, in preparation for stacking and bonding the devices. The disclosed techniques provide removal of processing residue from the device surfaces while protecting the underlying layers. One or more sacrificial layers may be applied to a surface of the device during processing to protect the underlying layers. Processing residue is attached to the sacrificial layers instead of the device, and can be removed with the sacrificial layers.

A method includes preparing a protective film including a base film and a protective layer laminated on a surface of the base film, mounting the protective film on a semiconductor wafer having a rear surface attached to a dicing tape and a front surface positioned opposite to the rear surface, the protective layer being disposed on the front surface, irradiating the rear surface of the semiconductor wafer with a dicing laser, removing the base film of the protective film from the semiconductor wafer, dividing the semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor chips, and removing the protective layer from the individual semiconductor chips.

A chip production method in which a workpiece having a plurality of planned dividing lines set on a side of a front surface of a substrate and a functional layer formed on the front surface is divided along the planned dividing lines to produce chips, includes: applying a laser beam along the planned dividing lines to remove respective parts of the functional layer and form, in the substrate, respective processed grooves having a depth smaller than a finished thickness; processing a side of a back surface of the substrate to thin the substrate to the finished thickness; and after the processing, imparting an external force to the workpiece to divide the workpiece into a plurality of chips along the processed grooves.

A protective tape peeling apparatus may include a support table to support wafers having respective protective tapes attached thereto; a roller holder having an upper pinch roller and a lower pinch roller to move the protective tape peeled off from a wafer therebetween; an attachment portion to attach one end of the protective tape between the upper and lower pinch rollers to a first protective tape attached to a first wafer on the support table, and attach one end of the first protective tape between the upper pinch roller and the lower pinch roller to a second protective tape attached to a second wafer on the support table; and a reversing guide to reverse a non-adhesive surface of one end of the first protective tape between the upper and lower pinch rollers to face the support table when the roller holder moves from a first position to a second position.