WAFER SEPARATION

A method is provided for separation of a wafer into individual ICs. Channels are formed in the one or more metallization layers on a front-side of the wafer along respective lanes. The lanes are located between the ICs and extend between a front-side of the metallization layers and a backside of the substrate. A backside of the substrate is thinned, and laser pulses are applied via the backside of the substrate to change the crystalline structure of the silicon substrate along the lanes. The plurality of portions in the silicon substrate and the channels are configured to propagate cracks in the silicon substrate along the lanes during expansion of the IC wafer. The channels assist to mitigate propagation of cracks outside of the lanes in the metallization layers during expansion of the IC wafer.