US Patent 7087452 Edge arrangements for integrated circuit chips

A method is provided for forming microelectronic devices. This may include providing a wafer device having metallization layers, a plurality of integrated circuits and a channel area provided around each of the integrated circuits. Materials from within each channel area may be removed by etching or by laser to form an air gap around a perimeter of each integrated circuit. Each air gap may prevent cracking and/or delamination problems caused by a subsequent dicing of the wafer device by a wafer saw into a plurality of devices.