A protective tape is applied to a surface of a wafer supported by a chuck table.
A blade tip of a cutter unit is inserted into a groove formed in the chuck table
circumferentially of the wafer, to cut the protective tape to have a larger diameter
than the wafer. The wafer with the protective tape applied thereto undergoes a
back grinding process. Subsequently, in a separating step, the protective tape
is separated by means of a separating tape applied to the surface of protective tape.
