Abstract: A method of manufacturing semiconductor devices using laser beam cutting is disclosed in which the surface debris or pollution resulting from the laser beam cutting operation is removed by a preferential etching treatment. Since the polluting particles are of nonmonocrystalline semiconductor material, while the underlying material of the semiconductor disc is monocrystalline in nature, the polluting particles may be selectively removed in an effective manner by preferentially etching the nonmonocrystalline material of the particles with respect to the monocrystalline material of the disc. This preferential etching treatment may advantageously be carried out prior to the severing of the semiconductor disc to form the individual semiconductor devices.