Abstract: A method of forming a mesa in a semiconductor device comprises forming a plurality of such devices on a wafer, mechanically cutting relatively wide channels to a predetermined depth in said wafer at positions around individual ones of the devices to partially separate the devices from each other. The mechanical cutting technique defines mesa walls and plain surfaces between individual devices. These channels are then etched to repair scars caused by the cutting technique and, thereafter, the wafer is broken along the center line of the channels to separate the devices from each other.