A semiconductor device is manufactured in a semiconductor substrate comprising a first main surface, the semiconductor substrate including chip areas. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor substrate comprises forming components of the semiconductor device in the first main surface in the chip areas, removing substrate material from a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the second main surface being opposite to the first main surface, forming a separation trench into a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate, the separation trench being disposed between adjacent chip areas. The method further comprises forming at least one sacrificial material in the separation trench, and removing the at least one sacrificial material from the trench.