A method of production of an ultra-thin semiconductor chip and an ultra-thin back-illuminated solid-state image pickup device utilizing a semiconductor layer formed on a support substrate via an insulating layer to improve separation performance of a semiconductor layer from a support substrate and thereby improve the productivity and quality-including the steps of forming a base comprised of a support substrate on which a porous layer or other peeling layer, a second semiconductor layer, an insulating layer, and a first semiconductor layer are stacked; forming solid-state image pickup sensor units and projecting connection electrodes to be connected to the solid-state image pickup sensor units in the first semiconductor layer; forming scores reaching the peeling layer along separation lines for separation into individual solid-state image pickup devices; forming a resin protective film filling the scores, covering the first semiconductor layer, and exposing the connection electrodes; peeling off the support substrate via the peeling layer as an interface; and cutting from the second semiconductor layer side along the resin protective film filled in the scores to separate individual solid-state image pickup devices.