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Precision wafer cutting is most commonly accomplished with diamond wafering blades, however for some materials the use of cubic boron nitride (CBN) is the more effiicient wafering blade. In addition, optimal wafer cutting is accomplished by maximizing the abrasive concentration and abrasive size, as well as choosing the most appropriate cutting speed and load. The following table provides the recommended parameters for precision wafering sectioning.

Precision wafer cutting is used for sectioning very delicate samples or for sectioning a sample to a very precise location. Precision wafering saws typically have micrometers for precise alignment and positioning of the sample, and have variable loading and cutting speed control. Typical precision wafering saws range in speeds from 50-1500 rpm or 300-3000 rpm. Higher speeds saws are required for sectioning very hard materials such as ceramics, heat treated steels and minerals.

PICO 155 / PICO 155P Medium speed precision saw	PICO 175 High speed precision saw	PICO 200 Medium table feed saw

Perhaps the most important parameter for diamond sectioning is the abrasive size. Similar to grinding and polishing, finer abrasives produce less damage. For extremely brittle materials, finer abrasives are required to minimize and manage the damage produced during sectioning. Sectioning with a fine abrasive wafering blade is often the only way that a specimen can be cut so that the final polished specimen represents the true microstructure. Examples include: silicon computer chips, gallium arsenide, brittle glasses, ceramic composites, and boron/graphite composites.

Fine grit diamond wafering cut - graphite-boron composite	Medium grit diamond wafering cut - graphite-boron composite

Fine grit diamond wafering cut - silicon	Medium grit diamond wafering cut - silicon

Wafer Sectioning - Sectioning with diamond wafering blades is most commonly used for delicate materials requiring a precise cut. The important parameters for sectioning with wafering blades are speed, load, diamond concentration and diamond size. The cutting speed and applied loads are a function of the material being cut. Most common diamond wafering is done between 50 rpm and 5000 rpm with loads varying from 10-1000 grams. Generally, harder specimens are cut at higher loads and speeds (e.g. ceramics and minerals) and more brittle specimens are cut at lower loads and speeds (e.g. electronic silicon substrates).

Several factors are important for choosing the appropriate wafering blade. These include: diamond concentration (low and high), diamond bond (metal plate), diamond size (fine or medium), blade diameter and blade thickness. The diamond concentration is important because it directly affects the load which is applied during cutting. For example, brittle materials such as ceramics require higher effective loads to section, whereas ductile materials such as metals require more cutting points. The result is that low concentration blades are recommended for sectioning hard brittle materials such as ceramics and high concentration blades are recommended for ductile materials containing a large fraction of metal or plastic.

The diamond bonding material can also significantly affect a blades cutting performance. Metal plated wafering blades require periodic dressing to maintain performance. Contary to popular thought, cutting performance does not decrease because of the diamond being "pulled-out" of the blade. In reality, the metal bond is primarily smearing over the diamond and "blinding" the diamond abrasive. With periodic dressing this smeared material is removed and the cutting rate restored. The following graph shows this effect on very hard to cut material such as silicon nitride without dressing the blade. Following dressing the sample once again was cut in 30 seconds.

• Condition the wafering blade with the appropriate dressing stick to remove previous cutting swarf and smeared metal from the wafering blade. A properly conditioned blade will cut faster and last longer. It is recommended that the dressing stick be mechanically applied to avoid twisting and chipping of the blade
• Clamp the specimen appropriately so that the sample does not shift during cutting
• For brittle materials clamp the specimen with a rubber pad to absorb vibration from the operation
• Begin the cut with a lower load to set the blade
• Orient the specimen so that the cut is through the smallest cross section
• Use largest appropriate blade flanges to prevent the blade from becoming distorted
• Reduce the load towards the end of the cut for brittle specimens (reduces fracturing at the end of the cut)
• Use the appropriate cutting fluid

Lubrication during abrasive cutting and diamond wafer cutting are required to minimize damage and to remove the cutting debris or swarf. For abrasive cutters the proper cutting fluid can have the added benefit of coating the cast iron bases and fixtures to eliminate corrosion and rusting of the cutter.

• Oil based diamond wafer cutting fluid - For diamond wafer cutting of metals an oil based cutting fluid is required to prevent the metal from coating the blade. Oil based cutting fluids therefore prolong the life and cutting efficiency of the diamond blade when cutting specimens requiring a high level of lubrication
• Water based diamond wafer cutting fluid - For ceramics, minerals, and composite type of samples a water based cutting fluid is recommended. Water based cutting fluids are easier to clean off the specimen, especially if the samples are porous.

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.006-inch	WB-0030LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.006-inch	WB-0035LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.006-inch	WB-0035HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.012-inch	WB-0040LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.012-inch	WB-0045LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.012-inch	WB-0045HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.015-inch	WB-0050LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.015-inch	WB-0055LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.015-inch	WB-0055HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.018-inch	WB-0060LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.018-inch	WB-0065LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.018-inch	WB-0065HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.020-inch	WB-0070LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.020-inch	WB-0075LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.020-inch	WB-0075HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
Brittle materials (microelectronic materials, friable ceramics, minerals)	Low	Fine	0.024-inch	WB-0080LC
Hard/tougher ceramics (Si3N4, ZrO2)	Low	Medium	0.024-inch	WB-0085LC
Most metal samples	High	Medium	0.024-inch	WB-0085HC

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
4-inch electroplated diamond wafering blade (soft gummy materials such as plastics, rubber and soft metals)	Low	Fine	0.030-inch	WB-040EPD
5-inch electroplated diamond wafering blade (soft gummy materials such as plastics, rubber and soft metals)	Low	Medium	0.030-inch	WB-050EPD
6-inch electroplated diamond wafering blade (soft gummy materials such as plastics, rubber and soft metals)	High	Medium	0.030-inch	WB-060EPD
7-inch electroplated diamond wafering blade (soft gummy materials such as plastics, rubber and soft metals)	High	Medium	0.030-inch	WB-070EPD
8-inch electroplated diamond wafering blade (soft gummy materials such as plastics, rubber and soft metals)	High	Medium	0.030-inch	WB-080EPD

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
4-inch CBN wafering blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.012-inch	WCBN-0045
5-inch CBN wafering blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.015-inch	WCBN-0055
6-inch CBN wafering blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.018-inch	WCBN-0065
7-inch CBN wafering blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.020-inch	WCBN-0075
8-inch CBN wafering blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.024-inch	WCBN-0085

Application	Conc.	Diamond size	Thickness	Catalog Number	Product Images
4-inch CBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.012-inch	WCBN-0045
5-inch CBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.015-inch	WCBN-0055
6-inch CBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade (medium grit, high concentration	High	Medium	0.018-inch	WCBN-0065
7-inch CBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.020-inch	WCBN-0075
8-inchCBN/Diamond Hybrid Wafering Blade (medium grit, high concentration)	High	Medium	0.024-inch	WCBN-0085

Description	Quantity	Catalog Number	Product Images
DIACUT™ Water-based wafer cutting fluid	16 oz (0.47l) 32 oz (0.94l)	WL-3000-16 WL-3000-32
DIACUT™ 2 Water-based wafer cutting fluid with anti-corrosion additive	16 oz (0.47l) 32 oz (0.94l)	WL2-3000-16 WL2-3000-32
DIACUT™ Oil-based wafer cutting fluid	16 oz (0.47l) 32 oz (0.94l)	OL-3000-16 OL-3000-32

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