SAWING BLOCKS INTO WAFERS USING INITIALLY BOWED WIRES

摘要

Process for cutting a block of material 12 into a multiplicity of wafers by movement of a planar array of parallel fast moving wires 14 relative to the block (or vice versa) in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the wires and applying a slurry or fluid to the wires before the wires pass through the block 12, in which, before application of the slurry or fluid, the array of wires 14 is brought into contact with the block in a dry condition, thus to introduce a bow in the array of wires caused by a contact pressure between the wires and the block and thereby keeping the array of wires against the block in their intended positions, introducing slurry onto the wires, whereby the wires cut through the block as the relative movement in a perpendicular direction takes place.