Wafer slicing is done to separate the ingot from the mass of once they have been formed in silicon wafer fabrication. There must be a clear sever from the ingot to insure that there are no defects on the wafer, so only the cleanest and most precise of saws can be used. The products of wafer slicing go onto form integrated circuits, so even the scraps must be cut well. There are a varying amount of wafer saws for slicing, the general rule of thumb being that the more modern and the higher the level of automation, the better the saw is. 

In wafer fabrication, a concoction of melted silicon is formed. Using a tool to pull the silicon, an ingot is formed from the technique. This is the device that will be used to create the wafers. They are sliced into wafers using a diamond saw, hard enough and sharp enough to cut through silicon while at the same time causing few defects. The ingot will be sliced when it has grown to the appropriate size from the pulling. First, the large slabs of silicon are cut into smaller slabs so that they can then be made into the appropriate sized wafers. This can be achieved with wires, which are evenly placed so that when the block of silicon is pushed through, it slices it into perfectly sized wafers.

As one could imagine, there are many different sizes that wafers can be sliced into, from a very thin size to wide and thick, as well as many different diameters. Wafers are typically measured in millimeters, but for smaller sizes, they are more commonly converted into inches. One of the most common sizes of wafer is the 100 mm wafer, which coincidentally equals exactly 4 inches. Common wafer sizes upwards from there include 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, and 450 mm. Each of these will naturally have a different thickness to account for the width of the altered width of the diameter. This thickness is measured in micrometers. 

There are multiple different techniques for sawing wafers. First and most frequently used is the diamond blade saw. Diamond, being perhaps the hardest material on earth, is ideal for cutting through hard chunks of silicon and dicing it into precise wafer chunks. Wire saws can also be used, which, as mentioned above, use a group of wires to divide the silicon into exact wafers. It is also ideal because it is safer than the standard saw and prone to less accidents in the workplace. Overall, the type of blade used depends on the workers, as saws cannot operate without their workers.

Wafer slicing is the step in wafer fabrication that produces a materialized wafer. It can make multiple wafers and can fabricate wafers of different sizes and thicknesses. A number of different saws can be used in this process, as well as other materials than just silicon. Whether using a saw or wires, wafer slicing assures quality wafers with smooth surfaces for optimal functionality.