Semiconductor & Precision Optics

Diamond Wire Saw Kerf & Ingot Slicing Calculator

Compute total kerf loss for diamond wire saw slicing of silicon ingots, sapphire, quartz, and SiC wafers, including wire core diameter, diamond grit protrusion, vibration runout, and wafer yield.

1. Input Parameters

Steel Core Wire Diameter d_c (µm):

High-tensile piano wire core diameter (e.g. 50-80 µm for solar, 100-180 µm for SiC/sapphire).

Diamond Grit Size D_g (µm):

Average diamond abrasive grain size electroplated on core.

Target Wafer Thickness t_w (µm):

Target sliced wafer or optical substrate thickness.

Total Ingot Length L_ingot (mm):

Usable length of crystal boule / ingot.

Wire Tension T (N):

Mechanical pre-tension applied to the moving wire web.

2. Calculation Results

Total Kerf Loss (K)

93 µm

Pitch per Wafer (P)

223 µm

Total Sliced Wafers

1,569 pcs

Material Yield (η)

58.3%

3. Geometric Visualizer

Tooling & Vector Prepress Engineering Notes

Kerf Loss Physics: Total kerf loss is calculated as K = d_c + 2 · (D_g · 0.70) + 2 · A_vib where A_vib is dynamic lateral wire vibration (typically 8–15 µm). In semiconductor and solar PV manufacturing, reducing kerf loss from 120 µm to 70 µm increases wafer output per ingot by over 20%.

Multi-Wire Guide Roller Pitch: Precision multi-wire saws wrap a single continuous wire (up to 150 km long) around grooved polyurethane guide rollers. The roller groove pitch must match P = t_w + K within ±0.5 µm to maintain uniform Total Thickness Variation (TTV < 5 µm).