Wafer Dicing Blade Specifications: Dimensions & Parameters — Complete Reference
A comprehensive technical reference covering all standard dimensional parameters for wafer dicing blades — outer diameter, inner diameter, blade thickness, exposure, grit size, concentration, and flange configurations for all major saw platforms.
1. Parameter Overview
A wafer dicing blade data sheet contains both dimensional parameters — physical measurements of the blade geometry — and abrasive parameters — specifications of the diamond content. Both sets of parameters must be verified against the dicing saw platform and process requirements before ordering. This reference covers all parameters in detail and is designed to be bookmarked for use during blade specification review. For guidance on how to use these parameters in a selection decision, refer to: Wafer Dicing Blade: The Complete Buyer’s Guide.
2. Outer Diameter (OD)
The outer diameter of a dicing blade determines two things: the maximum available exposure (how deep the blade can cut) and the peripheral velocity of the cutting rim at a given spindle RPM. Larger OD blades provide more exposure for thick substrate applications and maintain a higher rim velocity at the same RPM setting — potentially useful for improving cut quality on hard substrates where rim velocity is a key process variable.
Standard OD values follow inch-based conventions inherited from the original equipment manufacturers:
| OD (inch) | OD (mm) | Application typique |
|---|---|---|
| 2.000″ | 50.8 mm | Thin wafers, package singulation, MEMS |
| 2.165″ (55mm) | 55.0 mm | General silicon, GaAs |
| 2.520″ | 64.0 mm | Standard silicon production |
| 3.000″ | 76.2 mm | Wide-range silicon, ceramics |
| 4.000″ | 101.6 mm | Thick substrate, high-exposure applications |
| 4.488″ | 114.0 mm | Maximum OD for most production saws |
3. Inner Diameter (ID)
The inner diameter must match the spindle bore for hub blades, or the flange bore for hubless blades. This dimension is critical: a mismatch of even 50 µm can cause inadequate seating, elevated runout, and blade wobble. Standard ID values are:
| ID (inch) | ID (mm) | Common Saw Platform |
|---|---|---|
| 1.575″ | 40.00 mm | DISCO NBC series (standard) |
| 1.969″ | 50.00 mm | Accretech BS series |
| 2.000″ | 50.80 mm | DISCO, ADT — alternate configuration |
| 2.250″ | 57.15 mm | ADT 7100/7130 series |
4. Blade Thickness
Blade thickness is the dimension most directly linked to kerf width and therefore to die count per wafer. It is specified as the nominal thickness of the cutting rim (for hub blades) or the full disc thickness (for hubless blades). Blade thickness tolerances are critical: a blade with ±5 µm tolerance variation cutting a 60 µm street provides significantly less alignment margin than a ±1 µm nickel electroformed blade.
| Blade Type | Typical Thickness Range | Minimum Achievable | Application Segment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hub blade (resin bond) | 100–500 µm | ~80 µm | Standard silicon, SiC, ceramics |
| Hub blade (metal bond) | 100–400 µm | ~100 µm | GaAs, glass, ferrite |
| Hubless (resin bond) | 40–200 µm | ~25 µm | Thin wafers, LED, MEMS |
| Hubless (metal bond) | 50–300 µm | ~40 µm | Package singulation, glass |
| Hubless (nickel electroformed) | 15–200 µm | ~15 µm | Ultra-thin silicon, GaAs, InP, fine-pitch |
5. Blade Exposure
Blade exposure is the vertical height of cutting rim that protrudes below the face of the mounting flange (for hubless blades) or the lower face of the hub (for hub blades). This dimension must be greater than the total material stack the blade must cut through — the wafer, plus the dicing tape, plus a safety clearance above the vacuum chuck surface.
Exposure calculation formula:
Minimum required exposure = Wafer thickness + Tape thickness + 0.5 mm safety margin
In practice, a production blade should have exposure of approximately 1.5–2× the total material stack to allow for blade wear over its service life. As the blade OD decreases from wear, exposure decreases proportionally; a blade that starts with barely sufficient exposure will become under-exposed partway through its service life, resulting in incomplete cuts.
| Wafer Thickness | Tape Thickness | Minimum Exposure | Recommended Exposure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 150 µm (ultra-thin Si) | 90 µm UV tape | 740 µm | 1.0–1.2 mm |
| 300 µm | 90 µm | 890 µm | 1.2–1.5 mm |
| 525 µm (200 mm Si) | 90 µm | 1,115 µm | 1.5–2.0 mm |
| 675 µm (300 mm Si) | 90 µm | 1,265 µm | 1.8–2.5 mm |
| 350 µm (GaAs) | 110 µm | 960 µm | 1.3–1.6 mm |
6. Kerf Width
Kerf is the actual width of material removed by the cutting process. It is not equal to blade thickness — actual kerf is always wider due to sidewall wear, blade deflection, and kerf-wall surface roughness. The kerf-to-thickness offset ranges from approximately 5 µm for well-maintained nickel electroformed hubless blades to 20–30 µm for worn sintered metal blades near end-of-life.
Kerf width must be measured regularly during production — at blade installation, at mid-blade-life, and at end-of-life — to confirm it remains within the specification window defined by street width and alignment tolerance. Any upward trend in kerf width measurement is an early indicator of blade wear or spindle runout degradation.
7. Diamond Grit Size
Diamond grit size is specified as the average particle diameter in micrometres (µm) and determines the trade-off between cut surface quality and cutting rate. The industry uses both µm notation and mesh-size notation (e.g., #400 = approximately 30 µm; #2000 = approximately 6 µm; #4000 = approximately 3 µm). When specifying blades, always use µm notation to avoid ambiguity between different mesh-size standards.
| Grit Size (µm) | Approx. Mesh Equivalent | Cut Surface | Cutting Rate | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2–3 µm | #6000–#8000 | Very smooth | Slow | GaAs, InP, ultra-thin Si, optical |
| 4–6 µm | #2000–#4000 | Smooth | Modéré | Standard Si, glass, LiTaO₃ |
| 6–8 µm | #1500–#2000 | Modéré | Bon | Sapphire, hard ceramics, thick Si |
| 8–12 µm | #1000–#1500 | Rougher | Haut | SiC, AlN, package singulation |
| 12–20 µm | #600–#1000 | Coarse | Très élevé | Rough cutting, hard bulk ceramics |
8. Diamond Concentration
Diamond concentration is expressed on a dimensionless scale where 100 represents approximately 4.4 carats per cm³ of bond volume (25% by volume). The scale is relative and may vary slightly between manufacturers. Higher concentration increases the number of active cutting points, distributes force more evenly across the blade face, and generally improves cut smoothness. However, in soft bond systems (resin), excessively high concentration can inhibit the bond erosion needed for self-sharpening, leading to glazing.
| Concentration | Approximate Vol% | Effect | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | ~6% | Aggressive dressing action, fast self-sharpening | Very hard substrates (SiC, sapphire) with resin bond |
| 50 | ~12.5% | Balanced — most common production specification | Silicon, glass, GaAs (general purpose) |
| 75 | ~19% | More cutting points, smoother finish | Fine-pitch cutting, die-edge quality critical |
| 100 | ~25% | Maximum density, stable kerf, premium finish | Precision optical, silicon photonics |
9. Flange Configurations by Saw Platform
For hubless blades, the mounting flange configuration must be specified alongside the blade dimensions. Flanges are saw-platform-specific: an Accretech flange set will not mount on a DISCO spindle without an adapter. The table below provides standard flange configurations for the most common production platforms as of May 2026. Always verify with your saw OEM documentation before ordering.
| Saw Platform | Spindle Bore | Standard Flange OD | Flange Face Diameter | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DISCO NBC-Z series | 40.00 mm | 40 mm | Various (blade-OD dependent) | Self-locking flange nut system |
| DISCO DFD series | 40.00 mm | 40 mm | Various | Compatible with NBC flange sets |
| Accretech BS-G series | 50.00 mm | 50 mm | Various | Different nut thread from DISCO |
| ADT 7100/7130 | 57.15 mm | 57.15 mm | Various | Requires ADT-specific flange pair |
| Loadpoint Micro-200 | 40.00 mm | 40 mm | Various | Compatible with DISCO 40 mm flanges in most configurations |
10. Standard Hub Blade Dimensions
| OD (mm) | Hub Thickness (mm) | Typical Cutting Rim Thickness | Common Wafer Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55.0 | 6.0 | 100–400 µm | 100 mm (4″) and below |
| 76.2 | 8.0 | 100–500 µm | 150 mm (6″) and 200 mm (8″) |
| 101.6 | 11.0 | 150–500 µm | 200 mm (8″) and 300 mm (12″) |
| 114.0 | 12.7 | 200–500 µm | 300 mm (12″) thick substrates |
11. Standard Hubless Blade Dimensions
| OD (mm) | ID (mm) | Épaisseur typique de la lame | Bond Type Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| 55.0 | 40.0 | 15–200 µm | Resin, Nickel, Hybrid |
| 55.0 | 50.0 | 20–200 µm | Resin, Metal, Nickel, Hybrid |
| 76.2 | 40.0 | 25–300 µm | Resin, Metal, Nickel, Hybrid |
| 76.2 | 50.0 | 25–300 µm | Resin, Metal, Nickel, Hybrid |
| 76.2 | 57.15 | 30–300 µm | Resin, Metal, Hybrid |
12. Manufacturing Tolerances
| Paramètres | Liaison avec la résine | Metal (Sintered) | Nickel (Electroformed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade thickness tolerance | ±3–5 µm | ±2–5 µm | ±1 µm |
| OD tolerance | ±0.1 mm | ±0.1 mm | ±0,05 mm |
| ID tolerance | ±0.01 mm | ±0.01 mm | ±0.005 mm |
| Runout (TIR at face) | <5 µm | <5 µm | <2 µm |
| Blade flatness | <10 µm | <8 µm | <3 µm |
