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Disco

Dicing

Dicing & GrindingDisco Dicing family
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This page was generated automatically from cited public sources and hasn't completed the full research pass yet. Every specification shown carries its source; more detail is added as research completes.

The Disco dicing saw is a semiconductor dicing tool capable of handling up to 8 inch substrates. The Disco dicing saw uses a 2” front-mount spindle with closed-loop control and a pattern recognition system for auto-focusing.[1]

DiscoDicing
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What it is

General reference — not yet source-verified

Disco dicing equipment is a wafer separation tool used to cut semiconductor substrates into individual devices after front-end fabrication. The equipment class belongs to the packaging and backend portion of semiconductor manufacturing, where processed wafers are separated for later assembly.

How it works

The Cornell DISCO tool uses a front-mount spindle with air drive and closed-loop control. The tool also uses a closed-loop Y-axis linear encoder, non-contact optical height sensing, and a pattern recognition system with auto-focusing and programmable illumination.[1]

Where it fits in the process flow

The Cornell tool is used with all-purpose and silicon-only blade schedules, which indicates use for different substrate and cut requirements. The tool is also used for dicing silicon, bonded silicon wafers, and glass.[1]

Applications

General reference — not yet source-verified

Dicing equipment is used for semiconductor wafer singulation and for cutting other microelectronic substrates that are processed in wafer form. The class is also used with support tapes that hold the substrate during separation and later pickup.

What do the numbers mean?

Wafer handling5

Substrate size
up to 8 inches[1]
Accurate?
Substrate thickness
up to 1.25 mm[1]
Accurate?
Substrate size
up to 8 inch substrates[1]
Accurate?
Maximum substrate thickness
up to 1.25 mm[1]
Accurate?
Applications
dicing of silicon, bonded Si wafers, and all types of glasses[1]
Accurate?

Optics & imaging2

Height sensing
non-contact optical[1]
Accurate?
Pattern recognition
auto-focusing and programmable illumination[1]
Accurate?

Control & software1

Spindle
2” front-mount, air driven DC brushless, closed-loop control[1]
Accurate?

Configuration & options4

Parts Tool[2]
Accurate?
Y-axis
closed-loop linear encoder[1]
Accurate?
Equipment type
Dicing saw[2]
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Model
-[2]
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Vintage & configurations

Documented models & variants

DesignationGenerationVintageChangesSource
DAD3220——Automatic dicing saw with auto-alignment, auto-focus, auto-kerf check, 4 cutting channels with 320 degree max rotating angle, cutting blades thickness 100-400 micron, max substrate size 6” wafers or 6”x6” substrates, 160mm x 162mm cutting range, <0.005/160 positioning accuracy, 1.5 kW spindle at 30,000 per minute.ece.utoronto.ca[3]
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Where are the manuals?

Publicly hosted documents referencing this tool, linked at their original location. Hosted by the linked institutions — availability may change.

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Not publicly documented

Field notes

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Frequently asked questions

What is the maximum substrate size the Disco Dicing Saw can handle?

The tool can handle substrates up to 8 inches in size.[3]

What is the maximum substrate thickness allowed?

The maximum substrate thickness is 1.25 mm.[3]

What materials can be processed with this dicing saw?

The tool is compatible with Class A and B metals and compounds, but does not allow GaAs substrates.[3]

What is the role of dicing tape in the dicing process?

Dicing tape holds the wafer or die together during cutting, and is mounted to a thin metal frame for support.[4]

Not publicly documented

The following facts about the Dicing are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.

  • No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the Dicing are on record.

    Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement

  • The control-system platform and OS era of the Dicing are not on record.

    Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records

  • No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the Dicing are on record.

    Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician

  • The process node or technology generation of the Dicing is not on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report

  • No publicly documented compatible parts, consumables, or accessories for the Dicing are on record.

    Answerable by: an OEM parts catalog or a service engineer

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Sources & citations

Sources (18)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
  1. [1]cnfusers.cornell.edu — cnfusers.cornell.educnfusers.cornell.edu
  2. [2]inventory listing
  3. [3]ece.utoronto.ca — ece.utoronto.caece.utoronto.ca
  4. [4]Dicing tape - Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
  5. [5]Dicing - Wikipedia — en.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org
  6. [6]Packaging Lab | Quantum-Nano Fabrication and Characterization Facility | University of Waterloo — uwaterloo.cauwaterloo.ca
  7. [7]Packaging &#8211; Miscellaneous &#8210; Center of MicroNanoTechnology CMi &#8208; EPFL — epfl.chepfl.ch
  8. [8]Equipment Page | Utah Nanofab — nanofab.utah.edunanofab.utah.edu
  9. [9]Nanoscribe Photonics GT2 high-resolution 3D printer - AggieFab Nanofabrication Facility — aggiefab.tamu.eduaggiefab.tamu.edu
  10. [10]MNTC - Equipment and Facilities | Service Centers — louisville.edulouisville.edu
  11. [11]Disco Automatic Dicing Saw | Nanotechnology Core Facility | University of Illinois Chicago — ncf.uic.eduncf.uic.edu
  12. [12]Disco 321 Wafer Dicing Saw — tmi.utexas.edutmi.utexas.edu
  13. [13]Disco DFL7340 Stealth Dicer - Equipment - nanoFAB Confluence — confluence.nanofab.ualberta.caconfluence.nanofab.ualberta.ca
  14. [14]Bonding & Packaging — nanolab.berkeley.edunanolab.berkeley.edu
  15. [15]Dicing Saw | Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility — smif.pratt.duke.edusmif.pratt.duke.edu
  16. [16]CNS Consolidated Rates — cns1.rc.fas.harvard.educns1.rc.fas.harvard.edu
  17. [17]Packaging & Assemby — tudelft.nltudelft.nl
  18. [18]DBG・封装元件基板的分割 - DISCO Corporation — disco.co.jp (Feb 22, 2020)web.archive.org
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Last updated Oct 6, 2026.

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