Patent ID: 7189304

Claim:
An automatic high-precision cutting method for separating a layer of material from a source substrate comprising: providing a semiconductor substrate having a weakened area, an upper face, a lower face, a sidewall and a notch in the sidewall, wherein the notch is located a distance from the weakened area; positioning at least a first portion of the sidewall of the semiconductor substrate against a fixed positioning member which maintains the substrate in a predetermined position on a support; contacting at least a second portion of the sidewall of the semiconductor substrate with at least one blade, the semiconductor substrate being held between the positioning member and the at least one blade and being unsupported at the upper and lower faces; and forming a cleaving wave in the substrate, wherein the cleaving wave is of sufficient intensity to both divide the substrate at the notch into first and second parts and detach the layer from the substrate along the weakened area.