A wafer containing a plurality of die separated by streets which are to be sawn has a nitride passivation layer which has openings over die contact locations and gaps leaving nitride strips along the streets. The gaps in the nitride along the streets expose an oxide, preferably TEOS. A nickel/gold plate contact material overlies the nitride layer and contacts the exposed die contact areas but does not adhere to either the nitride surface or the oxide surfaces. A saw blade can then cut along the streets without being gummed by the metalizing and without producing cracks which propagate into the die termination areas.