The invention provides a method for increasing the usable surface area of
a semiconductor wafer having a substantially planar surface and a
thickness dimension at right angles to said substantially planar surface,
the method including the steps of selecting a strip thickness for
division of the wafer into a plurality of strips, selecting a technique
for cutting the wafer into the strips at an angle to the substantially
planar surface, in which the combined strip thickness and width of wafer
removed by the cutting is less than the thickness of the wafer, cutting
the wafer into strips using the selected technique and separating the
strips from each other.