CNC Wafer Coring for Sapphire, Glass, Fused Silica, Quartz and SiC

Some substrates are transparent or translucent at the Synova Laser MicroJet's 1064nm wavelength and cannot be laser-cored. For those materials Dynamic Process Group offers CNC diamond-tool coring — a mechanical process that resizes sapphire, glass, fused silica, quartz, silicon carbide and similar optical-grade substrates to a smaller diameter or custom outline, with flats and notches matched to your specification.

This page covers coring and resizing only. For dicing, drilling or micromachining of these materials, contact us with your drawing.

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Why CNC for These Materials

A laser cuts by being absorbed. Sapphire, glass, fused silica, quartz and SiC pass 1064nm light straight through, so the water-guided laser has nothing to couple to. CNC coring with diamond tooling does not depend on optical absorption — it works on any hard, brittle material regardless of transparency.

Diamond tooling — core drills and profile cutters matched to each material's hardness and fracture behavior
Coolant-flooded cutting — controls heat and clears swarf to protect the substrate surface
Edge finish — edge-rounded after coring; unpolished
Flats and notches — SEMI-standard or custom, oriented to your reference

Not sure which process your material needs? Send us the material and thickness. If it absorbs at 1064nm we core it on the Laser MicroJet; if it doesn't, it goes to CNC. Either way you get one quote from one shop.

Materials We CNC Core

Material	Notes
Sapphire (Al₂O₃)	C-plane, R-plane, A-plane; LED, RF and optical-window substrates
Fused silica	Optical and UV grades
Quartz	Crystalline quartz, AT- and ST-cut
Glass	Borosilicate (Borofloat, Pyrex), soda-lime, Eagle XG, custom
Silicon carbide (SiC)	4H and 6H; all doping levels
Freestanding GaN	Bulk GaN substrates without an absorbing carrier
Lithium niobate / lithium tantalate	LN, LT, and thin-film LN on carrier
Other transparent crystals	MgO, spinel, YAG, gallium oxide — contact us

Silicon, GaAs, InP and other 1064nm-absorbing semiconductors are cored on the Synova Laser MicroJet, which holds tighter tolerances.

CNC Coring Specifications

Input wafer sizes: 1" (25.4mm) through 12" (300mm)

Output sizes: Any standard or custom diameter down to 1" (25.4mm)

Shapes: Circular, square, rectangular, with primary flat, secondary flat, notch, or offset core

Diameter tolerance: ±200µm (±0.2mm)

Edge condition: Edge-rounded after coring; unpolished

Flat/notch orientation: Maintained to within ±1° of original wafer reference

Lead times: Standard ~2 weeks · Priority ~1 week · Critical 48 hours

Inspection: 100% dimensional inspection on all orders

Flat and notch orientation is maintained and matched to the original wafer's crystal reference. Custom offset coring — where the core center is shifted from the wafer center — is available on request.

How It Compares to Laser Coring

	Synova Laser MicroJet	CNC Diamond Coring
Materials	Absorb at 1064nm — Si, GaAs, InP, Ge, GaN-on-Si	Transparent or translucent — sapphire, glass, fused silica, quartz, SiC
Diameter tolerance	±0.1mm	±0.2mm
Max input	450mm	300mm
Contact	None — water-guided beam	Diamond tool, coolant-flooded
Patterned wafers	Yes, with vision alignment	Case by case

Industries Served

LED and microLED (sapphire)
RF filters and SAW/BAW devices (quartz, lithium niobate, lithium tantalate)
Photonics and integrated optics (fused silica, thin-film LN)
MEMS and microfluidics (borosilicate, fused silica)
Power electronics R&D (SiC)
Optical windows and wafer-level optics
Defense and aerospace (ITAR registered)

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't you laser-core sapphire or glass?: The Laser MicroJet operates at 1064nm. Sapphire, glass, fused silica, quartz and SiC are transparent at that wavelength, so the beam passes through without cutting. CNC diamond coring works regardless of transparency.
What tolerance do you hold on CNC-cored wafers?: ±200µm (±0.2mm) on diameter. If your application needs tighter, tell us — some materials can be finished closer on request.
Can you core bonded stacks that include glass?: Yes. Silicon-on-glass and glass-on-silicon stacks are cored on CNC. Send the stack description and thickness with your request.
Do you dice or drill these materials too?: This page covers coring and resizing only. For dicing, hole drilling or micromachining of transparent materials, contact us with a drawing and we will advise.
Do you offer NDA / confidential processing?: Yes. We are happy to sign an NDA prior to receiving material.

Get a Quote

Send us your material, input size, target output size, thickness, quantity, and any special requirements. We typically respond within one business day.