Abstract: An improved process for forming individual dies having faces that allow the dies to be assembled against other like dies to form one and/or two dimensional scanning arrays with minimal chipping and fracturing wherein the active side of a wafer is etched to form separation grooves with the wall of the grooves adjoining the die presenting a relatively wide surface to facilitate sawing, wide grooves are cut in the inactive side of the wafer opposite each separation grooves, and the wafer cut by sawing along the separation grooves, the saw being located so that the side of the saw blade facing the die is aligned with the midpoint of the wide wall so that on sawing the bottom half of the wall and the remainder of the grooves are obliterated leaving the top half of the wall to prevent cracking and chipping during sawing.

Abstract: Sensor array architectures for both analog and digital sensor arrays adapted for single chip applications or abutment with other like arrays to form a composite scanning array, the architecture providing a sensor array in which the array video signal processing circuits, clock circuits, etc. are integrated onto the same chip as the sensor array itself and dark reference sensors are located in-line or apart from the image scanning sensors to avoid gaps in the scan line when several sensor arrays are assembled together.