Abstract: One aspect of the present invention relates to a method of dicing a substrate containing a plurality of non-rectangular shaped optical integrated circuits, involving forming stop cracks in the wafer, each stop crack adjacent and substantially parallel one of the non-rectangular shaped optical integrated circuits, and cutting the substrate in a curvilinear manner substantially parallel to a stop crack. Another aspect of the present invention relates to an optical structure containing a substrate; a plurality of non-rectangular shaped optical integrated circuits on the substrate, each non-rectangular shaped optical integrated circuit having an active region; and at least one stop crack positioned adjacent each non-rectangular shaped optical integrated circuit.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to cut irregularly shaped dice from a wafer using a fluid jet cutting system. One embodiment of the invention involves a method to cut irregularly shaped dice from a wafer, such as planar light-wave circuit device. The method includes placing a wafer on a fixture; aligning the wafer in the fixture to expose the dice to a fluid jet cutting nozzle; supplying an abrasive to the fluid jet cutting nozzle; supplying a pressurized fluid to the fluid jet cutting nozzle expelling the abrasive in combination with the fluid from the fluid jet cutting nozzle at a velocity sufficient to cut through the wafer, while the fluid jet cutting nozzle moves in relation to the wafer in the fixture; and removing the dice from the fixture after the dice have been cut from the wafer. A second embodiment of the invention is directed to an apparatus to provide a wafer die cutting system to cut a wafer.