Abstract: An improved back cut method is provided in a dicing procedure for separating a plurality of printheads formed in a silicon wafer. The wafer has alignment fiducial marks formed within a composite wafer. Infrared light is directed into the wafer and is reflected back through the wafer from the fiducial marks. The reflected light is detected by a CCD camera mounted on a dicing saw. The fiducial coordinates are stored in memory and displayed so that the dicing saw can be aligned with regard to the alignment marks. A back cut operation is enabled so that the saw partially cuts through the composite wafer. A subsequent dicing step separates individual printheads from the wafer.