Nanofabricated devices are generally made in batches on wafers and need to be separated or packaged before use. This separation can be achieved through wet or dry dicing. In a wet dicing operation, a precision, high-speed, diamond impregnated blade is used to mill narrow grooves between the devices either partially or completely through the wafer.

During this process, water is circulated over the cutting surface to cool the blade and prevent the liberation of dangerous particulates into the air. Materials which would be damaged by water are diced using a dry process known as scribing. Scribing utilises a diamond tipped stylus which is drawn across the wafer surface creating lines of high-stress which are later broken over precision fulcrum.