Methods for controlling wafer breakage during ingot slicing operations

A method of slicing wafers from a monocrystalline semiconductor ingot, the method comprising:

• attaching a circumferential edge of the ingot to a bond beam;
• positioning sacrificial disks adjacent longitudinal end faces of the ingot, wherein one sacrificial disk is positioned adjacent each of the longitudinal end faces, wherein the ingot has an outer ingot diameter and the sacrificial disks each have an outer disk diameter that is smaller than the outer ingot diameter;
• attaching a circumferential edge of each of the sacrificial disks to the bond beam such that each sacrificial disk is axially offset from a longitudinal axis of the adjacent longitudinal end face;
• connecting the bond beam to a wire saw that includes a wire web;
• and
• performing a slicing operation on the ingot by operating the wire saw to drive the wire web and move the bond beam and the ingot towards the wire web to slice the wafers from the ingot,
• wherein the sacrificial disks operate to inhibit uncontrolled breakage of the wafers during the slicing operation.