Patent ID: 7005221
Filing Date: 2006-02-28
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A method of printing a wafer, comprising: printing a design within a peripheral portion of the wafer, wherein the peripheral portion of the wafer is between an outer boundary of the active portion of the wafer and an outer boundary of the wafer, wherein said printing the design comprises passing light through an exposure apparatus having a reticle and a reticle blind, wherein the reticle includes a pattern, wherein a first portion of the light is blocked by the reticle blind, wherein a remaining portion of the light passes through a transparent portion of the reticle and is focused onto the wafer by a lens of the apparatus, wherein the remaining portion of the light prints the design as an image of a portion of the pattern, and wherein the printed design is a function of where the reticle blind is positioned relative to the pattern; and determining whether the reticle blind is correctly placed within the exposure apparatus, said determining being based on where the design is printed within the peripheral portion of the wafer.