Test Structure Placement on a Semiconductor Wafer

A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, comprising:

• simulating a semiconductor wafer having an initial number of die regions, a scribe line region interposed between die regions, and a test structure disposed within the scribe line region, the scribe line region having an initial width between die regions in a top view and the test structure having a width in a top view;
• simulating moving the test structure to within one of the die regions, the scribe line region being free of test structures after the simulating moving;
• simulating reducing the initial width of the scribe line region to a reduced width such that the reduced width is smaller than the width of the test structure after the simulating reducing;
• simulating adding additional die regions to the semiconductor wafer;
• and
• manufacturing an integrated circuit device on a physical semiconductor wafer based on the simulated semiconductor wafer, the physical semiconductor wafer including:
• a final number of die regions greater than the initial number of die regions;
• a dedicated test die on the semiconductor wafer adjacent the plurality of spaced integrated circuit dies, the dedicated test die including the test structure formed on the dedicated test die that is disposed within one of the die regions;
• a plurality of spaced integrated circuit dies formed in respective die regions;
• the scribe line region interposed between the plurality of spaced integrated circuit dies, the scribe line region having the reduced width.

A method of fabricating integrated circuit devices, comprising:

• forming a plurality of exposure fields on a wafer, each exposure field in the plurality of exposure fields having a first number of spaced die regions and a scribe line region, the scribe line region interposed between die regions and having a first width being defined by a distance between adjacent die regions when viewed in a top view;
• forming a second number of integrated circuit dies in respective die regions of each exposure field in the plurality of exposure fields, the second number of integrated circuit dies being less than the first number of die regions;
• and
• forming a dedicated test die in one of the die regions in each exposure field in the plurality of exposure fields, the dedicated test die including a test structure having a second width when viewed in a top view and being operable to generate wafer evaluation data, and the second width of the test structure being greater than the first width of the scribe line region;
• wherein the scribe line region in each exposure field in the plurality of exposure fields is free of test structures.