Semiconductor device fabrication including a non-destructive method for examining lithographically defined features

A method of semiconductor integrated circuit fabrication comprising the steps of:

• coating a substrate surface of at least one wafer of a lot having a plurality of wafers with a positive resist;
• exposing selectively said resist to radiation at least two times, one of said times defining integrated circuit features, one of said times defining edge type features, at least one of said edge type features overlapping at least one of said integrated circuit features;
• developing said resist;
• examining at least one region where said integrated circuit features and edge type features overlap to produce a photocleave at said integrated circuit features, said photocleave generating a cross section of said integrated circuit features;
• and
• continuing device fabrication of said wafers of said lot if information derived from the photocleave is adequate.