PURPOSE: To prevent the breakdown of a semiconductor device by a scattered molten wafer material at the time of laser printing by partially recessing the rear surface of a wafer and using the recessed area as the printing area of recognizing symbols with a laser beam.

CONSTITUTION: A recessed section 1 having an arbitrary depth is formed in the orientation flat 3 area of a wafer 2 by grinding or etching the wafer with a grinder or chemical, etc., at the time of machining the wafer 2. The depth of the section 1 is adjusted to the height of a small formed when printing is made with a laser beam. When the depth of the section 1 is set at about 10μm, symbols which are distinctive until the final manufacturing process of a semiconductor device can be printed. Basically, when no semiconductor device is formed on the front surface side of the wafer 2 facing the area 1, a sufficient margin can be obtained. Therefore, even when small are formed when the material of the wafer 2 is melted with a laser beam at the time of printing symbols, the shifting of the pattern of the semiconductor device can be prevented without deteriorating the surface flatness of the water 2.