Marking wafers using pigmentation in a mounting tape

Wafer level techniques for marking the back surfaces of integrated circuit devices are described. A wafer mounting tape is provided that includes releasable pigments. The pigments can be released by exposing the mounting tape to a selected frequency of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., UV light). The released pigments mark the back surface of the wafer. The exposure and pigmentation may be controlled using a variety of techniques including servo control of a light source, the use of masks or reticles or other suitable techniques. The marking may be done on any suitable back surface material including polymeric backcoatings, metalized films or directly on semiconductor materials.