The movement of individual wafers in a semiconductor facility is tracked via a set of coordinates that include rotational points of reference on the wafer that coincide with the wafer's location in the processing line. In an example embodiment, the method includes imparting angles of rotation on the wafers in different stages of the processing system. The different angles of rotation on each wafer are collected as data along with the wafer location in the processing system and the tool/equipment identification code. The combined angle of rotation and wafer location data is used to map the path the wafer has traveled from the onset of processing. An important advantage of the invention is the increased control and traceability that the invention brings to wafer processing.