A calibration pod for calibrating a robotic wafer pod handling apparatus includes a pod body configured for handling by the robotic pod handling apparatus, at least one laser disposed on a bottom of the pod body, and a power module disposed on or in the pod body and operatively connected to power the at least one laser. In a manufacturing method, the pod body comprises a wafer carrier for carrying a cassette of semiconductor wafers, which has a bottom with a plurality of holes for aligning placement of the wafer carrier in a load port of a semiconductor device fabrication facility. The at least one laser here includes a plurality of lasers corresponding to the plurality of holes in the bottom of the wafer carrier, and each laser is mounted in a respective hole of the bottom of the wafer carrier.