Methods of protecting peripheries of in-process semiconductor wafers and related in-process wafers and systems

Abstract

Methods of processing semiconductor wafers may involve, for example, encapsulating an active surface and each side surface of a wafer of semiconductor material, a plurality of semiconductor devices located on the active surface of the wafer, an exposed side surface of an adhesive material located on a back side surface of the wafer, and at least a portion of a side surface of a carrier substrate secured to the wafer by the adhesive material in an encapsulation material. At least a portion of the side surface of the adhesive material may be exposed by removing at least a portion of the encapsulation material. The carrier substrate may be detached from the wafer. Processing systems and in-process semiconductor wafers are also disclosed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.