Methods for wafer-level packaging of microelectronic devices and microelectronic devices formed by such methods

A method for protecting a microelectronic device, the method comprising:

• providing a microelectronic workpiece having an active side, a backside, and a plurality of dies at the active side of the workpiece, wherein the dies include integrated circuitry and bond-pads coupled to the integrated circuitry;
• providing a redistribution assembly at the active side of the workpiece, the redistribution assembly having a dielectric layer over the dies, ball-pads arranged in ball-pad arrays corresponding to the dies, and traces coupling the bond-pads of a die to the ball-pads of a corresponding ball-pad array;
• covering the backside of the workpiece with a coating of protective material in a flowable state before separating the dies;
• changing the protective material to a non-flowable state;
• attaching a plurality of solder balls to the ball-pads;
• and
• covering the dielectric layer with a protective film that surrounds at least a portion of the solder balls.

A method for fabricating a microelectronic device, comprising:

• providing a microelectronic workpiece having an active side and a backside, the microelectronic workpiece having a plurality of dies at the active side, the dies including integrated circuitry and bond-pads coupled to the integrated circuitry;
• fabricating a redistribution layer before separating the dies from each other, the redistribution layer having a dielectric layer over the dies, ball-pads arranged in ball-pad arrays corresponding to the dies, and traces coupling the bond-pads of a die to the ball-pads of a corresponding ball-pad array;
• covering the backside of the workpiece with a protective material in a flowable state before separating the dies from each other;
• and
• curing the protective material to create a protective layer on the backside of the workpiece.