APPARATUS FOR USE IN SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER PROCESSING FOR LATERALLY DISPLACING INDIVIDUAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER

A chip-scale or wafer-level package, having passivation layers on substantially all surfaces thereof to form a hermetically sealed package, is provided. The package may be formed by disposing a first passivation layer on the passive or back side surface of a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer may be attached to a flexible membrane and diced, such as by a wafer saw, to separate the semiconductor devices. Once diced, the flexible membrane may be stretched so as to laterally displace the individual semiconductor devices away from one another and substantially expose the side edges thereof. Once the side edges of the semiconductor devices are exposed, a passivation layer may be formed on the side edges and active surfaces of the devices. A portion of the passivation layer over the active surface of each semiconductor device may be removed so as to expose conductive elements formed therebeneath.