Methods of protecting semiconductor devices may involve forming trenches in streets between stacks of semiconductor dice on regions of a semiconductor wafer. A protective material may be positioned between the die stacks and in the trenches, after which the wafer is thinned from a side opposite the die stacks to expose the protective material in the trenches. Semiconductor devices comprising stacks of dice and corresponding base semiconductor dice comprising wafer regions are separated from one another by cutting through the protective material along the streets and in the trenches. The protective material covers at least sides of each die stack as well as side surfaces of the corresponding base semiconductor die.