A silicon wafer with an array of integrated circuit (IC) dies formed on the wafer is provided with a protective coat applied to a surface of the wafer to protect the IC dies from debris created during a laser scribing process. The IC dies can include die bumps that can be adversely affected by debris from the laser scribing process. The protective coat is a tape or a film that may be optically transparent, chemically non-reactive to the laser energy and formed of material that can be ablated by the laser scribing. The protective coat is removed from the IC dies after laser scribing leaving the IC dies and die bumps clean of any debris, thereby decreasing the number of defective dies.