Microelectronic imaging units and methods for manufacturing a plurality of imaging units at the wafer level are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a plurality of imaging units includes providing an imager workpiece having a plurality of imaging dies including integrated circuits, external contacts electrically coupled to the integrated circuits, and image sensors operably coupled to the integrated circuits. The individual image sensors include at least one dark current pixel at a perimeter portion of the image sensor. The method includes depositing a cover layer onto the workpiece and over the image sensors. The method further includes patterning and selectively developing the cover layer to form discrete volumes of cover layer material over corresponding image sensors. The discrete volumes of cover layer material have sidewalls aligned with an inboard edge of the individual dark current pixels such that the dark current pixels are not covered by the discrete volumes.