Systems and methods for manufacturing flexible electronics are described herein. Methods in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include disposing electrical features, such as thin film circuits, on a first side of a glass substrate, applying a first protective material over the electronic features, and exposing a second side of the glass substrate to a chemical etching tank to thin the glass substrate to a predetermined thickness. The thinning process can remove cracks and other defects from the second side of the glass substrate and enhance the flexibility of the electronic assembly. A second protective material can be disposed on the second side of the thinned glass substrate to maintain the enhanced backside surface of the glass substrate. In some embodiments, the method also includes singulating the plurality of electronic features into individual electronic components by submerging the electronic assembly into a chemical etching tank.