Apparatus for forming wire bonds from circuitry on a substrate to a semiconductor chip, and methods of forming semiconductor chip assemblies

A method of forming a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing a substrate having circuitry formed thereover and a slit extending therethrough;
• joining a semiconductor chip to the substrate, the semiconductor chip being beneath the substrate and having an upper surface facing the substrate, the semiconductor chip having bonding regions associated with its upper surface;
• forming a plurality of wires joined to the circuitry and extending at least partially across the slit;
• simultaneously pressing at least two of the wires into the slit with a tool configured to simultaneously press at least two of the wires down to about the upper surface of the semiconductor chip;
• lifting the tool from the wires;
• and
• after lifting the tool, and with the tool no longer pressing the wires down to about the upper surface of the semiconductor chip, adhering the wires to the bonding regions associated with the upper surface of the semiconductor chip without pressing the wires down to the bonding regions using a second tool.

A method of forming a semiconductor chip assembly, comprising:

• providing a substrate having a conductive trace formed thereon;
• coupling a semiconductor chip to the substrate, the semiconductor chip having a bond pad on a surface thereof;
• bonding a conductive lead to the conductive trace;
• pressing the conductive lead with a tool to position a portion of the conductive lead at least proximate to the bond pad;
• releasing the conductive lead;
• and
• after releasing the conductive lead, and with the tool no longer pressing the conductive lead, bonding the portion of the conductive lead to the bond pad without pressing the conductive lead with a second tool.