Abstract: A carrier tape (20) is provided for assembling components to make semiconductor devices. The tape (20) is made from soft, copper foil (21). Patterns (27) containing clusters (24) of inner leads (28) and (30) are accurately formed into tape (20) for bonding to chips (52).Tape (20) is indexed for bonding the free ends (36) of inner leads (28) and (30) to pads (54) of chip (52). Then tape (20) is indexed for bonding fixed ends (34) of leads (28) and (30) to stiff outer leads (86).Leads (28) and (30) in cluster (24) are deformed into a precise bell-like shape called a "bug" with chip (52) riding horizontally on top of the bell. Bugging develops flexural and tensile stresses and bonding causes thermal stresses in leads (28) and (30). Such stresses can shift or twist bug (51); warp the structural margin (26) and holes (22) of tape (20), and they can distort adjacent lead clusters (24) on tape (20).One or more stress relief sites (39) are provided in leads (28) and (30) to uniformly control such stresses.