Abstract: A method of making chip stacks begins with the formation of a plurality of panels having apertures therein and conductive pads on opposite sides thereof. Solder paste is deposited on the conductive pads prior to mounting plastic packaged IC chips within each of the apertures in each of the panels so that opposite leads thereof reside on the conductive pads at opposite sides of the apertures. The plural panels are then assembled into a stack, such as by use of a tooling jig which aligns the various panels and holds them together in compressed fashion. The assembled panel stack is heated so that the solder paste solders the leads of the packaged chips to the conductive pads and interfacing conductive pads of adjacent panels together, to form a panel stack comprised of a plurality of chip package stacks. Following cleaning of the panel stack to remove solder flux residue, the individual chip package stacks are separated from the panel stack by cutting and breaking the stack.