Patent ID: 6959489

Claim:
A method of making a microelectronic package comprising steps of: providing a substrate having a plurality of conductive leads at a first surface thereof, said conductive leads having first ends permanently attached to said substrate and second ends remote from the first ends, the second ends of said leads being movable relative to the first ends of said leads; providing one or more microelectronic elements having contact bearing surfaces and back surfaces remote therefrom and juxtaposing the contact bearing surfaces of said microelectronic elements with the first surface of said substrate; connecting the contacts of said microelectronic elements with the releasable ends of said leads; attaching a substantially rigid plate to the back surfaces of said microelectronic elements; moving said substantially rigid plate and said microelectronic elements attached thereto away from said substrate so as to vertically extend said leads between said substrate and said microelectronic elements, wherein said substantially rigid plate is moved to a precise height above said substrate; and while maintaining said substantially rigid plate at the precise height above said substrate, dispensing a spacer material between said plate and said substrate and at least partially curing said spacer material, wherein said at least partially cured spacer material holds said substantially rigid plate at the precise height above said substrate.