Two continuous lead strips are advanced longitudinally to receive a semiconductor element therebetween. The semiconductor element is attached to the strips, the semiconductor element is encapsulated, and the strips are segmented to form a semiconductor device. The strips may be fed in side by side or transverse relation. To form a bridge two strips are fed in side by side relation while two more strips are fed in transverse relation to the first two and in side by side relation to each other.