PURPOSE: To make the solderability of the tip part of a lead good by a method wherein a stepped part or a recessed part is formed in a part to be used as the tip of an outer lead when the lead is shaped and a section to be used as the tip of the lead is plated.

CONSTITUTION: A stepped part 11 or a recessed part 12 is formed in a part to be used as the tip of an outer lead 1 when a lead is shaped; a section to be used as the tip of the lead is plated. For example, a stepped part 11 is formed by deforming an outer lead 1 at the outside by a coining operation so as to be lifted at a part to be used as the tip of the outer lead 1 from the lead expansion length, of a lead frame, from which a desired size is obtained when a lead found in advance by a calculation is shaped. Alternatively a recessed part 12 is formed by a length of about 1mm to its outside by an etching operation or a coining operation. The depth of the stepped part 11 or the recessed part 12 is set to about 2/3 of the thickness of the lead frame and the section of the tip of the lead is plated to be about 2/3 of the thickness of the lead.