Forming electrical connection between wire electrode and metallic contact surface

A wire electrode 30, with a metallic core 32 surrounded by a sheath of insulating material 34, is positioned over a metallic contact 20 of an integrated circuit. Mechanical force is applied to break the sheath 34, exposing part of the metallic core 32. A bonding wire of the same material as the metallic core 32 is provided in a capillary 6. Electrical charge, heat or ultrasonic vibration is used to melt a tip of the bonding wire, which is pressed towards the wire electrode 30, to connect the exposed core 32 and the metallic contact 20. A ball bonding machine may be used. The capillary 6 may have a sharpened edge. Loose pieces of broken insulating material may be removed by compressed air or a solvent. The method reduces electrical resistance of the wire bond, and may be used to connect glass insulated Taylor-Ulitovsky ultramicroelectrodes (UME) for electrochemical/electrophysiological probes, neural sensing, measurement, stimulation and brain mapping.