A compliant contact pin assembly and a contactor card and methods for
testing therewith are provided. The compliant contact pin assembly
includes a contact pin formed from a portion of a substrate with the
contact pin compliantly held suspended within the substrate by a
compliant coupling structure. The suspension within the substrate results
in a compliant deflection orthogonal to the plane of the substrate. The
contact pin assembly is formed by generally thinning the substrate around
the contact pin location and then specifically thinning the substrate
immediately around the contact pin location for forming a void. The
contact pin is compliantly coupled, in one embodiment by compliant
coupling material, and in another embodiment by compliantly flexible
portions of the substrate.