Short interconnect assembly with strip elastomer

An electrical contact for use in an integrated circuit (IC) device testing apparatus, comprising:

• a bottom socket housing having a plurality of grooves running parallel with respect to each other, said grooves located on an upper side of said bottom socket housing, and a plurality of ducts which pierce through from said upper side to a lower side of said bottom socket housing, said plurality of ducts spaced along each said groove;
• a plurality of bottom rows, each said bottom row comprising a plurality of rigid bottom pins, each said bottom pin having two concave surfaces sloping towards each other, each said bottom pin having an upper end, each said bottom pin adapted to be inserted through each said duct, and each said bottom pin formed of an electrically conductive material;
• a plurality of top rows, each said top row comprising a plurality of flexible top pins, each said top pin having a contact head at its top end, a horizontal member having two ends and joined at its center to a bottom part of said contact head, a first and a second arm joined to and extending downwards from each horizontal member end, said arms having an inwards bias such that an inner surface of each said arm is pressed in contact with each said concave surface, said top pin formed of an electrically conductive material, and each said top row aligned with each said bottom row;
• and
• a plurality of elastomer strips, each said elastomer strip running along the length of each said bottom row and top row, cross sections of each elastomer strip enclosed within said upper ends of said plurality of bottom pins in each bottom row, and said horizontal members and said arms in each top row
• wherein during a test of an IC device, the device is lowered onto said top pin, thereby pushing it down and compressing at least a portion of said elastomer strip while simultaneously spreading said arms as they slide down the said sloping concave surfaces.