Shielded carrier with components for land grid array connectors

A connector assembly, comprising:

• a) a shielded carrier comprising a substantially planar dielectric layer having an upper surface and a lower surface and having a substantially contiguous conductive shielding layer disposed on at least one of said surfaces, said carrier having a plurality of openings substantially completely therethrough, said openings being adapted to receive a contact member therein, and an electrical component operatively connected to said carrier and disposed in one location:
• on one of said surfaces of said carrier, and embedded within said carrier, wherein said carrier comprises a first, planar dielectric layer and a second, planar dielectric layer disposed substantially parallel to said first dielectric layer, said first and said second dielectric layers being separated by an intermediate retention layer disposed therebetween, wherein each opening of said plurality of openings has a first cross-sectional area in said first and second dielectric layers and a second, smaller cross-sectional area in said intermediate retention layer, wherein a portion of said intermediate retention layer, disposed between said first cross-sectional area and said smaller cross-sectional area within said plurality of openings, comprises a segmented portion;
• and
• b) a pluraity of elongated, resilient electrically conductive contacts, each having a proximal and a distal end, each of said contacts being disposed, respectively, in one of said plurality of openings, said ends of said contacts each being adapted for abutting, pressing electrical contact with conductive surfaces adjacent thereto;
• whereby a separable electrical connector is formed wherein said plurality of elongated contacts have sufficient length to exceed a height of said electrical component disposed on said surface of said carrier and said connector is selectively connectable to and separable from said adjacent conductive surfaces.