Method for producing thermally matched probe assembly

A method for forming a guide plate for at least one contact for contacting regions on a surface of a semiconductor device to be tested, comprising:

• forming of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to that of the device, at least one hole in the guide plate for receiving an electrical contact for contacting at least one respective region on said surface, said at least one hole being sized and shaped so as to accept said electrical contact, while allowing said electrical contact to move with respect to said hole in said guide plate;
• said at least one hole being formed by:
• applying a mask to a first side of said guide plate, said mask having an opening for defining said at least one hole;
• applying an etch stopping layer to a second side of said guide plate;
• etching, from said first side of said guide plate, said at least one hole through the opening in the mask so that a notch region is formed in said guide plate at said stopping layer to define a chamfer having a dimension larger than a dimension of said opening in said mask;
• removing said mask;
• forming a chamfer of said at least one hole at the first side of said guide plate;
• and
• removing said etch stopping layer to expose said at least one hole at said second side of said guide plate.