Electrical connector with embedded shell layer

An electrical connector comprising:

• a socket shell comprising a body having a socket cavity with an internal socket surface extending through the body, and at least one shell layer having a shell cavity and an external shell surface isomorphic to at least a portion of the internal socket surface and affixed as a layer to at least said portion of the internal socket surface, the at least one shell layer comprising a first shell material;
• and
• a contact probe comprising:
• at least one plunger slidably received in the shell cavity and extending through a first opening in a first end of the shell cavity, the at least one plunger including a tail slidably received in and contacting the at least one shell layer, and
• a biasing device configured to exert a biasing force on the at least one plunger.

A method of forming an electrical connector, the method comprising:

• affixing at least one layer to a core such that the at least one layer is isomorphic to at least a portion of an external surface of the core;
• inserting the core with the at least one layer into a socket cavity in a socket body of a socket shell, where the socket cavity comprises an internal socket surface extending through the body;
• removing the core from the socket cavity while leaving at least a portion of the at least one layer so that the at least one layer forms at least one shell layer affixed to the internal socket surface of the socket cavity, the at least one shell layer further comprising a shell cavity with an external shell surface isomorphic to at least a portion of the internal socket surface and affixed as a layer to at least the portion of the internal socket surface, the at least one shell layer comprising a first shell material;
• and
• inserting at least one plunger and a biasing device into the shell cavity so that the at least one plunger is slidably received in the shell cavity and extends through a first opening in a first end of the shell cavity, so that the biasing device exerts a biasing force on the at least one plunger, and so that a tail of the at least one plunger is slidably received in and contacts the at least one shell layer, the at least one plunger and the biasing device forming a contact probe.