Systems and methods are provided for fabricating compliant spring contacts for use in, for example, IC packaging and interconnection between multi-layers in stacked IC packages and electronic components. Internal stresses generated within an formed film are released to cause the film to buckle and/or bow away from a supporting terminal. A thin stressed metal film layer is selectively broken away from the substrate of the supporting terminal allowing the stressed metal film to take on a bowed and/or spring-like shaped through minute deformation based on a release of the internal stresses. The resultant thin compliant spring contact can deform a small amount as the spring contact is then pressed against a compatible mating contact surface in an overlying layer.