Glass-ceramic-copper microwave encapsulations and mountings

Methods of preparing microwave encapsulations for gallium-arsenide diodes, using a glass-ceramic-copper combination, have been developed. These encapsulations are not only cheaper than alumina- or beryllia-based ones, but the glass ceramic used has the additional advantage of more favourable microwave properties and permits a considerably greater flexibility of design of components and encapsulations than was previously available. Selected patterns can be produced in the dielectric, over large or small areas, to the tolerances compatible with integrated-circuit technologies. This opens up new possibilities and many applications over a wide range of frequencies.