Methods of manufacture of electric circuit substrates and components having multiple electric characteristics and substrates and components so manufactured

Abstract

The present invention is directed to methods for producing substrates for electric circuits, particularly ultra high frequency circuits, and electric components for mounting thereon employing for the purpose mixtures of polymers and finely powdered filler materials, the latter having specific electric characteristics, such as dielectric constant and/or resistivity. Any one substrate or component can be manufactured to have at least two body regions, and even multiple body regions, each of which has a different characteristic such as dielectric constant or resistivity. The regions can be formed separately as substrate or component preforms and thereafter placed together in a mold and united into a single body by a heating and pressing operation that at least melts polymer at the junctions to bond them together. If necessary, the heat and pressure conditions are such as to melt the polymer and force it uniformly into the interstices between the filler particles to form a strong, unitary body. The characteristics can be specifically chosen to assist in impedance matching facilitating the circuit design. Articles produced according to the methods of the invention can be made to have fixed external physical dimensions despite differences in the sizes of the operative elements therein; one of the body regions can encapsulate the other region or regions to simultaneously package them. In addition to significantly increasing ease of circuit design, the components themselves, when manufactured according to the methods of the invention, require fewer additional steps than many common prior art methods.