# US 10,770,776 B2 · Vertical switched filter bank > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,770,776 B2 - Document ID: US10770776B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/128,465 - Filed: 2018-09-11 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2020-09-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-12 - Assignees: Knowles Cazenovia, Inc. - Applicants: Knowles Cazenovia, Inc. - Inventors: David Bates - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10770776B2 ## CPC - H01P 5/16: Conjugate devices, i.e. devices having at least one port decoupled from one other port - H01P 1/20: Frequency-selective devices, e.g. filters - H01P 3/081: {Microstriplines} - H01P 11/003: {Manufacturing lines with conductors on a substrate, e.g. strip lines, slot lines} - H05K 1/0243: {Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components} - H05K 1/028: {Bending or folding regions of flexible printed circuits (H05K1/0283 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/115: {Via connections; Lands around holes or via connections (H05K1/112 takes precedence)} - H05K 1/144: {Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards} - H05K 1/147: {at least one of the printed circuits being bent or folded, e.g. by using a flexible printed circuit (H05K1/148 takes precedence)} - H05K 3/0011: {Working of insulating substrates or insulating layers} - H05K 3/22: Secondary treatment of printed circuits {(H05K3/1283 takes precedence; embedding circuits in grooves by pressure H05K3/107)} - H05K 3/32: electrically connecting electric components or wires to printed circuits - H05K 3/361: {Assembling flexible printed circuits with other printed circuits} - H05K 3/4691: {Rigid-flexible multilayer circuits comprising rigid and flexible layers, e.g. having in the bending regions only flexible layers} - H10W 42/20: protecting against electromagnetic or particle radiation, e.g. light, X-rays, gamma-rays or electrons - H10W 44/20: at high-frequency [HF] or radio frequency [RF] - H10W 70/611: {for connecting multiple chips together} - H10W 70/688: {Flexible insulating substrates} - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H05K 1/0216: {Reduction of cross-talk, noise or electromagnetic interference (grounding H05K1/0215)} - H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits - H05K 3/363: {by soldering} - H05K 2201/041: Stacked PCBs, i.e. having neither an empty space nor mounted components in between - H05K 2201/042: Stacked spaced PCBs; Planar parts of folded flexible circuits having mounted components in between or spaced from each other - H05K 2201/058: Direct connection between two or more FPCs or between flexible parts of rigid PCBs - H05K 2201/10053: Switch - H05K 2201/1006: Non-printed filter - H10W 44/216: {Waveguides, e.g. strip lines} - H10W 44/251: {for monolithic microwave integrated circuits [MMIC]} - H10W 70/60: Insulating or insulated package substrates; Interposers; Redistribution layers (leadframes H10W70/40) - H10W 90/701: {characterised by the relative positions of pads or connectors relative to package parts} - H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H01P: WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE (operating at optical frequencies G02B) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A microwave or radio frequency (RF) device includes stacked printed circuit boards (PCBs) mounted on a flexible PCB having at least one ground plane and a signal terminal. Each of the stacked PCBs includes through-holes the sidewalls of which are coated with a conductive material. Microwave components are mounted on the flexible PCB within the through-holes, such that signal terminals of the components bond to signal terminals of respective through-holes. A conductive cover is mounted on the PCBs such that the cover is in electrical contact with the ground plane of the flexible PCB through the conductive material, forming shielding cavities around the components. The flexible PCB is folded such that the cover of one PCB faces the cover of the second PCB. The flexible PCB includes striplines or microstrips that carry RF or microwave signals to the signal terminals. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A microwave device, comprising: a first substrate having a top surface, the top surface having at least one ground terminal and at least one signal terminal of the first substrate; a second substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the second substrate disposed over the top surface of the first substrate, the second substrate having a through-hole extending between the first surface and the second surface; a conductive material covering sidewalls of the through-hole, and covering at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface at rim edges of the through-hole, the conductive material on the first surface in electrical contact with the at least one ground terminal of the first substrate; a microwave component disposed within the through-hole and on the top surface of the first substrate, the microwave component having a ground terminal in electrical contact with the at least one ground terminal of the first substrate, and a signal terminal in electrical contact with the at least one signal terminal of the first substrate; a cover at least partially covering the through-hole, the cover including a conductive surface in electrical contact with the conductive material covering at least a portion of the second surface of the second substrate; at least one transmission line coupled to the at least one signal terminal, the at least one transmission line formed in the first substrate and below the top surface of the first substrate; and a dielectric material in the first substrate covering at least a portion of the at least one transmission line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The microwave device of claim 1, comprising: a first ground plane and a second ground plane disposed on the first substrate, the at least one transmission line disposed between the first ground plane and the second ground plane. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the conductive material covers all surfaces of the sidewalls of the through-hole. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the conductive material comprises a layer of conductive material having a mesh structure. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The microwave device of claim 1, comprising: a first ground plane disposed over the top surface of the first substrate, the first ground plane, the conductive material, and the cover forming a shielding enclosure for the microwave component. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The microwave device of claim 1, wherein the microwave component has a thickness between 0.045 inches to 0.055 inches. ### Claim 7 A microwave device, comprising: a first substrate having a top surface, the top surface having at least one ground terminal and at least one signal terminal of the first substrate; a second substrate having a first surface and an opposing second surface, the second substrate disposed over the top surface of the first substrate, the second substrate having a through-hole extending between the first surface and the second surface; a conductive material covering sidewalls of the through-hole, and covering at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface at rim edges of the through-hole, the conductive material on the first surface in electrical contact with the at least one ground terminal of the first substrate; a microwave component disposed within the through-hole and on the top surface of the first substrate, the microwave component having a ground terminal in electrical contact with the at least one ground terminal of the first substrate, and a signal terminal in electrical contact with the at least one signal terminal of the first substrate; a cover at least partially covering the through-hole, the cover including a conductive surface in electrical contact with the conductive material covering at least a portion of the second surface of the second substrate; and at least one microstrip transmission line coupled to the at least one signal terminal, the at least one microstrip transmission line disposed over the top surface of the first substrate. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The microwave device of claim 7, wherein a cavity extends over the at least one microstrip transmission line and is located below the first surface of the second substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The microwave device of claim 7, comprising: a ground plane disposed on the first substrate, the at least one microstrip transmission line separated from the ground plane by a dielectric material. ### Claim 10 A microwave device, comprising: a first substrate having a first ground plane; a second substrate including a plurality of through-holes having conductive sidewalls; a plurality of microwave components disposed over the first substrate within the respective through-holes; a conductive cover disposed over the second substrate and positioned to at least partially cover the plurality of through-holes, the cover electrically coupled to the first ground plane via the conductive sidewalls; a plurality of transmission lines coupled to a respective signal terminal of the plurality of microwave components; a dielectric material disposed in the first substrate covering at least a portion of each of the plurality of transmission lines; and a second ground plane disposed on the first substrate, wherein the plurality of transmission lines are disposed non-coplanar in relation to the first ground plane and to the second ground plane. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The microwave device of claim 10, wherein the first substrate includes a plurality of signal terminals, each signal terminal of the plurality of signal terminals coupled to a signal terminal of a respective microwave component of the plurality of microwave components. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The microwave device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of microwave components are configured to operate within a frequency range of 300 MHz to 300 GHz. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The microwave device of claim 10, wherein the conductive sidewalls include a layer of conductive material having a mesh shaped structure. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The microwave device of claim 10, wherein the plurality of microwave components have a thickness between 0.045 inches to 0.055 inches. ### Claim 15 A microwave device, comprising: a first substrate having a first ground plane; a second substrate including a plurality of through-holes having conductive sidewalls; a plurality of microwave components disposed over the first substrate within the respective through-holes; a conductive cover disposed over the second substrate and positioned to at least partially cover the plurality of through-holes, the conductive cover electrically coupled to the first ground plane via the conductive sidewalls; and a plurality of microstrip transmission lines coupled to a respective signal terminal of the plurality of microwave components, at least one of the plurality of microstrip transmission lines disposed over a top surface of the first substrate, the top surface of the first substrate facing the second substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The microwave device of claim 15, comprising: a plurality of cavities each extending over a respective one of the plurality of microstrip transmission lines and located below a first surface of the second substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The microwave device of claim 15, comprising: a ground plane disposed on the first substrate, the plurality of microstrip transmission lines separated from the ground plane by a dielectric material.