RF printed circuit module and method of making same

An electronic module for an RF device, comprising:

• (a) a first single-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer;
• (b) a second single-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• (c) a double-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a first metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer and a second metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer, wherein said first and second metal layers are etched to form desired lumped and distributed circuit elements, said lumped circuit elements comprising capacitive elements and said double-clad sheet being positioned between and attached to said first and second single-clad sheets;
• (d) edge-plating along the perimeter of said electronic module connecting said metal layers of said first and second single-clad sheets;
• and
• (c) a pair of external terminals formed on at least one side of said electronic module to permit electrical connection thereto by a surface mounting arrangement.

A production panel, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of interconnecting divider/support strips;
• (b) a plurality of RF printed circuit module clusters arrayed in said production panel, said clusters including a plurality of RF printed circuit modules connected to said divider/support strips by means of support tabs;
• and
• (c) means for measuring the impedance of a transmission line located on said production panel.

A process for making an RF printed circuit module, comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a double-clad sheet having a dielectric layer with a first metal layer attached to a to surface of said dielectric layer and a second metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• (b) etching said first and second metal layers of said double-clad sheet in a specified pattern to form desired lumped and distributed circuit elements thereon;
• (c) attaching a first single-clad sheet to the top of said double-clad sheet, said first single-clad sheet having a dielectric layer and a metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer;
• (d) attaching a second single-clad sheet to the bottom of said double-clad sheet, said second single-clad sheet having a dielectric layer and a metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• (e) edge-plating the periphery of said RF printed circuit module between said metal layers of said first and second single-clad sheets;
• (f) forming external terminals on at least one side of said RF printed circuit module to permit electrical connection thereto by a surface mounting arrangement;
• and
• (g) providing an outer layer around said first single-clad sheet, said second single-clad sheet, and said double-clad sheet.

A process for making a plurality of RF printed circuit modules substantially simultaneously on a production panel, comprising the following steps;

• (a) providing a double-clad sheet having a dielectric layer with a first metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer and a second metal layer attached to bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• (b) etching said first and second metal layers of said double-clad sheet in a specified pattern to form desired lumped and distributed circuit elements thereon;
• (c) attaching a second single-clad sheet to the top of said double-clad sheet, said first single-clad sheet having a dielectric layer and a metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer;
• (d) attaching a second single-clad sheet to the bottom of said double-clad sheet said second single-clad sheet having a dielectric layer and a metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• (e) cutting slots into said production panel to establish the perimeter of each RF printed circuit module, wherein at least one support tab remains attaching each said RF printed circuit module to at least one of an adjacent RF printed circuit module or said production panel;
• (f) edge-plating the periphery of each said RF printed circuit module between said metal layers of said first and second single-clad sheets;
• and
• (g) forming external terminals on at least one side of each said RF printed circuit module to permit electrical connection thereto by a surface mounting arrangement.

An electronic module for an RF device, comprising:

• (a) a first single-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer;
• (b) a second single-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer;
• and
• (c) a double-clad sheet including a dielectric layer having a first metal layer attached to a top surface of said dielectric layer and a second metal layer attached to a bottom surface of said dielectric layer, wherein a first set of capacitor plates are etched onto said first metal layer of said double-clad sheet and a second set of capacitor plates are etched onto said second metal layer of said double-clad sheet, said double-clad sheet being positioned between and attached to said first and second single-clad sheets;
• wherein said first and second sets of capacitor plates of said first and second metal layers of said double-clad sheet are sized and arranged so that at least some of the capacitor plates of said first set extend past the capacitor plates of said second set in a first direction and at least some of the capacitor plates of said second set extend past the capacitor plates of said first set in a second direction substantially perpendicular to said first direction, whereby changes in capacitance values are minimized during parallel shifts of one metal layer with respect to the other.