Abstract: A microwave circuit package having a ball grid array, BGA, soldered on to a planar major surface of a metal housing of the package for the electrical connection of the ports of the microwave circuit through RF signal paths to an adjacent electrical device. Each of the RF signal paths comprises a pin electrically connected to a respective port of the microwave circuit package, projecting normally through an opening in the said major surface from which it is electrically insulated, and soldered to a ball of the BGA; the pin and the surrounding balls of the BGA, which are soldered to the metal housing, constituting a coaxial RF signal path.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ball grid array, BGA, integrated circuit package, comprising forming a double sided printed circuit board, PCB, with blind vias interconnecting electrically the circuits on the opposed surfaces of the PCB, with at least one through-hole to allow fluid or gas to pass through the PCB, and an integrated circuit connected to the printed circuit on one side of the PCB; soldering a lid onto the said one side of the PCB to enclose the integrated circuit, whilst allowing thermally expanding gas or fluid to escape through the or each through-hole, whereby to form a package which is hermetically sealed except for the or each through-hole, and which has a cavity between the integrated circuit and the lid; applying a BGA to the side of the PCB opposed to the said one side, whereby to solder the balls of the BGA to respective portions of the printed circuit and to align one of the balls axially with each through-hole; and soldering the ball or balls into the through-hole, or into each respectiv

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, IC, package comprising radio frequency, RF, components, the method comprising: electrically connecting a printed circuit pattern on an external major surface of an IC assembly to an RF testing motherboard by bringing them together with an interposed adaptor layer, the adaptor layer comprising a double-sided PCB, printed circuit board, with conductive vias between its printed circuit layers; RF testing the IC assembly using the RF testing motherboard, while RF tuning components of the IC assembly; and separating the IC assembly and connecting its major surface to a solder ball grid array, BGA, which has substantially the same RF impedance as the adaptor at RF signal paths from the IC assembly to the BGA.

Abstract: An assembly comprising a first printed circuit board, PCB, with a ball grid array, BGA, on its underside, a second PCB facing the first PCB and having at least one through-hole between its top and bottom surfaces, its top surface printed with a circuit pattern bonded to the BGA, a heat sink layer facing the bottom surface of the second PCB and having at least one thermally-conductive pin projecting normally into the through-hole or a respective one of the through-holes in the second PCB, and, for each pin, a thermally-conductive stud of the same cross-section as the pin, bonded to the BGA and disposed within the through-hole between the pin and the first PCB in thermal contact with the pin.

Abstract: A microwave circuit package having a ball grid array, BGA, soldered on to a planar major surface of a metal housing of the package for the electrical connection of the ports of the microwave circuit through RF signal paths to an adjacent electrical device. Each of the RF signal paths comprises a pin electrically connected to a respective port of the microwave circuit package, projecting normally through an opening in the said major surface from which it is electrically insulated, and soldered to a ball of the BGA; the pin and the surrounding balls of the BGA, which are soldered to the metal housing, constituting a coaxial RF signal path.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit, IC, package comprising radio frequency, RF, components, the method comprising: electrically connecting a printed circuit pattern on an external major surface of an IC assembly to an RF testing motherboard by bringing them together with an interposed adaptor layer, the adaptor layer comprising a double-sided PCB, printed circuit board, with conductive vias between its printed circuit layers; RF testing the IC assembly using the RF testing motherboard, whilst RF tuning components of the IC assembly; and separating the IC assembly and connecting its major surface to a solder ball grid array, BGA, which has substantially the same RF impedance as the adaptor at RF signal paths from the IC assembly to the BGA.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a ball grid array, BGA, integrated circuit package, comprising forming a double sided printed circuit board, PCB, with blind vias interconnecting electrically the circuits on the opposed surfaces of the PCB, with at least one through-hole to allow fluid or gas to pass through the PCB, and an integrated circuit connected to the printed circuit on one side of the PCB; soldering a lid onto the said one side of the PCB to enclose the integrated circuit, whilst allowing thermally expanding gas or fluid to escape through the or each through-hole, whereby to form a package which is hermetically sealed except for the or each through-hole, and which has a cavity between the integrated circuit and the lid; applying a BGA to the side of the PCB opposed to the said one side, whereby to solder the balls of the BGA to respective portions of the printed circuit and to align one of the balls axially with each through-hole; and soldering the ball or balls into the through-hole, or into each respectiv

Abstract: An integrated circuit package comprising at least two printed circuit boards each comprising a substrate coated with metallic layers on both sides and having plated through-holes for electrical and thermal connection to the metallic layers, at least two of the printed circuit boards being diffusion-bonded at an interface between their respective metallic layers, the bonded metallic layers forming an hermetic seal between the opposed external surfaces of the integrated circuit package.

Abstract: An hermetically sealed integrated microwave circuit comprising a coplanar waveguide on a printed circuit board (PCB) electrically connected on one major surface to an integrated circuit, and thermally and electrically connected to a ball grid array (BGA) on its opposite major surface, in which the PCB has at least first and second printed layers, a microwave signal path extends from a ball of the BGA through a through-hole in both printed layers to the coplanar wave guide, and plural ground paths extend from balls of the BGA through first through-holes in the first printed layer of the PCB and through second through-holes of the second printed layer of the PCB, the first and second through-holes being non-coincident, to allow for an hermetic seal across the PCB whilst introducing a predetermined impedance in the PCB between the signal and ground paths.

Abstract: An assembly comprising a first printed circuit board, PCB, with a ball grid array, BGA, on its underside, a second PCB facing the first PCB and having at least one through-hole between its top and bottom surfaces, its top surface printed with a circuit pattern bonded to the BGA, a heat sink layer facing the bottom surface of the second PCB and having at least one thermally-conductive pin projecting normally into the through-hole or a respective one of the through-holes in the second PCB, and, for each pin, a thermally-conductive stud of the same cross-section as the pin, bonded to the BGA and disposed within the through-hole between the pin and the first PCB in thermal contact with the pin.