Abstract: A series of ceramic ingots is provided in which each ingot in the series, referred to as base ingots, has a shade corresponding to a different shade of a shade guide. The number of differently shaded base ingots is less than the total number of shades associated with the shade guide. A base ingot is selected from the series having a shade of a value at least as high as a shade associated with a patient's tooth. If the base ingot shade matches the patient's tooth, a restoration made with the selected base ingot can be glazed as is; otherwise the dental restoration is stained with a stain having a lower value than the selected base ingot to match the tooth. Thus, the total different number of ingot shades needed in inventory is reduced but without requiring staining in every case.

Abstract: A series of ceramic ingots is provided in which each ingot in the series, referred to as base ingots, has a shade corresponding to a different shade of a shade guide. The number of differently shaded base ingots is less than the total number of shades associated with the shade guide. A base ingot is selected from the series having a shade of a value at least as high as a shade associated with a patient's tooth. If the base ingot shade matches the patient's tooth, a restoration made with the selected base ingot can be glazed as is; otherwise the dental restoration is stained with a stain having a lower value than the selected base ingot to match the tooth. Thus, the total different number of ingot shades needed in inventory is reduced but without requiring staining in every case.

Abstract: A microwave integrated circuit package is disclosed. The package consists of a package substrate, having conductive vias, at least one ground plane, and conductive transmission lines; a semiconductor die electrically and mechanically connected to the top surface of the package substrate; a continuous outer wall attached to the top surface of the package substrate and at least one interior wall at a distance from a second wall, which may be the outer wall; a lid; at least one of the transmission lines passing under the interior wall and the second wall carrying a signal of frequency F; and an impedance transformer on the transmission line between the interior wall and the second wall. In operation, the interior wall, the distance between the interior wall and the second wall and the impedance transformer cancel the discontinuity caused by the second wall whereby the reflection of the signal caused by the transmission line passing under the walls is greatly diminished.