Patent ID: 7728694

Claim:
A method for making a hybrid material stripline device, the method comprising: providing an inner layer of material, the inner layer including a dielectric material and at least one conductive sheet; forming at least one stripline device in the inner layer by processing the at least one conductive sheet, the at least one stripline device being characterized by a surface area footprint; providing a first exterior layer and a second exterior layer, the first exterior layer and/or the second exterior layer including at least one ceramic portion, the at least one ceramic portion having a ceramic surface area greater than or substantially equal to the surface area footprint of the at least one stripline device, the first exterior layer and/or the second exterior layer further comprising a softboard dielectric material, the at least one ceramic portion being separate and distinct from the softboard dielectric material; sandwiching the inner layer of material between the first exterior layer and the second exterior layer; laminating the first exterior layer, the inner layer and the second exterior layer to form a laminate panel structure, a surface of the first exterior layer forming a first major surface of the laminate panel structure and a surface of the second exterior layer forming a second major surface of the laminate panel structure; and disposing a first conductive sheet over the first major surface and a second conductive sheet over the second major surface, the first conductive sheet and the second conductive sheet being configured as parallel ground planes for the at least one stripline device.