Patent ID: 7250827

Claim:
A dielectric assembly comprising: a plurality of substrate layers bonded together in a stacked arrangement wherein said substrate layers comprising embedded signal processing circuitry, said embedded signal processing circuitry comprising fixed signal processing circuitry and adjustable signal processing circuitry; a signal input and a signal output each connected to the embedded signal processing circuitry; and a cavity formed through the plurality of substrate layers, said cavity being configured to receive a circuit element added to the assembly after the bonding of the substrate layers and said cavity exposing signal connection terminals connected to the embedded signal processing circuitry to enable connection of the added circuit element to said embedded signal processing circuitry; and wherein, the fixed signal processing circuitry operates to alter electrical characteristics of signals coupled to that circuitry and where the altering characteristics of said fixed circuitry are predetermined at the time of bonding of the substrate layers, and the adjustable signal processing circuitry operates to alter electrical characteristics of signals coupled to that circuitry and where the altering characteristics of said adjustable circuitry can be changed post-bonding of the substrate layers by the connection of circuit elements to signal path connections on exposed substrate surface regions the fixed signal processing circuitry comprises at least first and second fixed impedance matching circuitry; the adjustable signal processing circuitry comprises at least first and second adjustable impedance matching circuitry; the first fixed impedance matching circuitry is connected between the signal input and the first adjustable impedance matching circuitry; the second fixed impedance matching circuitry is connected between the signal output and the second adjustable impedance matching circuitry; the first adjustable impedance matching circuitry is further connected to signal connection terminals in the cavity; and the second adjustable impedance matching circuitry is further connected to signal connection terminals in the cavity.