1. General

1.1 Hybrid circuit selection criteria

The hybrid circuit is traditionally positioned between the monolithic integrated circuit and the printed circuit board. A hybrid circuit is generally chosen when an electronic function needs to be miniaturized, and when monolithic integration is neither technically nor economically feasible. In the case of high frequencies, hybrids used to be the only possible choice. Today, this is no longer the case: on the one hand, monolithic microwave integration is a reality, and on the other, organic microwave substrates are starting to become an alternative to hybrids at increasingly higher frequencies.

Choosing a hybrid circuit over a PCB or monolithic solution always requires a detailed cost/performance analysis.