A sealed symmetric multilayered package with integral windows for housing
one or more microelectronic devices. The devices can be a semiconductor
chip, a CCD chip, a CMOS chip, a VCSEL chip, a laser diode, a MEMS device,
or a IMEMS device. The multilayered package can be formed of a
low-temperature cofired ceramic (LTCC) or high-temperature cofired ceramic
(HTCC) multilayer processes with the windows being simultaneously joined
(e.g. cofired) to the package body during LTCC or HTCC processing. The
microelectronic devices can be flip-chip bonded and oriented so that the
light-sensitive sides are optically accessible through the windows. The
result is a compact, low-profile, sealed symmetric package, having
integral windows that can be hermetically-sealed.