Antenna and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

The present invention provides an antenna and a manufacturing method thereof, which belong to the field of communication technology. The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes: a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other, a dielectric layer arranged therebetween, and a feeding unit arranged on the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate. The first substrate includes a first base; a radiation unit arranged on the side of the first substrate close to the second substrate. The second substrate includes a second base; a reference electrode layer arranged on the side of the second base away from the feeding unit, the reference electrode layer having an opening, the orthographic projection of the opening on the second base at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second base.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of communications, and in particular relates to an antenna and a manufacturing method thereof. Background Art

[0002] Antennas are an important part of mobile communications, and their research and design play a vital role in mobile communications. The biggest change brought by 5G is the innovation of user experience. The quality of the signal in the terminal equipment directly affects the user experience. Therefore, the design of 5G terminal antennas will become one of the important links in 5G deployment.

[0003] However, the spectrum distribution of 5G communications around the world is uneven, and the bandwidth of antennas in related technologies is relatively narrow, making it difficult to cover all the spectrum of 5G communications, which poses a huge challenge to antenna design. Summary of the invention

[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art and provide an antenna which can achieve the beneficial effects of low profile and wide tuning range.

[0005] The embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna, wherein the antenna comprises: a first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other, a dielectric layer arranged between the two, and a feeding unit arranged on a side of the second substrate away from the first substrate;

[0006] The first substrate comprises:

[0007] first base;

[0008] A radiation unit is arranged on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate;

[0009] The second substrate comprises:

[0010] Second base;

[0011] A reference electrode layer is arranged on a side of the second substrate away from the feeding unit, the reference electrode layer has an opening, and an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate.

[0012] The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has a dielectric layer disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the electric field between the first substrate and the second substrate can change the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer, so that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted, thereby realizing an antenna with a continuously adjustable resonant frequency and a large tuning range, and the tuning function and the radiation function of the antenna can be integrated into one, thereby realizing a low-profile antenna and saving the clearance area of ​​the device carrying the antenna; the feeding unit transmits the radio frequency signal to the radiation unit through the opening, which can increase the impedance bandwidth of the antenna.

[0013] In some examples, wherein, further comprising a first wiring board and a second wiring board;

[0014] The first substrate further includes: a first electrode structure, which is arranged on a side of the first base close to the second substrate and is electrically connected to the radiation unit and the first wiring board, and the first wiring board inputs a voltage to the radiation unit through the first electrode structure;

[0015] The second substrate further includes: a second electrode structure, which is arranged on the side of the second base close to the first substrate and is electrically connected to the reference electrode layer and the second wiring board. The second wiring board inputs voltage to the reference electrode layer through the second electrode structure.

[0016] In some examples, wherein the antenna includes a radiation region and a peripheral region disposed around the radiation region;

[0017] The second electrode structure is arranged in the peripheral area and forms a closed loop structure around the radiation area; wherein,

[0018] The orthographic projection of the edge of the reference electrode layer on the second substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure on the second substrate.

[0019] In some examples, the first electrode structure includes at least one conductive line, one end of the at least one conductive line is connected to the first wiring board, and the other end of the at least one conductive line extends to the radiation unit and is electrically connected to the radiation unit.

[0020] In some examples, the first electrode structure and the radiation unit are made of different conductive materials;

[0021] The second electrode structure and the reference electrode layer are made of different conductive materials.

[0022] In some examples, an orthographic projection of the feeding unit on the second substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate.

[0023] In some examples, the feeding unit includes a microstrip transmission line, a first end of the microstrip transmission line is connected to an external signal line, and an orthographic projection of a second end of the microstrip transmission line on the second substrate is located within an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate.

[0024] In some examples, the orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate.

[0025] In some examples, the shape of the radiation unit is a centrally symmetrical figure; the shape of the opening is a centrally symmetrical figure;

[0026] A distance between a symmetric center of an orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate and a symmetric center of an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate is smaller than a first preset value.

[0027] In some examples, wherein the antenna includes a radiation region and a peripheral region disposed around the radiation region;

[0028] The invention also includes: a supporting structure, which is arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate and located in the peripheral area, and is used to seal the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0029] In some examples, the method further includes: a protective film covering the side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate and covering the feeding unit.

[0030] In some examples, the side length of the first substrate is 0.5 to 0.58 of the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the center frequency; the thickness of the first substrate is 100 microns to 125 microns;

[0031] The side length of the second substrate is 0.5 to 0.6 times the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the central frequency point; the thickness of the second substrate is 100 microns to 125 microns.

[0032] In some examples, the material of the first substrate and / or the second substrate includes at least one of polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide.

[0033] In some examples, the thickness of the radiation unit is 8 to 12 um; the thickness of the feeding unit is 8 to 12 um; and the thickness of the reference electrode layer is 8 to 12 um.

[0034] In some examples, the material of the radiation unit and / or the feeding unit and / or the reference electrode layer includes at least one of copper, aluminum, gold, and silver.

[0035] In some examples, the radiation unit is a rectangular radiation sheet; the opening is a rectangular opening; the length of the short side of the rectangular radiation sheet is greater than the length of the short side of the rectangular opening, and the length of the long side of the radiation sheet is greater than the length of the long side of the rectangular opening.

[0036] In some examples, the feeding unit includes a microstrip transmission line, and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.15 to 0.16 mm.

[0037] In some examples, the dielectric layer includes liquid crystal molecules, and a difference between a first dielectric constant of the dielectric layer when the liquid crystal molecules are in a parallel state and a second dielectric constant of the dielectric layer when the liquid crystal molecules are in a vertical state is 0.7 to 1.2.

[0038] The second method, the embodiment of the present disclosure further provides a method for manufacturing an antenna, which includes the following steps:

[0039] preparing a first substrate;

[0040] preparing a second substrate;

[0041] Aligning the first substrate with the second substrate, and then filling the dielectric layer with material;

[0042] The preparation of the first substrate specifically includes:

[0043] preparing a radiation unit on a first substrate;

[0044] The preparation of the second substrate specifically includes:

[0045] preparing a feeding unit;

[0046] preparing a second substrate on the feeding unit;

[0047] A reference electrode layer is prepared on the second substrate, and an opening is formed in the reference electrode layer.

[0048] In some examples, the step of assembling the first substrate and the second substrate and then injecting the material of the dielectric layer specifically includes:

[0049] A support structure is prepared between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a wafer filling port is made on the support structure;

[0050] Removing redundant first and second substrates through laser cutting;

[0051] Liquid crystal molecules are injected between the first substrate and the second substrate through the injection port to form a dielectric layer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0052] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] Figure 2 A top view of an embodiment of a radiation unit and a first electrode structure of a first substrate of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] Figure 3 A top view of an embodiment of a reference electrode layer of a second substrate of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] Figure 4A top view of an embodiment of a second electrode structure of a second substrate of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] Figure 5 A top view of an embodiment of a feeding unit of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] Figure 6 One of the manufacturing flow charts of an embodiment of a manufacturing method of an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure (first substrate).

[0058] Figure 7 A second production flow chart (second substrate) of an embodiment of a method for producing an antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0059] Figure 8 The third production flow chart of an embodiment of the method for producing the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure (chip filling in the box). DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0061] The shapes and sizes of the components in the drawings do not reflect the actual proportions, and are only intended to facilitate understanding of the contents of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0062] Unless otherwise defined, the technical terms or scientific terms used in the present disclosure should be understood by people with ordinary skills in the field to which the present disclosure belongs. The "first", "second" and similar words used in the present disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity or importance, but are only used to distinguish different components. Similarly, similar words such as "one", "one" or "the" do not indicate quantity restrictions, but indicate that there is at least one. Similar words such as "include" or "comprise" mean that the elements or objects appearing before the word cover the elements or objects listed after the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Similar words such as "connect" or "connected" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. "Up", "down", "left", "right" and the like are only used to indicate relative positional relationships. When the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0063] The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the embodiments shown in the drawings, but include modifications of the configurations formed based on the manufacturing process. Therefore, the regions illustrated in the drawings have schematic properties, and the shapes of the regions shown in the drawings illustrate the specific shapes of the regions of the elements, but are not intended to be limiting.

[0064] First, as Figure 1-Figure 5 As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides an antenna, which may include a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2 arranged opposite to each other, a dielectric layer 3 arranged between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, and a feeding unit 4 arranged on a side of the second substrate 2 away from the first substrate 1.

[0065] Specifically, the first substrate 1 may include a first substrate 11 and a radiation unit 12, wherein the radiation unit 12 is disposed on the side of the first substrate 11 close to the second substrate 2. The second substrate 2 includes a second substrate 21 and a reference electrode layer 22, wherein the reference electrode layer 22 is disposed on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the feeding unit 4, that is, on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the first substrate 1. Figure 3 , Figure 3 The dotted box in the middle indicates the position of the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the reference electrode layer 22. The reference electrode layer 22 has an opening 221. The orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 21. Figure 5 , Figure 5The dotted box in the middle represents the position of the orthographic projection of the opening 221 of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21, and the orthographic projection of the feeding unit 4 on the second substrate 21 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21, that is, the orthographic projection of the radiating unit 12 on the second substrate 21, the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21, and the orthographic projection of the feeding unit 4 on the second substrate all have overlapping areas, so that the feeding unit 4 receives the radio frequency signal transmitted by the external signal line, and then feeds the radio frequency signal to the radiating unit 12 through the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22, and the radiating unit 12 radiates the radio frequency signal. Since the radio frequency signal is transmitted by the slot aperture coupling formed by the feeding unit 4, the opening 221, and the radiating unit 12, the impedance bandwidth of the antenna can be increased; the radio frequency signal emitted by the feeding unit 4 is transmitted by the opening 2 21 is fed to the radiation unit 12 after passing through the dielectric layer 3. There is an electric field between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. The dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 3 can be adjusted through the electric field, so that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted. Therefore, a frequency-continuously adjustable antenna can be realized. In related technologies, due to the different distribution of the spectrum of 5G communications around the world, the adjustable range of the resonant frequency of the antenna determines the operating frequency range of the antenna. The frequency-continuously adjustable antenna can cover a wider frequency range (i.e., frequency band), so it can adapt to various frequency bands of 5G communications, such as covering the entire N78 (3300MHz~3800Mhz) frequency band, and the antenna provided in this public embodiment integrates the tuning function and the radiation function of the antenna into one, realizes a low-profile antenna, and can save the clearance area of ​​the device carrying the antenna; the feeding unit transmits the radio frequency signal to the radiation unit through the opening, which can increase the impedance bandwidth of the antenna. Since the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has a low profile, the antenna can be adapted to a variety of installation positions. For example, if the antenna is applied to a mobile phone, the antenna can be installed on the back cover of the mobile phone, thereby avoiding the antenna occupying the frame position of the mobile phone, which is conducive to realizing the borderless mobile phone. In some examples, see Figure 1 The setting position of the feed unit 4 can be in many ways, as long as it is set on the side of the reference electrode layer 22 away from the first substrate 1. For example, the feed unit 4 is set on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the reference electrode layer 22, that is, the reference electrode layer 22 and the feed unit 4 are set on the opposite sides of the second substrate 21, and the orthographic projection of the feed unit 4 on the second substrate 21 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21. The feed unit 4 receives the radio frequency signal transmitted by the external signal line, and then feeds the radio frequency signal to the radiation unit 3 after passing through the second substrate 2, the opening 221, and the dielectric layer 3.

[0066] For some examples, see Figure 1-Figure 4The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure has an electric field between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, and has a ground. Voltage is applied to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22, and an electric field is formed between the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22. By controlling the size of the electric field, the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 3 can be controlled, so that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted. The voltage received by the radiation unit 12 and the voltage received by the reference electrode layer 22 can come from the same voltage source, or the voltage can be fed to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 respectively. The following is an example of feeding voltage to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 respectively. Specifically, the antenna can also include a first wiring board 7 and a second wiring board 8, the first substrate 1 can also include a first electrode structure 13, and the second substrate 2 can also include a second electrode structure 23. See Figure 2 The first electrode structure 13 is arranged on the side of the first substrate 11 close to the second substrate 2, the first electrode structure 13 is electrically connected to the radiation unit 12, and the first electrode structure 13 is electrically connected to the first wiring board 7, the first wiring board 7 receives an external voltage, and inputs a voltage to the radiation unit 12 through the first electrode structure 13. Figure 3 , the second electrode structure 23 is arranged on the side of the second substrate 21 close to the first substrate 1, the second electrode structure 23 is electrically connected to the reference electrode layer 22, and the second electrode structure 23 is electrically connected to the second wiring board 8, the second wiring board 8 receives the external voltage and inputs the voltage to the reference electrode layer 22 through the second electrode structure 23. The first wiring board 7 and / or the second wiring board may include various types of wiring boards, such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC) or a printed circuit board (PCB), etc., which are not limited here. The first wiring board 7 may have at least one first pad, one end of the first electrode structure 13 is connected to the first pad (i.e., bonded to the first pad), and the other end of the first electrode structure 13 is connected to the radiation unit 12; the second wiring board 8 may also have at least one second pad, and the second electrode structure 23 connects the second pad and the reference electrode layer 22. Of course, the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure may also use other methods to input voltage to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22, which are not limited here.

[0067] It should be noted that in the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, since the feed unit 4 and the reference electrode layer 22 are separately arranged, specifically, the feed unit 4 is arranged on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the reference electrode layer 22, and the bias voltage is only loaded to the reference electrode layer 22 and the radiation unit 12, and the feed unit 4 only receives the RF signal input by the external signal line, so the RF signal interface (that is, the interface between the feed unit 4 and the external signal line) and the bias voltage interface (that is, the interface between the first electrode structure 13 and the second electrode structure 23 for receiving the external voltage) can be effectively separated, and the feed unit 4 and the reference electrode layer 22 receiving the voltage do not contact each other, so that the feed unit 4 can have a DC isolation effect, so that the influence of the voltage signal (for example, a DC voltage signal) on the RF signal can be avoided, and the excessive voltage can be avoided from breaking down the RF device connected to the feed unit 4, thereby increasing the reliability of the antenna.

[0068] In some examples, the dielectric layer 3 of the antenna provided in the embodiments of the present disclosure may include multiple types of media. Specifically, a dielectric layer 3 whose dielectric constant can be adjusted by an electric field may be used. For example, the dielectric layer 3 may include liquid crystal molecules or ferroelectrics, etc. The following description will be made using the example that the dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules. Bias voltages are applied to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 respectively, so that an electric field is formed between the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22. By controlling the magnitude of the bias voltage, the magnitude of the electric field between the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 can be changed, so that the deflection direction of the liquid crystal molecules in the dielectric layer 3 can be adjusted, and then the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 3 formed by the liquid crystal molecules can be adjusted. The dielectric layer 3 serves as the dielectric substrate of the radiation unit 12, and the feed unit 4 couples the signal to the radiation unit 12 through the dielectric layer 3. Therefore, adjusting the dielectric constant of the dielectric layer 3 can adjust the resonant frequency of the antenna, and the bias voltage applied to the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 is continuously variable, so that the continuous adjustable resonant frequency of the antenna can be achieved, so that by designing the range of the antenna's operating frequency, the antenna can cover different 5G communication frequency bands, such as covering the entire N78 frequency band. Of course, the dielectric layer 3 can also include other dielectric types, which are not limited here.

[0069] For some examples, see Figure 1-4 ,in, Figure 4The dotted box in represents the outer edge of the reference electrode layer 22 and the position of the positive projection of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 2. The antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure includes a radiation area Q1 and a peripheral area Q2 arranged around the radiation area Q1. The radiation unit 12 is arranged only in the radiation area Q1, and at least a part of the structure of the second electrode structure 8 can be arranged in the peripheral area Q2, the first wiring board 7 and / or the second wiring board 8 can also be arranged in the peripheral area Q2, and the support structure 5 for packaging the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 is also arranged in the peripheral area Q2 and arranged around the radiation area Q1. Specifically, the second electrode structure 23 can be a variety of types of structures, for example, see Figure 3 , Figure 4 The second electrode structure 23 can be arranged around the radiation area Q1 to form a closed-loop structure (that is, current is input into the second electrode structure 23 to form a loop current), and the second electrode structure 23 which is a closed-loop structure is short-circuited with the reference electrode layer 22. Specifically, the positive projection of the edge of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate is located within the positive projection of the second electrode structure on the second substrate. That is to say, the edge of the reference electrode layer 22 extends from the radiation area Q1 to the peripheral area Q2, covering the second electrode structure 23 in the peripheral area Q2. Since the second electrode structure 23 is a closed-loop structure and is short-circuited with the reference electrode layer 22, and the feeding unit 4 is arranged on the side of the second substrate 21 opposite to the reference electrode layer 22, it can isolate the influence of the voltage signal input to the reference electrode layer 22 on the RF signal input to the feeding unit 4.

[0070] For some examples, see Figure 3 , Figure 4 The second electrode structure 23 can be a closed-loop structure, the closed-loop structure has a hollow portion, the hollow portion exposes the radiation area Q1, and the closed-loop structure can be in various shapes, for example, it can be a frame-type structure. Depending on the shape of the second substrate 21, the shape of the frame-type structure can also be different. For example, if the second substrate 21 is a rectangular substrate, the second electrode structure 23 can be a rectangular frame. If the second substrate 21 is a circular substrate, the second electrode structure 23 can be a circular ring, etc., which is not limited here.

[0071] For some examples, see Figure 3 , Figure 4 If the voltage is input from the second wiring board 8 to the reference electrode layer 22 through the second electrode structure 23, if the second electrode structure 23 is a closed loop structure (e.g. Figure 4 In the case of a rectangular frame type, only one second pad can be set at any position on the edge of the second electrode structure 23. The second wiring board 8 is bonded to the second electrode structure 23 by connecting the pad, so that the voltage signal can be input into the entire closed-loop structure without setting multiple second pads.

[0072] For some examples, see Figure 2 The first electrode structure 13 may be a variety of structures. For example, the first electrode structure 13 may include at least one conductive wire 131. One end of the conductive wire 131 extends to the radiation unit 12 and is electrically connected to the radiation unit 12. The other end of the conductive wire 131 receives a voltage and inputs the voltage into the radiation unit 12. Specifically, see Figure 2 , taking the first electrode structure 13 including a plurality of conductive lines 131 as an example, for example Figure 2 The first electrode structure 13 includes four conductive wires 131. The first wiring board 7 can be arranged on any side of the second substrate 21 (the side located in the peripheral area Q2). One end of the plurality of conductive wires 131 is connected to the first wiring board 7. The other end of the plurality of conductive wires 131 extends to the radiation unit 12 and is electrically connected to the radiation unit 12. The first wiring board 7 has a plurality of first pads. Each of the plurality of conductive wires 131 can be bonded to a first pad respectively. The voltage is transmitted to the plurality of conductive wires 131 due to the first pads bonded to the plurality of conductive wires 131. The plurality of conductive wires 131 then transmit the voltage to the radiation unit 12 connected to the plurality of conductive wires 131. Specifically, the length of the plurality of conductive wires 131 is not limited, as long as the plurality of conductive wires 131 can extend to the radiation unit 12 and overlap with the radiation unit 12. Since a plurality of conductive wires 131 are provided, if a conductive wire 131 is broken and open, other conductive wires 131 can be used to transmit the voltage, thereby increasing the reliability of the antenna.

[0073] In some examples, the first electrode structure 13 and the radiation unit 12 may be made of the same conductive material, and the first electrode structure 13 and the radiation unit 12 may be integrally formed and etched in the same step; accordingly, the second electrode structure 23 and the reference electrode layer 22 may be made of the same conductive material, and the second electrode structure 23 and the reference electrode layer 22 may be integrally formed and etched in the same step. Of course, the first electrode structure 13 and the radiation unit 12 may be made of different conductive materials, and the second electrode structure 23 and the reference electrode layer 22 may be made of different conductive materials. For example, the radiation unit 12 and / or the reference electrode layer 22 may be made of a variety of metal materials, such as any one of copper, aluminum, gold, and silver, and the first electrode structure 13 and / or the second electrode structure 23 may be made of other conductive materials, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). ITO has a large square resistance, which is conducive to isolating DC signals from RF signals. The following description is based on the example that the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22 are made of the same metal material, and the first electrode structure 13 and the second electrode structure 23 are made of ITO, but this does not limit the present invention. Figure 1 , Figure 5The feeding unit 4 may include a microstrip transmission line, wherein the first end 4a of the microstrip transmission line is connected to an external signal line, and the external signal line inputs an electromagnetic wave signal into the microstrip transmission line, and the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line couples the received electromagnetic wave signal to the radiation unit 12 above the opening 221 through the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22, so that the orthographic projection of the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line on the second substrate 22 is located within the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 22, thereby ensuring that the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted by the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line can be coupled to the radiation unit 12 through the opening 221, and the radiation unit 12 then radiates electromagnetic waves outward, and the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 22 also at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line on the second substrate 22, thereby ensuring that the radiation unit 12 can receive the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted by the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line. Specifically, the microstrip transmission line of the feeding unit 4 may be of various shapes, such as a single microstrip transmission line (such as Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the first end 4a of the microstrip transmission line extends to the edge of the second substrate 21, and is connected to the external signal line through an interface (not shown) at the edge of the second substrate 21, and the second end 4b extends along a direction perpendicular to the edge of the interface to the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21, and is aligned with the opening 221. Of course, the microstrip transmission line of the feeding unit 4 can also be other shapes, such as a spiral line, a C shape, etc., which are not limited here.

[0074] For some examples, see Figure 1-Figure 5 The antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure transmits radio frequency signals by slot aperture coupling, that is, the feeding unit 4, the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22, and the radiation unit 12 are relatively positioned in such a way that, for the opening 221 and the radiation unit 12, the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21 and the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 21 at least partially overlap, and usually the area of ​​the opening 221 is smaller than the area of ​​the radiation unit 12, that is, the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21 is located within the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 21.

[0075] Further, in order to enable the radiation unit 12 to receive most of the radiation energy of the radio frequency signal and increase the radiation efficiency of the antenna, see Figure 2 , Figure 3 , Figure 5, the shape of the radiation unit 12 can be a centrally symmetrical figure, for example, the radiation unit 12 can be a square radiation sheet, a rectangular radiation sheet, etc., and the shape of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 can also be a centrally symmetrical figure, for example, the opening 221 can be a square opening, a rectangular opening, etc. It should be noted that the above square, rectangle, etc. may not be a strict square or rectangle, but an approximate square or rectangle. The radiation unit 12 has a first symmetry center O1, for example, if the radiation sheet 12 is a square radiation sheet, then the first symmetry center O1 of the square radiation sheet is the intersection of the two diagonals of the square radiation sheet; correspondingly, the opening 221 has a second symmetry center O2, for example, if the opening 221 is a square opening, then the second symmetry center O2 of the square opening is the intersection of the two diagonals of the square opening; see Figure 3 , the radiation unit 12 can be arranged opposite to the opening 221, that is, the distance between the symmetry center of the orthographic projection of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 21 (that is, the first symmetry center O1 of the radiation unit 12) and the symmetry center of the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21 (that is, the second symmetry center O2 of the opening 221) is less than a first preset value, and the first preset value can be any value. The smaller the first preset value is, the higher the alignment accuracy of the radiation unit 12 and the opening 221 is. For example, if the first preset value is 0, the radiation unit 12 is arranged opposite to the opening 221, and the first symmetry center O1 and the second symmetry center O2 completely coincide with each other.

[0076] For some examples, see Figure 5 The antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure transmits radio frequency signals by slot aperture coupling, that is, the feeding unit 4, the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22, and the radiating unit 12 are relatively positioned in such a way that, for the feeding unit 4 and the reference electrode 22, the orthographic projection of the feeding unit 4 on the second substrate 21 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21. In order to allow the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted by the feeding unit 4 to be coupled to the radiating unit 12 through the opening 221 as much as possible, in some examples, the orthographic projection of the end of the second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line of the feeding unit 4 on the second substrate 21 may overlap with the orthographic projection of the symmetry center O2 of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21.

[0077] For some examples, see Figure 1, the antenna includes a radiation area Q1 and a peripheral area Q2 arranged around the radiation area Q1, and the radiation unit 12 is arranged in the position where the first substrate 11 is located in the radiation area Q1. The antenna may also include a support structure 5, the support structure 5 is arranged between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, and the support structure 5 is located in the peripheral area Q2, and is arranged around the radiation area Q1, and the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are sealed to prevent the medium (such as liquid crystal molecules) in the dielectric layer 3 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 from flowing out. It should be noted that at least one opening is also provided on the support structure 5 as a crystal filling port, and the liquid crystal molecules are poured between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 through the crystal filling port to form the dielectric layer 3. There may also be a plurality of support balls in the support structure 5, so as to provide a supporting force, and support the liquid crystal filling area between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 to accommodate the liquid crystal molecules. Specifically, the support structure 5 may include various types of structures, such as a sealing glue. The support structure 5 may be located on the side of the reference electrode layer 22 away from the feeding unit 4, and the orthographic projection of the support structure 5 on the second substrate 21 has no overlap with the orthographic projection of the first wiring board 7 on the second substrate 21, and the orthographic projection of the second wiring board 8 on the second substrate 21, so that the first welding pad on the first wiring board 7 and the second welding pad on the second wiring board 8 can be exposed to avoid affecting the transmission stability of the voltage signal.

[0078] In some examples, the antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure may further include a protective film 6, which covers the side of the second substrate 2 away from the first substrate 1. Specifically, the feeding unit 4 is arranged on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the first substrate 1, and the protective film 6 is arranged on the side of the feeding unit 4 away from the first substrate 1, covering the feeding unit 4. The protective film 6 may include multiple types, for example, the protective film 6 may be a release film to provide support for the antenna and prevent the antenna from deforming.

[0079] See also Figure 1-Figure 6 The antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure adjusts a variety of process parameters, for example, the size, thickness, material, etc. of each film structure in the antenna can be changed. Specifically, the process parameters that can be adjusted by the antenna may include the dielectric constant (dk) and dielectric loss (df) of the dielectric layer 3, or the thickness of the dielectric layer 3 (that is, the thickness of the dielectric substrate of the radiation unit 12), or the dielectric constant (dk) and dielectric loss (df) of the first substrate 11, or the dielectric constant (dk) and dielectric loss (df) of the second substrate 21, or the thickness of the first substrate 11, or the thickness of the second substrate 21, or the material and thickness of the radiation unit 12, the reference electrode layer 22, and the feeding unit 4. The following examples are given.

[0080] In some examples, the thickness range of the first substrate 11 can be set according to the wavelength of the electromagnetic wave propagating in a vacuum corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency of the antenna. It should be noted that the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency is the electromagnetic wave with the same frequency as the center frequency. According to the vacuum wavelength λ0 of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency = the vacuum wave speed C of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency / the frequency f of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency, the vacuum wave speed C of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency is approximately 3×10 8 m / s, the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave corresponding to the frequency of the center frequency can be determined. Specifically, the thickness of the first substrate 11 can be between 100 microns and 125 microns. Taking the first substrate 11 as a square substrate as an example, the side length of the first substrate 11 can be 0.5 to 0.58 times the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave. Similarly, the thickness of the second substrate 21 can be between 100 microns and 125 microns. Taking the second substrate 21 as a square substrate as an example, the side length of the second substrate 21 is 0.5 to 0.6 times the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave.

[0081] In some examples, the first substrate 11 can be made of a variety of materials. For example, if the first substrate 11 is a flexible substrate, the material of the first substrate 11 can include at least one of polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI). If the first substrate 11 is a rigid substrate, the material of the first substrate 11 can also be glass, etc. The second substrate 21 can also be made of a variety of materials. For example, if the second substrate 21 is a flexible substrate, the material of the second substrate 21 can include at least one of polyethylene glycol terephthalate (PET) and polyimide (PI). If the second substrate 21 is a rigid substrate, the material of the second substrate 21 can also be glass, etc. Of course, the materials of the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 can also be other materials, which are not limited here.

[0082] In some examples, the thickness of the radiation unit 12 can be set according to the skin depth of the electromagnetic wave (radio frequency signal) received by the radiation unit 12. For example, the thickness of the radiation unit 12 can be 1 to 5 times of the skin depth. Specifically, the thickness of the radiation unit 12 can be between 8 and 12 um. Similarly, the thickness of the feed unit 4 can also be between 8 and 12 um, and the thickness of the reference electrode layer 22 can also be between 8 and 12 um. Of course, the thickness of the radiation unit 12, the feed unit 4, and the reference electrode layer 22 can also have more setting ranges, which are not limited here.

[0083] In some examples, the material of the radiation unit 12 can be a variety of materials, for example, the material of the radiation unit 12 can include at least one of copper, aluminum, gold, and silver. Similarly, the material of the feed unit 4 can also be a variety of materials, for example, the material of the feed unit 4 can include at least one of copper, aluminum, gold, and silver. The material of the reference electrode layer 22 can be a variety of materials, for example, the material of the reference electrode layer 22 can include at least one of copper, aluminum, gold, and silver. Using different materials for the radiation unit 12, the feed unit 4, and the reference electrode layer 22 can enable the antenna to have different frequency modulation ranges and gains. The better the conductivity of the material and the greater the thickness, the greater the frequency modulation range and gain of the antenna under the same structure of the antenna.

[0084] In some examples, the antenna provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure transmits radio frequency signals by slot aperture coupling, that is, the feed unit 4 receives the radio frequency signal input by the external signal line, and the radio frequency signal is coupled to the radiation unit 12 above the opening 221 through the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22. By setting the relationship between the size of the opening 221 and the size of the radiation unit 12, the amount of energy of the radio frequency signal received by the radiation unit 12 can be adjusted, and the size of the opening 221 and the size of the radiation unit 12 can be set according to the required resonant frequency. Usually, the size of the radiation unit 12 is set according to the working frequency of the antenna (related to the resonant frequency), and the area of ​​the opening 221 can be smaller than the area of ​​the radiation unit 12. For example, if the feed unit 4 is arranged opposite to the opening 221, that is, the orthographic projection of the second end 4b of the feed unit 4 on the second substrate 21 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second symmetry center 02 of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21, and the radiation unit 12 is arranged opposite to the opening 221, that is, the orthographic projection of the first symmetry center O1 of the radiation unit 12 on the second substrate 21 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second symmetry center O2 of the opening 221. The orthographic projection of the second symmetry center 02 on the second substrate 21 overlaps. For example, the radiation unit 12 is a rectangular radiation sheet, and the opening 221 is a rectangular opening. The length of the short side of the rectangular radiation sheet is greater than the length of the short side of the rectangular opening, and the length of the long side of the radiation sheet is greater than the length of the long side of the rectangular opening. Specifically, the working frequency of the antenna covers the entire N78 frequency band. For example, the short side length of the radiation unit 12 can be 22 mm, the long side length can be 35 mm, and the opening 221 can be a square opening, and the long side length = short side length = 20 mm. For another example, the short side length of the radiation unit 12 can be 13 mm, the long side length can be 33 mm, and the opening 221 is a rectangular opening, the long side length can be 18 mm, and the short side length can be 9.5 mm.

[0085] In some examples, taking the feeding unit 4 as a microstrip transmission line as an example, the specific graphics of the microstrip transmission line can be in various forms. The length of the microstrip transmission line can be set according to the size of the second substrate 21 and the position of the opening 221. The first end 4a of the microstrip transmission line extends to a side of the second substrate 21 and is connected to the external signal line. The second end 4b of the microstrip transmission line extends to the orthographic projection of the opening 221 on the second substrate 21. The width of the microstrip transmission line can be designed according to the impedance and operating frequency required by the antenna. For example, the width of the microstrip transmission line can be between 0.15 and 0.16 mm.

[0086] In some examples, the dielectric layer 3 of the antenna provided in this embodiment includes multiple dielectrics, as long as the dielectric forming the dielectric layer 3 can change the dielectric constant under the action of the electric field. Taking the dielectric layer 3 including liquid crystal molecules as an example, different types of liquid crystal molecules have different adjustable ranges of the resonant frequency of the antenna. The types of liquid crystal molecules are specifically classified according to the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules. The dielectric constant range Δε is the difference between the first dielectric constant range ε1 of the dielectric layer 3 when the liquid crystal molecules are in a parallel state and the second dielectric constant ε2 of the dielectric layer when the liquid crystal molecules are in a vertical state, that is, Δε=|ε1-ε2|. If the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is larger, the adjustable range of the resonant frequency of the antenna (also the range of the operating frequency) is larger. Specifically, the type of liquid crystal molecules can be selected according to the required adjustable range of the resonant frequency of the antenna. For example, taking the antenna's operating frequency covering the N78 frequency band as an example, the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules in the dielectric layer 3 of the antenna provided in this embodiment can be between 0.7 and 1.2. Of course, the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules may also take other values, which are not limited here.

[0087] It should be noted that the liquid crystal molecules are in a vertical state, which means that the long axis direction of the liquid crystal molecules is parallel to the direction of the electric field between the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22; the liquid crystal molecules are in a parallel state, which means that the long axis direction of the liquid crystal molecules is perpendicular to the electric field between the radiation unit 12 and the reference electrode layer 22.

[0088] In some examples, the thickness of the first electrode structure 13 can be set in multiple ways, for example, the thickness of the first electrode structure 13 can be between 50 and 130 nanometers, and the thickness of the second electrode structure 23 can also be set in multiple ways, for example, the thickness of the second electrode structure 23 can be between 50 and 130 nanometers.

[0089] In summary, in the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, the range of the adjustable resonant frequency of the antenna provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure can be changed by changing the size, thickness, and material of each film layer structure in the antenna. Due to the different spectrum distributions of 5G communications around the world, the adjustable resonant frequency range of the antenna determines the operating frequency range of the antenna, and the parameters of each film layer structure of the antenna can be set according to the adjustable resonant frequency range required by the antenna. The following is explained by taking Examples 1 to 5 as examples. It should be noted that the adjustable resonant frequency range of the following exemplary antennas can cover the entire N78 (3300MHz~3800Mhz) frequency band, the center frequency of the antenna is 3.5GHz, and the first electrode structure 13 and the second electrode structure 23 of the antenna are both made of ITO, and the thickness of the film layer of the first electrode structure 13 and the second electrode structure 23 is 70nm.

[0090] Example 1

[0091] The first substrate 11 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk of the first substrate 11 is 4.72, the df is 0.0047, and the first substrate 11 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0, where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna.

[0092] The second substrate 21 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk of the second substrate 21 is 4.72, and the df is 0.0047. The second substrate 21 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0.

[0093] The radiation unit 12 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the radiation unit 12 is 13×33 mm.

[0094] The dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules with a thickness of 100um. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the parallel state is 3.58, and the df is 0.006. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the vertical state is 2.45, and the df is 0.01. The dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is 1.13. The size of the dielectric layer 3 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the dielectric layer 3 on the second substrate 21 is located in the radiation area Q2.

[0095] The reference electrode layer 22 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the reference electrode layer 22 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21 covers the entire radiation area Q1, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 is in the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure 23 on the second substrate 21. The size of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 is 9.5×18 mm.

[0096] The feeding unit 4 is a microstrip transmission line. The thickness of the feeding unit 4 is 1.2 um and it is made of aluminum. The length of the microstrip transmission line is 26 mm and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.155 mm.

[0097] Among them, the opening 221, the radiation unit 12, and the feeding unit 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The antenna simulation formed by the above parameters in this embodiment obtains that when the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a vertical state, dk is 2.45, df is 0.01, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.9GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -16.9dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.72GHz-4.11GHz, the gain of the antenna is -1.15dBi, and the radiation efficiency of the antenna is 0.23. When the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a parallel state, dk is 3.58, df is 0.006, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.26GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -25.8dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.12GHz-3.39GHz, the gain of the antenna is -2.39dBi, and the radiation efficiency is 0.19. From the above results, it can be seen that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted in the range of 3.26GHz-3.9GHz, a total of 640MHz, which can cover the entire N78 frequency band.

[0098] Example 2

[0099] The first substrate 11 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk of the first substrate 11 is 4.72, and the df is 0.0047. The first substrate 11 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0, where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna.

[0100] The second substrate 21 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk / df of the second substrate 21 is 4.72 / 0.0047. The second substrate 21 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0.

[0101] The radiation unit 12 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the radiation unit 12 is 13×33 mm.

[0102] The dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules with a thickness of 100um. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the parallel state is 3.59, and the df is 0.005. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the vertical state is 2.42, and the df is 0.008. The dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is 1.17. Compared with Example 1 or 2, the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is increased. The size of the dielectric layer 3 is almost the same as the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the dielectric layer 3 on the second substrate 21 is located in the radiation area Q2.

[0103] The reference electrode layer 22 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the reference electrode layer 22 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21 covers the entire radiation area Q1, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 is in the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure 23 on the second substrate 21. The size of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 is 9.5×18 mm.

[0104] The feeding unit 4 is a microstrip transmission line. The thickness of the feeding unit 4 is 1.2 um and it is made of aluminum. The length of the microstrip transmission line is 26 mm and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.155 mm.

[0105] Among them, the opening 221, the radiation unit 12, and the feeding unit 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The antenna simulation formed by the above parameters in this embodiment obtains that when the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a vertical state, dk is 2.42, df is 0.008, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.94GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -15.9dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.76GHz-4.14GHz, the gain of the antenna is -1.32dBi, and the radiation efficiency of the antenna is 0.21. When the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a parallel state, dk is 3.59, df is 0.005, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.26GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -32.1dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.14GHz-3.4GHz, the gain of the antenna is -2.13dBi, and the radiation efficiency is 0.26. From the above results, it can be seen that the adjustable range of the resonant frequency of the antenna is 3.26GHz-3.94GHz, a total of 680MHz, which can cover the entire N78 frequency band. Compared with Example 1, the dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 of the antenna in this embodiment is increased. When other parameters of the antenna are the same (the size and material of other film layers are the same), the adjustable range of the resonant frequency of the antenna is increased.

[0106] Example 3

[0107] The first substrate 11 has a thickness of 125 um and is made of PET material. The dk of the first substrate 11 is 3.35, the df is 0.0058, and the first substrate 11 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0, where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna.

[0108] The second substrate 21 has a thickness of 125 um and is made of PET material. The dk of the second substrate 21 is 3.35, and the df is 0.0058. The second substrate 21 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0.

[0109] The radiation unit 12 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the radiation unit 12 is 13×33 mm.

[0110] The dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules with a thickness of 100um. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the parallel state is 3.58, and the df is 0.006. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the vertical state is 2.45, and the df is 0.01. The dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is 1.13. The size of the dielectric layer 3 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the dielectric layer 3 on the second substrate 21 is located in the radiation area Q2.

[0111] The reference electrode layer 22 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the reference electrode layer 22 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21 covers the entire radiation area Q1, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 is in the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure 23 on the second substrate 21. The size of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 is 9.5×18 mm.

[0112] The feeding unit 4 is a microstrip transmission line. The thickness of the feeding unit 4 is 1.2 um and it is made of aluminum. The length of the microstrip transmission line is 26 mm and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.155 mm.

[0113] Among them, the opening 221, the radiation unit 12, and the feeding unit 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The antenna simulation formed by the above parameters in this embodiment obtains that when the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a vertical state, dk is 2.45, df is 0.01, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.9GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -19.6dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.74GHz-4.07GHz, the gain of the antenna is -1.1dBi, and the radiation efficiency of the antenna is 0.23. When the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a parallel state, dk is 3.58, df is 0.006, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.28GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -22dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.17GHz-3.38GHz, the gain of the antenna is -2.09dBi, and the radiation efficiency is 0.21. From the above results, it can be seen that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted in the range of 3.28GHz-3.9GHz, a total of 620MHz, which can cover the entire N78 frequency band. Compared with Example 1, the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 of the antenna are made of different materials (PET materials). If the antenna needs to be transparent, the use of PET materials as the first substrate 11 and the second substrate 21 has high transparency and will not affect other performances of the antenna.

[0114] Example 4

[0115] The first substrate 11 has a thickness of 125 um and is made of PET material. The dk / df of the first substrate 11 is 3.35 / 0.0058. The first substrate 11 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0, where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna.

[0116] The second substrate 21 has a thickness of 125 um and is made of PET material. The dk of the second substrate 21 is 3.35, and the df is 0.0058. The second substrate 21 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.5λ0.

[0117] The radiation unit 12 has a thickness of 8 um and is made of copper. The size of the radiation unit 12 is 13×33 mm.

[0118] The dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules with a thickness of 100um. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the parallel state is 3.58, and the df is 0.006. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the vertical state is 2.45, and the df is 0.01. The dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is 1.13. The size of the dielectric layer 3 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the dielectric layer 3 on the second substrate 21 is located in the radiation area Q2.

[0119] The reference electrode layer 22 has a thickness of 8 um and is made of copper. The size of the reference electrode layer 22 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21 covers the entire radiation area Q1, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 is in the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure 23 on the second substrate 21. The size of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 is 9.5×18 mm.

[0120] The feeding unit 4 is a microstrip transmission line. The feeding unit 4 has a thickness of 8 um and is made of copper. The length of the microstrip transmission line is 25.5 mm and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.155 mm.

[0121] Among them, the opening 221, the radiation unit 12, and the feeding unit 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The antenna simulation formed by the above parameters in this embodiment obtains that when the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a vertical state, dk is 2.45, df is 0.01, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.88GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -14.5dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.78GHz-4.0GHz, the gain of the antenna is 0.44dBi, and the radiation efficiency of the antenna is 0.35. When the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a parallel state, dk is 3.58, df is 0.006, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.22GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -21.9dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.15GHz-3.29GHz, the gain of the antenna is -0.16dBi, and the radiation efficiency is 0.32. From the above results, it can be seen that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted in the range of 3.22GHz-3.88GHz, a total of 660MHz, which can cover the entire N78 frequency band. Compared with Example 3, the radiation unit 12, the reference electrode layer 22, and the feeding unit 4 are all made of copper, the conductivity of copper is greater than that of aluminum, and the thickness of the radiation unit 12, the reference electrode layer 22, and the feeding unit 4 is increased, so that the resonant frequency adjustable range and gain of the antenna are increased.

[0122] Example 5

[0123] The first substrate 11 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk of the first substrate 11 is 4.72, the df is 0.0047, and the first substrate 11 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.58λ0, where λ0 is the vacuum wavelength of the electromagnetic wave transmitted by the antenna.

[0124] The second substrate 21 has a thickness of 100 um and is made of PI material. The dk of the second substrate 21 is 4.72, and the df is 0.0047. The second substrate 21 is a square substrate with a side length of 0.58λ0.

[0125] The radiation unit 12 has a thickness of 1.2 um and is made of aluminum. The size of the radiation unit 12 is 21×35 mm.

[0126] The dielectric layer 3 includes liquid crystal molecules with a thickness of 100um. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the parallel state is 3.58, and the df is 0.006. The dk of the liquid crystal molecules in the vertical state is 2.45, and the df is 0.01. The dielectric constant range Δε of the liquid crystal molecules is 1.13. The size of the dielectric layer 3 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the dielectric layer 3 on the second substrate 21 is located in the radiation area Q2.

[0127] The thickness of the reference electrode layer 22 is 1.2um and it is made of aluminum. The size of the reference electrode layer 22 is almost the same as that of the second substrate 21. Specifically, the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 on the second substrate 21 covers the entire radiation area Q1, and the edge of the orthographic projection of the reference electrode layer 22 is in the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure 23 on the second substrate 21. The size of the opening 221 on the reference electrode layer 22 is 20×20mm.

[0128] The feeding unit 4 is a microstrip transmission line. The thickness of the feeding unit 4 is 1.2 um and it is made of aluminum. The length of the microstrip transmission line is 27 mm and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.15 mm.

[0129] Among them, the opening 221, the radiation unit 12, and the feeding unit 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The antenna simulation formed by the above parameters in this embodiment obtains that when the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a vertical state, dk is 2.45, df is 0.01, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.7GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -22.2dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 3.51GHz-3.88Ghz, the gain G of the antenna is 0.23dBi, and the radiation efficiency of the antenna is 0.28. When the liquid crystal molecules of the dielectric layer 3 are in a parallel state, dk is 3.58, df is 0.006, the resonant frequency f0 of the antenna is 3.12GHz, the parameter S11 at the resonant frequency f0 is -16.4dB, the -6dB impedance bandwidth is 2.93GHz-3.28GHz, the gain of the antenna is -0.79dBi, and the radiation efficiency is 0.24. From the above results, it can be seen that the resonant frequency of the antenna can be adjusted in the range of 3.12GHz-3.7GHz, a total of 580MHz, which can basically cover the entire N78 frequency band.

[0130] It should be noted that the parameter S11 is the input reflection coefficient, S11 = sqrt (reflected echo energy / incident wave energy).

[0131] It should be noted that the above embodiments 1 to 5 are only exemplary descriptions and do not constitute a limitation on the present invention. The antenna provided by the present invention may also have various structures, sizes, materials and other parameters, which are not limited here.

[0132] In a second aspect, this embodiment further provides a method for preparing an antenna, which may include the following steps:

[0133] S1. See Figure 6 , prepare a first substrate 1.

[0134] S2, see Figure 7 , prepare a second substrate 2.

[0135] S3, see Figure 8, align the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, and then inject the material of the dielectric layer 3.

[0136] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown, S1 may include:

[0137] The radiation unit 12 is prepared on the first substrate 11 .

[0138] Specifically, Figure 6 As shown in (a1), taking the first substrate 11 as a flexible substrate as an example, the first high-temperature glass substrate 03 is cleaned and dried, and the material of the first substrate 11 (such as PI) is coated on the first high-temperature glass substrate 03, and then cured at high temperature and cleaned to form the first substrate 11. Figure 6 (a1)-(b1), a layer of ITO is prepared on the side of the first substrate 11 away from the first high-temperature glass substrate 03, and the ITO is exposed, developed, and etched to form a first electrode structure 13 (such as Figure 2 As shown), the first electrode structure 13 is bonded to the first wiring board 7. Figure 6 As shown in (c1)-(d1), the material of the radiation unit 12, such as aluminum or copper, is deposited at room temperature by a magnetron sputtering method. The stress of the film layer deposited at room temperature is relatively small, and the warping of the first high-temperature glass substrate 03 can be reduced. The film layer of the radiation unit 12 can be deposited twice, and then exposed, developed, and etched to form the radiation unit 12.

[0139] Specifically, Figure 7 As shown, S2 may include:

[0140] S21. Prepare a feeding unit.

[0141] Specifically, Figure 7 As shown in (a2), the second high-temperature glass substrate 01 is cleaned and dried, a sacrificial layer (DBL layer) 02 is prepared on the second high-temperature glass substrate 01, and a layer of material of the feed unit 4, such as copper or aluminum, is deposited, and then exposed, developed, and etched to form the feed unit 4.

[0142] S22, preparing a second substrate on the feeding unit.

[0143] Specifically, see Figure 7 (a2)-(b2), coating the material of the second substrate 21 (such as PI) on the side of the feed unit 4 away from the second high-temperature glass substrate 01, and then curing at high temperature and cleaning to form the second substrate 21. Figure 6 (b2)-(c2), a layer of ITO is prepared on the side of the second substrate 21 away from the second high-temperature glass substrate 01, and the ITO is exposed, developed, and etched to form a second electrode structure 23 (such as Figure 4As shown), the second electrode structure 23 is bonded to the second terminal plate 8.

[0144] S23, preparing a reference electrode layer on the second substrate, and forming an opening on the reference electrode layer.

[0145] Specifically, see Figure 7 As shown in (d2)-(e2), the material of the reference electrode layer 22, such as aluminum or copper, is deposited at room temperature by a magnetron sputtering method. The stress of the film deposited at room temperature is small, which can reduce the warping degree of the second high-temperature glass substrate 01. The film of the reference electrode layer 22 can be deposited twice, and then exposed, developed, and etched to form a reference electrode layer 22 with a pattern of openings 221. Then, at the position of the reference electrode layer 22 corresponding to the peripheral area Q2, a support structure 5 is coated around the radiation area Q1. The support structure 5 has a plurality of support balls. Taking the support structure 5 as a frame sealant as an example, the ratio of the frame sealant to the support balls can be 1:100, and the height of the support structure 5 can be 100um.

[0146] Specifically, Figure 8 As shown, S3 may include:

[0147] S31 , preparing a support structure 5 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 , and making a wafer filling port on the support structure 5 .

[0148] Specifically, Figure 8 As shown in (a3), taking the medium layer 3 as a liquid crystal medium including a plurality of liquid crystal molecules as an example, the prepared first substrate 1 (such as Figure 6 (d1)) and a second substrate 2 (as shown Figure 7 (e2) As shown in the figure, a certain space is supported between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 by using the support structure 5 to form the dielectric layer 3, and a filling port is reserved on the support structure 5.

[0149] S32, removing the redundant first substrate 1 and the redundant second substrate 2 by laser cutting.

[0150] See also Figure 8 (a3)-(b3), after laser cutting, the redundant parts of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are cut off. If the first substrate 11 is a flexible substrate, the first substrate 11 is formed on the first high-temperature glass substrate 03, and the feeding unit 4 on the second substrate 2 is also formed on the second high-temperature glass substrate 01. Therefore, through the laser lift-off process, the first substrate 11 is removed from the first high-temperature glass substrate 03, and the second substrate 21 is removed from the second high-temperature glass substrate 01 and the sacrificial layer 02.

[0151] S33 , injecting liquid crystal molecules between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 through the injection port to form a dielectric layer 3 .

[0152] Specifically, taking the dielectric layer 3 as a liquid crystal layer as an example, liquid crystal molecules are injected into the dielectric layer 3 through the injection port, and then the injection port is sealed to form a liquid crystal cell. Figure 8 (b3)-(c3) may further include preparing a protective film 6 on the side of the feeding unit 4 away from the first substrate 1 to provide support for the antenna and prevent the antenna from deforming.

[0153] It is to be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For those of ordinary skill in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An antenna, wherein: It includes: A first substrate and a second substrate arranged opposite to each other, a dielectric layer arranged therebetween, and a feeding unit arranged on a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate; The first substrate comprises: first base; A radiation unit is arranged on a side of the first substrate close to the second substrate; The second substrate comprises: Second base; A reference electrode layer is arranged on a side of the second substrate away from the feeding unit, the reference electrode layer has an opening, and an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate; The antenna further includes a second wiring board, and the second substrate further includes: a second electrode structure, which is arranged on a side of the second base close to the first substrate and is electrically connected to the reference electrode layer and the second wiring board, and the second wiring board inputs a voltage to the reference electrode layer through the second electrode structure; The antenna includes a radiation area and a peripheral area arranged around the radiation area; the second electrode structure is arranged in the peripheral area and forms a closed-loop structure around the radiation area; wherein the orthographic projection of the edge of the reference electrode layer on the second substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure on the second substrate.

2. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: Also included is a first wiring board; The first substrate further includes: a first electrode structure, which is arranged on a side of the first base close to the second substrate and is electrically connected to the radiation unit and the first wiring board. The first wiring board inputs voltage to the radiation unit through the first electrode structure.

3. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The first electrode structure includes at least one conductive line, one end of the at least one conductive line is connected to the first wiring board, and the other end of the at least one conductive line extends to the radiation unit and is electrically connected to the radiation unit.

4. The antenna according to claim 2, wherein: The first electrode structure and the radiation unit are made of different conductive materials; The second electrode structure and the reference electrode layer are made of different conductive materials.

5. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The orthographic projection of the feeding unit on the second substrate at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate.

6. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The feeding unit comprises a microstrip transmission line, a first end of the microstrip transmission line is connected to an external signal line, and an orthographic projection of a second end of the microstrip transmission line on the second substrate is located within an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate.

7. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate.

8. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The shape of the radiation unit is a centrally symmetrical figure; the shape of the opening is a centrally symmetrical figure; A distance between a symmetric center of an orthographic projection of the radiation unit on the second substrate and a symmetric center of an orthographic projection of the opening on the second substrate is smaller than a first preset value.

9. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: The supporting structure is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate and located in the peripheral area, and is used for sealing the first substrate and the second substrate.

10. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: Also includes: A protective film covers a side of the second substrate facing away from the first substrate and covers the feeding unit.

11. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The side length of the first substrate is 0.5 to 0.58 times the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the center frequency; the thickness of the first substrate is 100 microns to 125 microns; The side length of the second substrate is 0.5 to 0.6 times the vacuum wavelength corresponding to the central frequency point; the thickness of the second substrate is 100 microns to 125 microns.

12. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the first substrate and / or the second substrate includes at least one of polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide.

13. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the radiation unit is 8 to 12 um; the thickness of the feeding unit is 8 to 12 um; and the thickness of the reference electrode layer is 8 to 12 um.

14. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The material of the radiation unit and / or the feeding unit and / or the reference electrode layer includes at least one of copper, aluminum, gold and silver.

15. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The radiation unit is a rectangular radiation sheet; the opening is a rectangular opening; the length of the short side of the rectangular radiation sheet is greater than the length of the short side of the rectangular opening, and the length of the long side of the rectangular radiation sheet is greater than the length of the long side of the rectangular opening.

16. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein The feeding unit comprises a microstrip transmission line, and the width of the microstrip transmission line is 0.15-0.16 mm.

17. The antenna according to claim 1, wherein: The dielectric layer includes liquid crystal molecules, and a difference between a first dielectric constant of the dielectric layer when the liquid crystal molecules are in a parallel state and a second dielectric constant of the dielectric layer when the liquid crystal molecules are in a vertical state is 0.7-1.

2.

18. A method for manufacturing an antenna, used for manufacturing the antenna according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein: The following steps are involved: preparing a first substrate; preparing a second substrate; Aligning the first substrate with the second substrate, and then filling the dielectric layer with material; The preparation of the first substrate specifically includes: preparing a radiation unit on a first substrate; The preparation of the second substrate specifically includes: preparing a feeding unit; preparing a second substrate on the feed unit, and preparing a second electrode structure on the second substrate; A reference electrode layer is prepared on the second substrate, and an opening is formed on the reference electrode layer, wherein the orthographic projection of the edge of the reference electrode layer on the second substrate is located within the orthographic projection of the second electrode structure on the second substrate.

19. The method for manufacturing an antenna according to claim 18, wherein: The step of assembling the first substrate and the second substrate and then injecting the material of the dielectric layer specifically includes: A support structure is prepared between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a wafer filling port is made on the support structure; Removing redundant first and second substrates through laser cutting; Liquid crystal molecules are injected between the first substrate and the second substrate through the injection port to form a dielectric layer.

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