Tunable phase shifter, method of making the same and tunable phase shifting device

Abstract

A tunable phase shifter, its fabrication method, and a tunable device are disclosed. The phase shifter includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a tunable dielectric layer located between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes a first substrate base and a first electrode located on the first substrate base. The second substrate includes a second substrate base and a second electrode located on the second substrate base. The orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode on the first substrate base at least partially overlap. The sheet resistance of the materials of both the first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □. Therefore, this phase shifter achieves phase shifting of electromagnetic wave signals while also exhibiting low transmission loss.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a tunable phase shifter, a method for manufacturing the same, and a tunable phase shifting device. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of communication technology, the speed and breadth of information exchange between people and between devices have become faster and richer. At the same time, the development of 5G technology has also placed higher demands on electromagnetic wave signal transmission equipment (such as antenna products). Antenna products have evolved from omnidirectional antennas to directional antennas, and then to multi-band directional antennas.

[0003] On the other hand, with the large-scale application of 5G technology, antenna products not only need to adapt to scenarios such as high bandwidth, high reliability, low latency, and massive connectivity, but also require the introduction of a large amount of new spectrum resources to achieve higher channel capacity. Therefore, in order to meet the requirements of 5G technology for signal transmission speed and the breadth of transmitted content, the current mainstream solution is to use phased array antennas to transmit electromagnetic wave signals to achieve signal transmission and reception between communication devices.

[0004] A phased array antenna is a type of array antenna that changes the beam pattern direction by controlling the feed phase of the radiating elements in the array antenna. The main purpose of a phased array antenna is to achieve spatial scanning of the array beam, also known as electrical scanning. A phase shifter is a crucial component of a phased array antenna; it can change the phase coherence of the antenna signal to achieve beam switching / scanning, thereby improving the performance of communication devices. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a tunable phase shifter, its fabrication method, and a tunable phase shifting device. The tunable phase shifter changes the phase of the electromagnetic wave by applying a driving voltage to a first electrode and a second electrode, thereby altering the dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes. Furthermore, since the sheet resistance of the materials of both the first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □, the transmission loss of the microwave electromagnetic signal can be reduced. Therefore, this phase shifter achieves phase change of the electromagnetic wave signal while also exhibiting low transmission loss.

[0006] At least one embodiment of this disclosure provides a tunable phase shifter, comprising: a first substrate including a first substrate and a first electrode located on the first substrate; a second substrate including a second substrate and a second electrode located on the second substrate; and a tunable dielectric layer located between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the sheet resistance of the materials of the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □.

[0007] For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tunable phase shifter that further includes: a plurality of spacers located between the first substrate and the second substrate to maintain the spacing between the first substrate and the second substrate, and at least one of the spacers is disposed between two adjacent second electrodes.

[0008] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the second substrate includes an electrode region and a peripheral region located around the electrode region, the second electrode is located in the electrode region, and the peripheral region is provided with a plurality of spacers arranged in an array.

[0009] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the maximum dimension of the orthographic projection of the spacer on the first substrate in a direction parallel to the first substrate is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 is in the range of 6-12.

[0010] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the value range of D1 is 40-60 micrometers, and the value range of D2 is 360-480 micrometers.

[0011] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the ratio of the height of the spacer in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is in the range of 1-2.30.

[0012] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the ratio of the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the height of the spacer in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is in the range of 0.125-0.28.

[0013] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the ratio of the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the distance between the electrode and the first substrate and the second substrate is in the range of 0.17-0.65.

[0014] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate is in the range of 1.5-5 micrometers, and the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is in the range of 1.5-5 micrometers.

[0015] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the shape of the first cross-section of the first electrode cut by a plane perpendicular to the first substrate includes a trapezoidal or rectangular shape, and the angle of the first cross-section away from the base angle of the tunable dielectric layer ranges from 70 to 90 degrees.

[0016] The shape of the second cross section of the second electrode cut by a plane perpendicular to the second substrate includes trapezoidal or rectangular, and the angle of the second cross section away from the bottom angle of the tunable dielectric layer ranges from 70 to 90 degrees.

[0017] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the first substrate further includes a first protective layer and a first alignment layer, wherein the first protective layer is located on the side of the first electrode away from the first substrate, and the first alignment layer is located on the side of the first protective layer away from the first substrate.

[0018] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the second substrate further includes a second protective layer and a second alignment layer, wherein the second protective layer is located on the side of the second electrode away from the second substrate, and the second alignment layer is located on the side of the second protective layer away from the second substrate.

[0019] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the materials of the first protective layer and the second protective layer are selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide, and aluminum oxide.

[0020] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, the thickness of the first protective layer ranges from 1000 to 2000 angstroms.

[0021] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the first substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart and a first connection electrode connected to the plurality of first electrodes, and the second substrate includes a plurality of second electrodes spaced apart and a second connection electrode connected to the plurality of second electrodes. The plurality of first electrodes and the plurality of second electrodes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap.

[0022] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the first substrate further includes a first planarization filling structure located between adjacent first electrodes, the thickness of the first planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate being approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate; the second substrate further includes a second planarization filling structure located between adjacent second electrodes, the thickness of the second planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate being approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate.

[0023] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the materials of the first planarization filling structure and the second planarization filling structure include one or more of optical adhesive, photoresist and photocurable adhesive.

[0024] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the overlap distance between the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode on the first substrate in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes is greater than 90% of the size of the first electrode or the second electrode in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes.

[0025] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure, in the electrode region, the orthogonal projection of the spacer on a reference line perpendicular to the second substrate overlaps with the orthogonal projection of the second electrode on the reference line.

[0026] For example, in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, the first substrate further includes a first signal line electrically connected to the first electrode, and the second substrate includes a second signal line electrically connected to the second electrode.

[0027] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a tunable phase shifting device, which includes a phase shifter according to any of the preceding claims.

[0028] For example, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a tunable phase-shifting device that further includes: a plurality of radiation units disposed on the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, or on the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of each radiation unit on the first substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the interval between two adjacent first electrodes on the first substrate.

[0029] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter, comprising: forming a first substrate, the first substrate including a first substrate and a first electrode located on the first substrate; forming a second substrate, the second substrate including a second substrate and a second electrode located on the second substrate; assembling the first substrate and the second substrate and filling the space between the first substrate and the second substrate with liquid crystal to form a tunable dielectric layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the sheet resistance of the materials in the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □.

[0030] For example, in a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, forming the first substrate includes: forming a plurality of first electrodes on the first substrate; processing the surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate using a plasma process to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the first electrodes; and forming a first protective layer on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate.

[0031] For example, in a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, forming the first substrate further includes: coating a low-temperature optical adhesive layer on the side of the first protective layer away from the first substrate to form a first planarization filling structure between adjacent first electrodes, wherein the thickness of the first planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate.

[0032] For example, in a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, forming the second substrate includes: forming a plurality of second electrodes on the second substrate; processing the surfaces of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate using a plasma process to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the second electrodes; and forming a second protective layer on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate.

[0033] For example, in a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure, forming the second substrate further includes: coating a low-temperature optical adhesive layer on the side of the second protective layer away from the second substrate to form a second planarization filling structure between adjacent second electrodes, wherein the thickness of the second planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate.

[0034] For example, a method for fabricating a tunable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of this disclosure further includes: coating a photoresist material layer on the side of the first substrate close to the second substrate; and exposing the photoresist material layer using a photolithography process to form a plurality of spacers, wherein the maximum dimension of the orthographic projection of the spacers on the first substrate in a direction parallel to the first substrate is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 is in the range of 6-12. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings of the embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below only relate to some embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure.

[0036] Figure 1A This is a schematic diagram of a phased array antenna;

[0037] Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a phased array antenna;

[0038] Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of an adjustable phase shifter provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0039] Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of another adjustable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0040] Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram of another adjustable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0041] Figure 3A A planar schematic diagram of a first substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0042] Figure 3B A planar schematic diagram of a second substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0043] Figure 3C A planar schematic diagram of a first substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0044] Figure 3D A planar schematic diagram of a second substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0045] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0046] Figure 5A A plan view of the first substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0047] Figure 5B A plan view of the second substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0048] Figure 6A A schematic plan view of the first substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0049] Figure 6B A plan view of the second substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0050] Figure 7A A schematic plan view of the first substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0051] Figure 7B A plan view of the second substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure;

[0052] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a tunable phase-shifting device provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0053] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of this disclosure; and

[0054] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0055] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this disclosure clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this disclosure will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this disclosure. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the described embodiments of this disclosure without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0056] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this disclosure shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains. The terms “first,” “second,” and similar terms used in this disclosure do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Terms such as “comprising” or “including” mean that an element or object preceding the word encompasses the elements or objects listed following the word and their equivalents, without excluding other elements or objects. Terms such as “connected” or “linked” are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but can include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect.

[0057] Figure 1A and Figure 1B This is a schematic diagram of a phased array antenna. Figure 1A and Figure 1B As shown, the phased array antenna 10 includes multiple phase shifters 11 and multiple radiating elements 12, with the multiple phase shifters 11 and multiple radiating elements 12 being arranged accordingly. Figure 1A The multiple phase shifters 11 in the antenna do not change the phase of the antenna signal. Figure 1B Multiple phase shifters 11 in the array change the phase of the antenna signals emitted by multiple radiating elements 12, thereby changing the beam pointing. Thus, the phased array antenna can achieve spatial scanning of the array beam through multiple phase shifters.

[0058] Currently, there are two main types of phase shifters: mechanical and electronic. Mechanical phase shifters have a fatal flaw: due to inertia, they cannot rapidly change phase in a very short time, while 5G signal transmission requires rapid phase changes in milliseconds or even shorter timeframes. Furthermore, mechanical phase shifters are large and heavy. On the other hand, electronic phase shifters can change phase quickly and have advantages such as small size and light weight. However, although electronic phase shifters overcome the drawbacks of mechanical phase shifters, they are too expensive, have complex designs, poor intermodulation performance, and cannot perform continuous phase adjustment.

[0059] Besides the mechanical and electronic phase shifters mentioned above, liquid crystal phase shifters are a new type of phase shifter based on the fundamental principle of liquid crystal gratings. They achieve this by forming overlapping capacitances on both sides of the liquid crystal layer, thereby changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave on the liquid crystal phase shifter due to the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal material, ultimately achieving the effect of adjusting the phase shift. Liquid crystal phase shifters not only overcome the disadvantages of mechanical phase shifters (large size, heavy weight, and inability to rapidly change phase in a very short time) but also overcome the shortcomings of electronic phase shifters (poor intermodulation performance and inability to continuously adjust phase). Furthermore, liquid crystal phase shifters are simple to manufacture, small in size and weight, and low in cost.

[0060] The two most important performance indicators affecting liquid crystal phase shifters are the magnitude of the phase shift and the loss (transmission line loss + dielectric loss). Existing liquid crystal phase shifters mainly suffer from low phase shift, poor phase shift uniformity, and high loss. As the requirements of 5G technology for phased array antennas become increasingly stringent, the phase shift, phase shift uniformity, and loss of existing liquid crystal phase shifters are unlikely to meet the requirements of communication speed and accuracy.

[0061] This disclosure provides a tunable phase shifter, its fabrication method, and a tunable phase shifting device. The tunable phase shifter includes a first substrate, a second substrate, and a tunable dielectric layer located between the first and second substrates. The first substrate includes a first substrate and a first electrode on the first substrate. The second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode on the second substrate. The orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap. The sheet resistance of the materials of both the first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □. Therefore, since the orthographic projections of the first and second electrodes on the first substrate at least partially overlap, an overlap capacitance can be formed between the first and second electrodes. When a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes changes, thereby changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave on the phase shifter. Furthermore, since the sheet resistance of the materials of both the first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □, the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals can be reduced. Therefore, this phase shifter can change the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal while also having low transmission loss.

[0062] The tunable phase shifter, its manufacturing method, and the tunable phase shifting device provided in the embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] One embodiment of this disclosure provides a tunable phase shifter. Figure 2A This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2B This is a schematic diagram of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 2C This is a schematic diagram of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3A A planar schematic diagram of a first substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 3B This is a planar schematic diagram of a second substrate in a tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] like Figure 2AAs shown, the tunable phase shifter 100 includes a first substrate 110, a second substrate 120, and a tunable dielectric layer 130 located between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. The first substrate 110 includes a first substrate 112 and a first electrode 115 located on the first substrate 112. The second substrate 120 includes a second substrate 122 and a second electrode 125 located on the second substrate 122. The orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 and the orthographic projection of the second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112 at least partially overlap. The sheet resistance of the materials of the first electrode 115 and the second electrode 125 is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □. It should be noted that sheet resistance refers to the resistance value per unit thickness and unit area of ​​the conductive material, abbreviated as sheet resistance. In addition, the material of the aforementioned tunable dielectric layer can be a material whose dielectric properties can be adjusted by an electric field.

[0065] In the tunable phase shifter provided in this embodiment, since the orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, the first and second electrodes can form an overlapping capacitance. When a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes changes, thereby changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave on the tunable phase shifter. Furthermore, since the sheet resistance of the materials of both the first and second electrodes is less than or equal to 0.024 Ω / □, the transmission loss of the microwave electromagnetic signal can be reduced. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter achieves phase change of the electromagnetic wave signal while also having low transmission loss.

[0066] For example, the sheet resistance Rs = ρ / w, where ρ is the resistivity of the thin film material and w is the thickness of the thin film material. In this embodiment of the disclosure, to reduce the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals, the resistivity ρ of the thin film material is no greater than 2.4 * 10⁻⁶. -8 Ω / m.

[0067] Resistivity can be measured using methods such as the direct method, two-probe method, three-probe method, four-probe method, multi-probe array, extended resistance method, Hall effect measurement, eddy current method, microwave method, and capacitive coupling CV measurement.

[0068] Thin film thickness can be measured using either direct or indirect methods. Direct methods involve using measuring instruments to directly sense the film thickness through contact (or light contact). Common direct methods include: micrometer screw gauge, precision profile scanning (step method), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Indirect methods involve calculating and converting relevant physical quantities into film thickness based on certain corresponding physical relationships. Common indirect methods include: weighing method, capacitance method, resistance method, equal-thickness interferometry, variable-angle interferometry, and ellipsometric method. Based on the measurement principle, methods can be divided into three categories: weighing method, electrical method, and optical method. Common weighing methods include: balance method, quartz method, and atomic number determination method; common electrical methods include: resistance method, capacitance method, and eddy current method; common optical methods include: equal-thickness interferometry, variable-angle interferometry, light absorption method, and ellipsometric method.

[0069] In some examples, the materials of the first and second electrodes may include metals, alloys, conductive metal oxides, or combinations thereof. For example, the metal may be selected from at least one of nickel, platinum, vanadium, chromium, copper, zinc, gold, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, titanium, indium, yttrium, lithium, gadolinium, silver, tin, lead, cesium, and barium; the alloy may be one or more alloys of nickel, platinum, vanadium, chromium, copper, zinc, gold, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, titanium, indium, yttrium, lithium, gadolinium, silver, tin, lead, cesium, and barium; the conductive metal oxide may be selected from at least one of zinc oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, the materials of the first and second electrodes may be set according to the requirements of transmission efficiency.

[0070] In some examples, the first electrode may be a single-layer structure or a multi-layer structure; when the first electrode is a multi-layer structure, the multi-layer structure of the first electrode may include lithium fluoride / aluminum (LiF / Al), lithium oxide / aluminum (Li2O / Al), lithium quinoline complex / aluminum, lithium fluoride / calcium (LiF / Ca), or barium fluoride / calcium (BaF2 / Ca). Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, these.

[0071] In some examples, the materials of the first electrode and the second electrode may be the same or different.

[0072] In some examples, both the first electrode 115 and the second electrode 125 are made of copper; that is, both the first and second electrodes are made of copper. Thus, this tunable phase shifter reduces cost while minimizing microwave electromagnetic signal transmission losses.

[0073] For example, when the first and second electrodes are copper electrodes with a thickness of 7.97 micrometers, the sheet resistance of the first and second electrodes can range from 0.0017Ω / □ to 0.0019Ω / □, such as 0.0017Ω / □, 0.0018Ω / □, or 0.0019Ω / □. It should be noted that the first and second electrodes can be fabricated using electroplating, with a plating current of 89A and a plating time of 700 seconds.

[0074] For example, when the first and second electrodes are copper electrodes with a thickness of 5.00 micrometers, the sheet resistance of the first and second electrodes can range from 0.0027Ω / □ to 0.0031Ω / □, such as 0.0027Ω / □, 0.0028Ω / □, 0.0029Ω / □, 0.0030Ω / □, or 0.0031Ω / □. It should be noted that the first and second electrodes can be fabricated using electroplating, with a plating current of 89A and a plating time of 439 seconds.

[0075] For example, when the first and second electrodes are copper electrodes with a thickness of 2.39 micrometers, the sheet resistance of the first and second electrodes can range from 0.0067Ω / □ to 0.0073Ω / □, such as 0.0067Ω / □, 0.0068Ω / □, 0.0069Ω / □, 0.0070Ω / □, 0.0071Ω / □, 0.0072Ω / □, and 0.0073Ω / □. It should be noted that the first and second electrodes can be fabricated using electroplating, with a plating current of 89A and a plating time of 176 seconds.

[0076] For example, when the first and second electrodes are copper electrodes with a thickness of 5.02 micrometers, the sheet resistance of the first and second electrodes can range from 0.0027Ω / □ to 0.0031Ω / □, such as 0.0027Ω / □, 0.0028Ω / □, 0.0029Ω / □, 0.0030Ω / □, or 0.0031Ω / □. It should be noted that the first and second electrodes can be fabricated using electroplating, with a plating current of 89A and a plating time of 439 seconds.

[0077] For example, when the first and second electrodes are copper electrodes with a thickness of 5.12 micrometers, the sheet resistance of the first and second electrodes can range from 0.0025Ω / □ to 0.0030Ω / □, such as 0.0025Ω / □, 0.0026Ω / □, 0.0027Ω / □, 0.0028Ω / □, 0.0029Ω / □, or 0.0030Ω / □. It should be noted that the first and second electrodes can be fabricated using electroplating, with a plating current of 89A and a plating time of 439 seconds.

[0078] In some examples, such as Figure 2B and 2C As shown, the aforementioned tunable dielectric layer 130 can be a liquid crystal layer. Liquid crystal material is a state of matter between solid and liquid. The dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystal material and the property that its molecules can rotate freely allow the material in this state to change its dielectric constant and thus its phase constant when subjected to external excitation (electric or magnetic field). Therefore, this tunable phase shifter can quickly change its phase and also has advantages such as simple manufacturing process, small size and weight, and low cost.

[0079] In some examples, the liquid crystal layer described above can be a nematic liquid crystal, a cholesteric liquid crystal, a smectic liquid crystal, or a negative or positive liquid crystal.

[0080] In some examples, the materials of the first electrode and the second electrode may be the same or different.

[0081] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the thickness of the first electrode 115 in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 112 ranges from 1.5 to 5 micrometers; the thickness of the second electrode 125 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 ranges from 1.5 to 5 micrometers. Therefore, both the first and second electrodes have relatively large thicknesses, thereby reducing their resistance. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, this, and the thickness of the first and second electrodes can be determined according to the transmission efficiency requirements of the tunable phase shifter.

[0082] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the first substrate 110 further includes a first protective layer 116 and a first alignment layer 117. The first protective layer 116 is located on the side of the first electrode 115 away from the first substrate 112, and the first alignment layer 117 is located on the side of the first protective layer 116 away from the first substrate 112. By forming the first protective layer on the side of the first electrode away from the first substrate, the tunable phase shifter can prevent the first electrode from being oxidized, thereby improving the stability of the product. On the other hand, the first protective layer can also improve the flatness of the first substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift. It should be noted that the "phase shift" mentioned above refers to the amount of phase change generated by the electromagnetic field due to the tunable phase shifter.

[0083] For example, the material of the first protective layer can be selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide, and aluminum oxide, thereby providing a good effect against water and oxygen erosion. Of course, the material of the first protective layer can also be other organic or inorganic materials with the effect of preventing water and oxygen erosion. For example, the thickness of the first protective layer can be in the range of 1000-2000 angstroms, thereby providing a good planarization effect. Of course, the embodiments disclosed herein are not limited to this; the first protective layer can also use other thicknesses, as long as a planarization effect is achieved.

[0084] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the second substrate 120 further includes a second protective layer 126 and a second alignment layer 127. The second protective layer 126 is located on the side of the second electrode 125 away from the second substrate 122, and the second alignment layer 127 is located on the side of the second protective layer 126 away from the second substrate 122. By forming the second protective layer on the side of the second electrode away from the second substrate, the tunable phase shifter can prevent the second electrode from being oxidized, thereby improving the stability of the product. On the other hand, the second protective layer can also improve the flatness of the second substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift.

[0085] For example, the material of the second protective layer can be selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide, and aluminum oxide, thus providing a good effect against water and oxygen corrosion. Of course, the material of the second protective layer can also be other organic or inorganic materials that have the effect of preventing water and oxygen corrosion.

[0086] For example, the thickness of the second protective layer can range from 1000 to 2000 angstroms, thereby achieving a better planarization effect. Of course, the embodiments disclosed herein include, but are not limited to, other thicknesses of the second protective layer, as long as they achieve the planarization effect.

[0087] In some examples, such as Figure 3A As shown, the first substrate 110 includes a plurality of first electrodes 115 spaced apart and a first connecting electrode 114 connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115. Thus, the plurality of first electrodes can be connected via the first connecting electrode, thereby improving the uniformity of the voltage across the plurality of first electrodes, and further improving the uniformity of the phase shift of the tunable phase shifter.

[0088] In some examples, such as Figure 3BAs shown, the second substrate 120 includes a plurality of second electrodes 125 and second signal lines 123 spaced apart, with the second signal lines 123 electrically connected to the second electrodes 125. The second signal lines 123 are located on the side of the plurality of second electrodes 125 closest to the second substrate 122, and the orthographic projection of the second signal lines 123 onto the second substrate 122 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the plurality of second electrodes 125 onto the second substrate 122. In some examples, such as... Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, a plurality of first electrodes 115 and a plurality of second electrodes 125 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112. Thus, the corresponding arrangement of the first and second electrodes can form an overlapping capacitance. Furthermore, gaps or openings can be formed between adjacent first electrodes, which is beneficial for the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0089] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the first electrode 115 is directly opposite the corresponding second electrode 125; for example, the overlap distance between the orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115 is greater than 80% of the size of the first electrode 115 or the second electrode 125 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115. Thus, the tunable phase shifter can better control the phase shift amount.

[0090] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the overlap distance between the orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115 is greater than 90% of the size of the first electrode 115 or the second electrode 125 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115, thereby enabling better control of the phase shift amount.

[0091] In some examples, the size (i.e. width) of the first electrode 115 in the direction of arrangement of the plurality of first electrodes 115 ranges from 100 to 500 micrometers; the size (i.e. width) of the second electrode 115 in the direction of arrangement of the plurality of second electrodes 125 ranges from 100 to 500 micrometers.

[0092] For example, the width of the first electrode can be 100 micrometers, 200 micrometers, 300 micrometers, 400 micrometers or 500 micrometers; the width of the second electrode can be 100 micrometers, 200 micrometers, 300 micrometers, 400 micrometers or 500 micrometers.

[0093] In some examples, the dimensions of each first electrode 115 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115 range from 120 to 180 millimeters, for example 150 millimeters; that is, the width of each first electrode ranges from 120 to 180 millimeters, for example 150 millimeters.

[0094] In some examples, the dimensions of each second electrode 125 in the direction of arrangement of the plurality of first electrodes 125 range from 120 to 180 millimeters, for example 150 millimeters; that is, the width of each second electrode ranges from 120 to 180 millimeters, for example 150 millimeters.

[0095] In some examples, such as Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, the cross-section of the first electrode 115 cut by a plane perpendicular to the first substrate 112 is trapezoidal, as... Figure 2C As shown, the cross-section of the first electrode 115 cut by a plane perpendicular to the first substrate 112 is rectangular. In this case, the angle of the cross-section away from the base angle of the tunable dielectric layer 130 ranges from 70 to 90 degrees. For example, depending on the manufacturing process, it can be 70, 80, or 90 degrees. Because the angle of the cross-section away from the base angle of the tunable dielectric layer 130 ranges from 70 to 90 degrees, the slope of the cross-section is relatively large, resulting in a larger surface area of ​​the first electrode near the tunable dielectric layer, thereby improving the performance of the overlapping capacitance formed by the first and second electrodes. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter can further reduce the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals.

[0096] In some examples, such as Figure 2C As shown, the angle range of the cross-section of the first electrode 115 away from the bottom corner of the tunable dielectric layer 130 is 90 degrees. At this time, the tunable phase shifter can further reduce the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals.

[0097] In some examples, such as Figure 2A and 2B As shown, the cross-section of the second electrode 125 cut by a plane perpendicular to the second substrate 122 is trapezoidal, as... Figure 2CAs shown, the cross-section of the second electrode 125 cut by a plane perpendicular to the second substrate 122 is trapezoidal. In this case, the angle of the cross-section away from the base angle of the tunable dielectric layer 130 ranges from 70 to 90 degrees. For example, depending on the manufacturing process, it can be 70, 80, or 90 degrees. Similarly, since the angle of the cross-section away from the base angle of the tunable dielectric layer 130 ranges from 70 to 90 degrees, the slope of the cross-section is relatively large, thereby allowing for a larger surface area of ​​the first electrode near the tunable dielectric layer, which improves the performance of the overlapping capacitance formed by the first and second electrodes. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter can further reduce the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals.

[0098] In some examples, such as Figure 2C As shown, the cross-section of the second electrode 125 is 90 degrees away from the bottom angle of the tunable dielectric layer 130. In this case, the tunable phase shifter can further reduce the transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals.

[0099] Figure 3C A plan view of the first substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 3D This is a planar schematic diagram of the second substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0100] like Figure 3C and 3D As shown, the tunable phase shifter 100 includes a plurality of first tunable phase shifter units 110U located on a first substrate 112 and a plurality of second tunable phase shifter units 120U located on a second substrate 122. The plurality of first tunable phase shifter units 110U and the plurality of second tunable phase shifter units 120U correspond one-to-one to form a complete tunable phase shifter unit. Depending on the phase shifting accuracy requirements, the number of tunable phase shifter units can be more than two, such as 2, 5, 10, 21, 35, 43, 56 or hundreds, such as 512 or 4096.

[0101] like Figure 3C and 3D As shown, in the first tunable phase shifter unit 110U, the first electrode 115 includes two oppositely arranged sub-electrode portions 1152, such as the first sub-electrode portion 1152A and the second sub-electrode portion 1152B; at this time, the first substrate 110 includes two first connection electrodes 114 and two first signal lines 113. The first signal lines 113A and 113B can be loaded with the same voltage or different voltages, and the first signal lines 113A and 113B of each tunable phase shifter unit 110U can be connected to the same IC or to different ICs.

[0102] like Figure 3C and 3DAs shown, the two oppositely arranged sub-electrode sections 1152 can be loaded with the same electrical signal or different electrical signals. For example, the voltages may be the same or different, or the frequencies may be the same or different, but a differential signal must be formed with the electrical signal of the second tunable phase shifter unit 120U. For example, a low-frequency signal can be applied to the first tunable phase shifter unit 110U, and a high-frequency signal can be applied to the second tunable phase shifter unit 120U, forming a differential signal between the two for microwave signal transmission.

[0103] like Figure 3C and 3D As shown, the two oppositely disposed sub-electrode portions 1152 may be made of the same or different materials, such as metals, alloys, conductive metal oxides, or combinations thereof. For example, the metal may be selected from at least one of nickel, platinum, vanadium, chromium, copper, zinc, gold, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, titanium, indium, yttrium, lithium, gadolinium, silver, tin, lead, cesium, and barium; the alloy may be one or more alloys of nickel, platinum, vanadium, chromium, copper, zinc, gold, aluminum, magnesium, calcium, sodium, potassium, titanium, indium, yttrium, lithium, gadolinium, silver, tin, lead, cesium, and barium; the conductive metal oxide may be selected from at least one of zinc oxide, indium oxide, tin oxide, indium tin oxide (ITO), indium zinc oxide (IZO), and fluorine-doped tin oxide.

[0104] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the tunable phase shifter 100 also includes a plurality of spacers PS, which are located between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 to maintain the spacing between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120; at least one spacer PS is disposed between two adjacent second electrodes 125, thereby better maintaining the uniformity of the thickness between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, and thus ensuring the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter.

[0105] In some examples, such as Figure 3B As shown, the second substrate 120 includes an electrode region 120A and a peripheral region 120B located around the electrode region 120A. The second electrode 125 is located in the electrode region 120A, and the peripheral region 120B is provided with a plurality of spacers PS arranged in an array. Thus, by also providing a plurality of spacers arranged in an array in the peripheral region, the tunable phase shifter can avoid deformation of the first substrate and the second substrate at the edges of the electrode region, thereby better maintaining the thickness uniformity between the first substrate and the second substrate, and thus ensuring the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter.

[0106] In some examples, the maximum dimension of the spacer PS projected onto the first substrate 112 in a direction parallel to the first substrate 112 is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers PS is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 ranges from 6 to 12. Thus, by setting the distance between two adjacent spacers PS as described above, the tunable phase shifter can improve the uniformity of the thickness of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second substrates, thereby further improving the uniformity of the phase shift amount.

[0107] For example, the maximum dimension D1 of the orthographic projection of the spacer PS onto the first substrate 112 in the direction parallel to the first substrate 112 ranges from 40 to 60 micrometers, for example, 50 micrometers. It should be noted that when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is circular, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the diameter of the circle; when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is elliptical, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the major axis dimension of the ellipse; when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is polygonal, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the length of the longest diagonal of the polygon.

[0108] In some examples, the distance D2 between two adjacent spacers PS ranges from 360 to 480 micrometers, for example, 400 micrometers.

[0109] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the ratio of the height of the spacer PS in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 to the distance (i.e., cell thickness) between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 ranges from (40 / 30) to (10.6 / 4.6), that is, 1.33-2.30. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter achieves good phase shifting capability and has low transmission loss.

[0110] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, the ratio of the thickness of the second electrode 125 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 to the height of the spacer PS in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 ranges from (3 / 10.6) to (5 / 40), i.e., 0.125-0.28. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter achieves good phase shifting capability and has low transmission loss.

[0111] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2CAs shown, the ratio of the thickness of the second electrode 125 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 to the distance (i.e., cell thickness) between it and the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 ranges from (3 / 4.6) to (5 / 30), that is, 0.17-0.65. Therefore, this tunable phase shifter can achieve good phase shifting capability and has low transmission loss.

[0112] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B , Figure 2C , Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown, the first substrate 110 further includes a first signal line 113, which is electrically connected to the first electrode 115, and the second substrate 120 includes a second signal line 123, which is electrically connected to the second electrode 125.

[0113] For example, the materials for the first and second signal lines can be transparent metal oxides, such as indium tin oxide (ITO). Thus, the first and second signal lines, while possessing good conductivity, can also avoid adversely affecting the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0114] In some examples, such as Figure 3A As shown, each first electrode 115 includes two oppositely disposed sub-electrode portions 1152; at this time, the first substrate 110 includes two first connecting electrodes 114 and two first signal lines 113; one of the two first connecting electrodes 114 is connected to the sub-electrode portion 1152 on the left side of the plurality of first electrodes 115, and the other of the two first connecting electrodes 114 is connected to the sub-electrode portion 1152 on the right side of the plurality of first electrodes 115; the two first signal lines 113 are respectively connected to the two first connecting electrodes 114 to provide driving voltage to the two first connecting electrodes 114.

[0115] In some examples, such as Figure 3B As shown, the orthographic projection of the second signal line 123 on the second substrate 122 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the plurality of second electrodes 125 on the second substrate 122. The plurality of second electrodes 125 may be located on the side of the second signal line 123 away from the second substrate 122.

[0116] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, due to the relatively thick thickness of the first electrode 115, the area between two adjacent first electrodes 115 is a recessed area, and the spacer PS is disposed in the recessed area. At this time, the orthographic projection of the spacer PS on a reference line perpendicular to the first substrate 112 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the reference line.

[0117] In some examples, such as Figure 2A , Figure 2B and Figure 2C As shown, due to the relatively thick thickness of the second electrode 125, the area between two adjacent second electrodes 125 is a recessed area, and the spacer PS is disposed in the recessed area. At this time, the orthographic projection of the spacer PS on a reference line perpendicular to the second substrate 122 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second electrode 125 on the reference line.

[0118] In some examples, the first and second substrates may be substrates comprising an insulating material (e.g., an insulating transparent substrate). The substrate may include glass; polymers such as polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN)), polycarbonate, polyacrylate, polyimide, polyamide-imide, or combinations thereof); polysiloxanes (e.g., PDMS); inorganic materials such as Al₂O₃, ZnO, or combinations thereof; or combinations thereof; the first and second substrates may be made of silicon wafers. However, this is not a limitation. The first and second substrates may be the same material or different materials.

[0119] In some examples, it is preferable to have a lower dielectric loss Df for both the first and second substrates; for example, the dielectric loss Df for both the first and second substrates is less than 0.003. Additionally, it is preferable to have a lower dielectric loss Df for the dielectric layer; for example, the dielectric loss Df for the dielectric layer is less than 0.005. Figure 4 A schematic diagram of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure; Figure 5A A plan view of the first substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 5B This is a planar schematic diagram of the second substrate in another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0120] like Figure 4 As shown, the tunable phase shifter 100 includes a first substrate 110, a second substrate 120, and a liquid crystal layer 130 located between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120. For example, the first substrate and the second substrate can be formed into a liquid crystal cell by a cell assembly process, and then liquid crystal material is injected into the liquid crystal cell to form the liquid crystal layer described above.

[0121] like Figure 4 and Figure 5AAs shown, the first substrate 110 includes a first substrate 112, a plurality of first electrodes 115, a first connecting electrode 114, a first protective layer 116, and a first alignment layer 117; the plurality of first electrodes 115 are spaced apart, the first connecting electrode 114 is connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115, the plurality of first electrodes 115 and the first connecting electrode 114 are located on the first substrate 112, the first protective layer 116 is located on the side of the plurality of first electrodes 115 and the first connecting electrode 114 away from the first substrate 112, and the first alignment layer 117 is located on the side of the first protective layer 116 away from the first substrate 112.

[0122] like Figure 4 and Figure 5B As shown, the second substrate 120 includes a second substrate 122, a plurality of second electrodes 125, a second connecting electrode 124, a second protective layer 126, and a second alignment layer 127. The plurality of second electrodes 125 are spaced apart, and the second connecting electrode 124 is connected to the plurality of second electrodes 125. The plurality of second electrodes 125 and the second connecting electrode 124 are located on the second substrate 122. The second protective layer 126 is located on the side of the plurality of second electrodes 125 and the second connecting electrode 124 away from the second substrate 122. The second alignment layer 127 is located on the side of the second protective layer 126 away from the second substrate 122.

[0123] like Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112, and at least one of the first electrode 115 and the second electrode 125 is made of copper. That is, at least one of the first electrode 115 and the second electrode 125 is made of copper.

[0124] In the tunable phase shifter provided in this embodiment, since at least one of the first and second electrodes is made of copper, which has high conductivity, transmission loss of microwave electromagnetic signals can be reduced. Therefore, the tunable phase shifter achieves phase change of the electromagnetic wave signal while also having low transmission loss. On the other hand, by forming a first protective layer on the side of the first electrode away from the first substrate, the tunable phase shifter can prevent oxidation of the first electrode, thereby improving product stability. Furthermore, the first protective layer can improve the flatness of the first substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift. Similarly, by forming a second protective layer on the side of the second electrode away from the second substrate, the tunable phase shifter can prevent oxidation of the second electrode, thereby improving product stability. Furthermore, the second protective layer can improve the flatness of the second substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift.

[0125] In some examples, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the first substrate 110 also includes a first planarization filling structure 119, which is located between adjacent first electrodes 115. The thickness of the first planarization filling structure 119 in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 112 is approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrodes 115 in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 112. Therefore, the first planarization filling structure can significantly improve the flatness of the entire first substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift of the tunable phase shifter.

[0126] For example, the material of the first planarization filling structure 119 includes optical adhesive. Optical adhesive is easy to apply and facilitates electromagnetic wave transmission. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, other suitable materials, such as photoresist and photocurable adhesive, can also be used for the first planarization filling structure.

[0127] In some examples, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the second substrate 120 further includes a second planarization filling structure 129, which is located between adjacent second electrodes 125. The thickness of the second planarization filling structure 129 in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 is approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrodes 125 in the same direction. Therefore, the second planarization filling structure significantly improves the flatness of the entire second substrate, thereby enhancing the uniformity of the phase shift in the tunable phase shifter.

[0128] For example, the material of the second planarization filling structure 129 includes optical adhesive. Optical adhesive is easy to apply and facilitates electromagnetic wave transmission. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, other suitable materials may be used for the second planarization filling structure, such as photoresist and photocurable adhesive.

[0129] In some examples, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the first planarization fill structure 119 and the second planarization fill structure 129 significantly improve the flatness of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120, respectively. Therefore, the height of the spacer PS in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 is approximately equal to the distance (i.e., the cell thickness) between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120; that is, the ratio of the height of the spacer PS in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 to the distance (i.e., the cell thickness) between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 is 1-1.1.

[0130] For example, the height of the spacer PS in a direction perpendicular to the second substrate 122 is equal to the distance (i.e., cell thickness) between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 120 in a ratio of 1. In some examples, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, a plurality of first electrodes 115 and a plurality of second electrodes 125 are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence. The orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112. Thus, the corresponding arrangement of the first and second electrodes can form an overlapping capacitance. Furthermore, gaps or openings can be formed between adjacent first electrodes, which is beneficial for the transmission of electromagnetic waves.

[0131] In some examples, such as Figure 4 , Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, the first electrode 115 is directly opposite the corresponding second electrode 125; for example, the overlap distance between the orthographic projection of the first electrode 115 on the first substrate 112 and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode 125 on the first substrate 112 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115 is greater than 90% of the size of the first electrode 115 or the second electrode 125 in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes 115. Thus, the tunable phase shifter can better control the phase shift amount.

[0132] In some examples, such as Figure 5A As shown, the first substrate 110 also includes a first signal line 113, which is electrically connected to the first connection electrode 114 and is located on the side of the first connection electrode 114 away from the plurality of first electrodes 115.

[0133] In some examples, such as Figure 5B As shown, the second substrate 120 also includes a second signal line 123, which is electrically connected to the second connection electrode 124 and is located on the side of the second connection electrode 124 away from the plurality of second electrodes 125.

[0134] Figure 6A A schematic plan view of the first substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 6B A plan view of the second substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0135] like Figure 6AAs shown, the first substrate 110 includes two first connection electrodes 114 and two first signal lines 113; one of the two first connection electrodes 114 is located on one side of a plurality of first electrodes 115 and is connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115; the other of the two first connection electrodes 114 is located on the other side of the plurality of first electrodes 115 and is connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115; the two first signal lines 113 are respectively connected to the two first connection electrodes 114 to provide driving voltage to the two first connection electrodes 114.

[0136] like Figure 6B As shown, the second substrate 120 includes two second connection electrodes 124 and two second signal lines 123; one of the two second connection electrodes 124 is located on one side of the plurality of second electrodes 125 and is connected to the plurality of second electrodes 125; the other of the two first connection electrodes 114 is located on the other side of the plurality of first electrodes 115 and is connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115; the two first signal lines 113 are respectively connected to the two first connection electrodes 114 to provide driving voltage to the two first connection electrodes 114.

[0137] Figure 7A A schematic plan view of the first substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure; Figure 7B A plan view of the second substrate of another tunable phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.

[0138] like Figure 7A As shown, the first substrate 110 includes a first connection electrode 114 and a plurality of first signal lines 113; the first connection electrode 114 is located on one side of the plurality of first electrodes 115 and is connected to the plurality of first electrodes 115; the plurality of first signal lines 113 are respectively connected to the first connection electrode 114 to provide driving voltage to the two first connection electrodes 114.

[0139] like Figure 7A As shown, the first substrate 110 also includes a bus electrode 210, which is connected to multiple first signal lines 113.

[0140] like Figure 7B As shown, the second substrate 120 includes a second connection electrode 124 and a plurality of second signal lines 123; the second connection electrode 124 is located on one side of the plurality of second electrodes 125 and is connected to the plurality of second electrodes 125; the plurality of second signal lines 123 are respectively connected to the second connection electrode 124 to provide driving voltage to the two second connection electrodes 124.

[0141] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a tunable phase-shifting device. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of a tunable phase-shifting device provided in one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 8As shown, the tunable phase shifter 300 includes the tunable phase shifter 100 provided in any of the above examples. Since the tunable phase shifter has low transmission loss while changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal, it also has good signal transmission performance.

[0142] In some examples, such as Figure 8 As shown, the tunable phase shifter 300 further includes a plurality of radiation units 310 disposed on the side of the first substrate 110 away from the second substrate 120, or on the side of the second substrate 120 away from the first substrate 110; each radiation unit 310 is used to radiate the signal tuned by the phase shifter into space, and to receive electromagnetic waves in space and send them into the phase shifter for tuning.

[0143] For example, the orthographic projection of each radiating element 310 on the first substrate 112 overlaps with the orthographic projection of the interval between two adjacent first electrodes 115 on the first substrate 112. Thus, electromagnetic waves can pass through the interval between the two first electrodes and be radiated into space through the radiating elements.

[0144] For example, the aforementioned radiating element can be an antenna patch. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, this.

[0145] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a communication device. Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a communication device provided according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 9 As shown, the communication device 500 includes the tunable phase shifter 100 provided in any of the above examples. Since the tunable phase shifter has low transmission loss while changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal, the communication device also has good signal transmission performance.

[0146] In some examples, the communication device can be an electronic product with communication capabilities, such as a smartphone, tablet, smart wearable device, or laptop.

[0147] At least one embodiment of this disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter. Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter according to an embodiment of this disclosure. Figure 10 As shown, the manufacturing method includes the following steps:

[0148] Step S101: Form a first substrate, the first substrate including a first substrate and a first electrode located on the first substrate;

[0149] Step S102: Form a second substrate, the second substrate including a second substrate and a second electrode located on the second substrate;

[0150] Step S103: The first substrate and the second substrate are aligned and a dielectric material layer is filled between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a tunable dielectric layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. The orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the first substrate overlap at least partially. The material of at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode includes a copper electrode.

[0151] In the method for fabricating a tunable phase shifter provided in this embodiment, since the orthographic projections of the first electrode and the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, the first and second electrodes can form an overlapping capacitance. When a voltage is applied to the first and second electrodes, the dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second electrodes changes, thereby changing the phase of the electromagnetic wave on the tunable phase shifter. Furthermore, since at least one of the first and second electrodes is made of copper, which has high conductivity, the transmission loss of the microwave electromagnetic signal can be reduced. Therefore, the method for fabricating this tunable phase shifter achieves phase change of the electromagnetic wave signal while also having low transmission loss.

[0152] In some examples, the tunable dielectric layer described above can be a liquid crystal layer, and the dielectric material layer described above can be a liquid crystal material. The fabrication method of the tunable phase shifter will be explained in detail below, taking the example of a liquid crystal layer as the tunable dielectric layer.

[0153] In some examples, forming the first substrate includes: forming a plurality of first electrodes on a first substrate; processing the surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate using a plasma process to remove oxide layers from the surfaces of the first electrodes; and forming a first protective layer on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate. On one hand, this fabrication method can prevent the plurality of first electrodes from being oxidized by processing the surfaces of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate using a plasma process to remove oxide layers from the surfaces of the first electrodes and forming a first protective layer on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate, thereby improving the stability and durability of the tunable phase shifter. On the other hand, this fabrication method can also improve the flatness of the first substrate by forming a first protective layer on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter.

[0154] In some examples, forming the first substrate further includes coating a low-temperature optical adhesive layer on the side of the first protective layer away from the first substrate to form a first planarization fill structure between adjacent first electrodes. The thickness of the first planarization fill structure in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrodes in the same direction. This first planarization fill structure significantly improves the flatness of the entire first substrate, thereby further enhancing the uniformity of the phase shift in the tunable phase shifter. Furthermore, since the low-temperature optical adhesive is easy to apply and can be directly formed using methods such as blade coating or spin coating without the need for additional patterning processes, costs can be significantly reduced. Additionally, the low-temperature optical adhesive also facilitates electromagnetic wave transmission.

[0155] In some examples, when the thickness of the first electrode is large, it is difficult to directly form a thick copper electrode (e.g., a copper electrode with a thickness greater than 2 micrometers). Therefore, forming multiple first electrodes on the first substrate includes: forming a copper seed layer on the first substrate; forming a photoresist barrier on the copper seed layer using a photolithography process; and depositing a copper metal layer on the side of the copper seed layer that is not currently covered by the photoresist, away from the first substrate, using an electroplating process, thereby forming multiple first electrodes. Of course, embodiments of this disclosure include, but are not limited to, these methods, and other methods can also be used to form thick copper electrodes.

[0156] For example, forming multiple first electrodes on a first substrate includes: forming a copper seed layer on the first substrate; depositing a copper metal layer on the side of the copper seed layer away from the first substrate using an electroplating process; and patterning the copper metal layer using photolithography and etching processes to form multiple first electrodes.

[0157] In some examples, forming the second substrate includes: forming a plurality of second electrodes on the second substrate; processing the surfaces of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate using a plasma process to remove oxide layers from the surfaces of the second electrodes; and forming a second protective layer on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate. On one hand, this fabrication method can prevent the plurality of second electrodes from being oxidized by processing the surfaces of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate using a plasma process to remove oxide layers from the surfaces of the second electrodes and forming a second protective layer on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate, thereby improving the stability and durability of the tunable phase shifter. On the other hand, this fabrication method can also improve the flatness of the second substrate by forming a second protective layer on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate, thereby improving the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter.

[0158] In some examples, forming the second substrate further includes coating a low-temperature optical adhesive layer on the side of the second protective layer away from the second substrate to form a second planarization fill structure between adjacent second electrodes. The thickness of the second planarization fill structure in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrodes in the same direction. This second planarization fill structure significantly improves the flatness of the entire second substrate, thereby further enhancing the uniformity of the phase shift in the tunable phase shifter. Furthermore, since the low-temperature optical adhesive is easy to apply and can be directly formed using methods such as blade coating or spin coating without the need for additional patterning processes, costs can be significantly reduced. Additionally, the low-temperature optical adhesive also facilitates electromagnetic wave transmission.

[0159] In some examples, the fabrication method of the tunable phase shifter further includes: coating a photoresist material layer on the side of the first substrate near the second substrate; and exposing the photoresist material layer using a photolithography process to form a plurality of spacers, wherein the maximum dimension of the spacer's orthographic projection on the first substrate in a direction parallel to the first substrate is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 ranges from 6 to 12. Thus, by setting the distance between two adjacent spacers PS as described above, this fabrication method can improve the uniformity of the thickness of the tunable dielectric layer between the first and second substrates, thereby further improving the uniformity of the phase shift. Furthermore, since the spacers are made of photoresist material, they can be directly patterned through an exposure process without the need for etching, thereby reducing costs.

[0160] For example, the maximum dimension D1 of the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate in the direction parallel to the first substrate ranges from 40 to 60 micrometers, for example, 50 micrometers. It should be noted that when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is circular, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the diameter of the circle; when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is elliptical, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the major axis dimension of the ellipse; when the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate is polygonal, the aforementioned maximum dimension D1 can be the length of the longest diagonal of the polygon.

[0161] In some examples, the distance D2 between two adjacent spacers ranges from 360 to 480 micrometers, for example, 400 micrometers.

[0162] In some examples, in the process of exposing a photoresist material layer using photolithography to form multiple spacers, at least one spacer can be formed between two adjacent second electrodes, thereby better maintaining the uniformity of the thickness between the first substrate and the second substrate, and thus ensuring the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter.

[0163] In some examples, during the process of exposing a photoresist material layer using photolithography to form multiple spacers, multiple spacers arranged in an array can be disposed in the peripheral region of the second substrate. This can prevent deformation of the first and second substrates at the edges of the electrode region, thereby better maintaining the thickness uniformity between the first and second substrates, and thus ensuring the uniformity of the phase shift amount of the tunable phase shifter. It should be noted that the area of ​​the second substrate where the second electrode is disposed is the electrode region, and the area surrounding the electrode region is the peripheral region.

[0164] This disclosure also provides an embodiment of another method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter, including the following steps:

[0165] Step S201: Deposit a layer of ITO (indium tin oxide) on the first glass substrate. The thickness of the ITO is preferably 400-700 angstroms. Then, the ITO is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form a first signal line. The linewidth of the first signal line can be 20.9 micrometers.

[0166] Step S202: A copper metal of a certain thickness (e.g., 1.5-2 micrometers) is deposited on the first glass substrate and the first signal line using a sputtering device, and then the copper metal is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form multiple first electrodes.

[0167] Step S203: The surfaces of the multiple first electrodes are treated with a plasma process (e.g., NH3 plasma) to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the multiple first electrodes.

[0168] Step S204: Deposit an inorganic film layer (i.e., a first protective layer) on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first glass substrate as a wrapping layer and a cover layer for each first electrode. The material of the inorganic film layer is preferably one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

[0169] Step S205: Deposit a layer of ITO (indium tin oxide) on the second glass substrate. The thickness of the ITO is preferably 400-700 angstroms. Then, the ITO is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form a second signal line. The linewidth of the second signal line can be 20.9 micrometers.

[0170] Step S206: A copper metal of a certain thickness (e.g., 1.5-2 micrometers) is deposited on the second glass substrate and the second signal line using a sputtering device, and then the copper metal is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form multiple second electrodes.

[0171] Step S207: The surfaces of the multiple second electrodes are treated with a plasma process (e.g., NH3 plasma) to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the multiple second electrodes.

[0172] Step S208: Deposit an inorganic film layer (i.e., a second protective layer) on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second glass substrate as a wrapping layer and a cover layer for each second electrode. The material of the inorganic film layer is preferably selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

[0173] Step S209: Apply a photoresist material of a certain thickness by spin coating or slit coating, and then pattern the photoresist material by exposure to form multiple spacers.

[0174] Step S210: Polyimide (PI) layers are formed on the side of the first protective layer away from the first glass substrate and on the side of the second protective layer away from the second glass substrate, respectively. Then, an alignment process is performed to form a first substrate including a first alignment layer and a second substrate including a second alignment layer.

[0175] Step S211: The first substrate and the second substrate are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell, and liquid crystal material is injected into the liquid crystal cell to form a phase shifter.

[0176] This disclosure also provides an embodiment of another method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter, including the following steps:

[0177] Step S301: Deposit a layer of ITO (indium tin oxide) on the first glass substrate. The thickness of the ITO is preferably 400-700 angstroms. Then, the ITO is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form a first signal line. The linewidth of the first signal line can be 20.9 micrometers.

[0178] Step S302: Deposit 300 angstroms of molybdenum metal and 3000 angstroms of copper metal on the first glass substrate and the first signal line respectively as seed layers, and then deposit a 2-5 micrometer thick copper metal layer as multiple first electrodes using an electroplating process.

[0179] It should be noted that there are two methods for depositing a 2-5 micrometer thick copper metal layer as multiple first electrodes using electroplating. The first method is the additive method, in which after the seed layer is deposited, a photoresist barrier is formed by photolithography, and then electroplating is performed. After electroplating, a stripping and etching process is performed to form multiple first electrodes. The second method is the subtractive method, in which after the seed layer is deposited, a thick copper layer is directly formed by electroplating, and then multiple first electrodes are formed by photolithography and etching.

[0180] Step S303: The surfaces of the multiple first electrodes are treated with a plasma process (e.g., NH3 plasma) to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the multiple first electrodes.

[0181] Step S304: Deposit an inorganic film layer (i.e., a first protective layer) on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first glass substrate as a wrapping layer and a cover layer for each first electrode. The material of the inorganic film layer is preferably one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

[0182] Step S305: A low-temperature optical adhesive layer with a thickness of 3-5 micrometers is coated on the first protective layer using a spin coating process or a gap-finding process to create a step difference between the area where the first electrode is located and the area where the first electrode is not located. This reduces the height of the spacers that need to be formed subsequently and improves the uniformity of the cell thickness of the subsequently formed liquid crystal cell, thereby improving the performance of the tunable phase shifter device.

[0183] Step S306: Deposit a layer of ITO (indium tin oxide) on the second glass substrate. The thickness of the ITO is preferably 400-700 angstroms. Then, the ITO is patterned by photolithography and etching processes to form a second signal line. The linewidth of the second signal line can be 20.9 micrometers.

[0184] Step S307: Deposit 300 angstroms of molybdenum metal and 3000 angstroms of copper metal on the second glass substrate and the second signal line respectively as seed layers, and then deposit a 2-5 micrometer thick copper metal layer as multiple second electrodes using an electroplating process.

[0185] It should be noted that there are two methods for depositing a 2-5 micrometer thick copper metal layer as multiple second electrodes using electroplating. The first is the additive method, in which after the seed layer is deposited, a photoresist barrier is formed by photolithography, followed by electroplating. After electroplating, a stripping and etching process is performed to form multiple second electrodes. The second is the subtractive method, in which after the seed layer is deposited, a thick copper layer is directly formed by electroplating, followed by photolithography and etching processes to form multiple second electrodes.

[0186] Step S308: The surfaces of the multiple second electrodes are treated with a plasma process (e.g., NH3 plasma) to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the multiple second electrodes.

[0187] Step S309: Deposit an inorganic film layer (i.e., a second protective layer) on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second glass substrate as a wrapping layer and a cover layer for each second electrode. The material of the inorganic film layer is selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

[0188] Step S310: Apply a photoresist material of a certain thickness by spin coating or slit coating, and then pattern the photoresist material by exposure to form multiple spacers.

[0189] Step S311: Polyimide (PI) layers are formed on the side of the first protective layer away from the first glass substrate and on the side of the second protective layer away from the second glass substrate, respectively. Then, an alignment process is performed to form a first substrate including a first alignment layer and a second substrate including a second alignment layer.

[0190] Step S312: The first substrate and the second substrate are assembled to form a liquid crystal cell, and liquid crystal material is injected into the liquid crystal cell to form a tunable phase shifter.

[0191] The following points need to be explained:

[0192] (1) The accompanying drawings of the embodiments of this disclosure only involve the structures involved in the embodiments of this disclosure. Other structures can be referred to the general design.

[0193] (2) Where there is no conflict, features of the same embodiment and different embodiments of this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0194] The above are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure, but the scope of protection of this disclosure is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this disclosure should be included within the scope of protection of this disclosure. Therefore, the scope of protection of this disclosure should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A tunable phase shifter, comprising: The first substrate includes a first substrate and a first electrode located on the first substrate; The second substrate includes a second substrate and a second electrode located on the second substrate; as well as A tunable dielectric layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate. Wherein, the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the sheet resistance of the materials of the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to 0.024Ω / □.

2. The tunable phase shifter according to claim 1, further comprising: Multiple spacers are located between the first substrate and the second substrate to maintain the spacing between the first substrate and the second substrate. At least one of the spacers is provided between two adjacent second electrodes.

3. The tunable phase shifter of claim 2, wherein, The second substrate includes an electrode region and a peripheral region surrounding the electrode region. The second electrode is located in the electrode region, and the peripheral region is provided with a plurality of spacers arranged in an array.

4. The tunable phase shifter of claim 2, wherein, The maximum dimension of the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate in the direction parallel to the first substrate is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 is in the range of 6-12.

5. The tunable phase shifter of claim 4, wherein, The value of D1 ranges from 40 to 60 micrometers, and the value of D2 ranges from 360 to 480 micrometers.

6. The tunable phase shifter of any of claims 2-4, wherein, The ratio of the height of the spacer in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is in the range of 1-2.

30.

7. The tunable phase shifter of any of claims 2-4, wherein, The ratio of the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the height of the spacer in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate ranges from 0.125 to 0.

28.

8. The tunable phase shifter according to any one of claims 2-4, wherein, The ratio of the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate to the distance between the first substrate and the second substrate is in the range of 0.17-0.

65.

9. The tunable phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate ranges from 1.5 to 5 micrometers, and the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate ranges from 1.5 to 5 micrometers.

10. The tunable phase shifter of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The shape of the first cross section of the first electrode cut by a plane perpendicular to the first substrate includes a trapezoid or a rectangle, and the angle of the first cross section away from the bottom angle of the tunable dielectric layer is in the range of 70-90 degrees; and / or the shape of the second cross section of the second electrode cut by a plane perpendicular to the second substrate includes a trapezoid or a rectangle, and the angle of the second cross section away from the bottom angle of the tunable dielectric layer is in the range of 70-90 degrees.

11. The tunable phase shifter of any of claims 1-4, wherein, The first substrate further includes a first protective layer and a first alignment layer, wherein the first protective layer is located on the side of the first electrode away from the first substrate, and the first alignment layer is located on the side of the first protective layer away from the first substrate.

12. The tunable phase shifter of claim 11, wherein, The second substrate further includes a second protective layer and a second alignment layer, wherein the second protective layer is located on the side of the second electrode away from the second substrate, and the second alignment layer is located on the side of the second protective layer away from the second substrate.

13. The tunable phase shifter of claim 12, wherein, The materials of the first protective layer and the second protective layer are selected from one or more of silicon nitride, silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride, titanium oxide and aluminum oxide.

14. The tunable phase shifter of claim 12, wherein, The thickness of the first protective layer ranges from 1000 to 2000 angstroms.

15. The tunable phase shifter of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The first substrate includes a plurality of first electrodes spaced apart and a first connection electrode connected to the plurality of first electrodes. The second substrate includes a plurality of second electrodes spaced apart and a second connection electrode connected to the plurality of second electrodes. Multiple first electrodes and multiple second electrodes are arranged in a one-to-one correspondence, and the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap.

16. The tunable phase shifter of claim 15, wherein, The first substrate further includes a first planarization fill structure located between adjacent first electrodes, wherein the thickness of the first planarization fill structure in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate; and / or the second substrate further includes a second planarization fill structure located between adjacent second electrodes, wherein the thickness of the second planarization fill structure in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate.

17. The tunable phase shifter of claim 16, wherein, The materials of the first planarization filling structure and the second planarization filling structure include one or more of optical adhesive, photoresist and photocurable adhesive.

18. The tunable phase shifter according to claim 15, wherein, The overlap distance between the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the corresponding second electrode on the first substrate in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes is greater than 90% of the size of the first electrode or the second electrode in the arrangement direction of the plurality of first electrodes.

19. The tunable phase shifter of claim 3, wherein, In the electrode region, the orthographic projection of the spacer onto a reference line perpendicular to the second substrate overlaps with the orthographic projection of the second electrode onto the reference line.

20. The tunable phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The first substrate further includes a first signal line electrically connected to the first electrode, and the second substrate includes a second signal line electrically connected to the second electrode.

21. A tunable phase shifter comprising a phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-20.

22. The tunable phase-shifting device according to claim 21, further comprising: Multiple radiating units are disposed on the side of the first substrate away from the second substrate, or on the side of the second substrate away from the first substrate.

23. A method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter, comprising: A first substrate is formed, the first substrate including a first substrate and a first electrode located on the first substrate; A second substrate is formed, the second substrate including a second substrate and a second electrode located on the second substrate; The first substrate and the second substrate are assembled, and liquid crystal is filled between the first substrate and the second substrate to form a tunable dielectric layer between the first substrate and the second substrate. Wherein, the orthographic projection of the first electrode on the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the second electrode on the first substrate at least partially overlap, and the sheet resistance of the materials in the first electrode and the second electrode is less than or equal to 0.024Ω / □.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the tunable phase shifter is fabricated by: The formation of the first substrate includes: A plurality of the first electrodes are formed on the first substrate; A plasma process is used to treat the surfaces of the multiple first electrodes, away from the first substrate, to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the first electrodes; and A first protective layer is formed on the side of the plurality of first electrodes away from the first substrate.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the tunable phase shifter is fabricated by: The formation of the first substrate further includes: A low-temperature optical adhesive layer is coated on the side of the first protective layer away from the first substrate to form a first planarization filling structure between adjacent first electrodes. The thickness of the first planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the first electrode in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the tunable phase shifter is fabricated by: Forming the second substrate includes: A plurality of second electrodes are formed on the second substrate; A plasma process is used to treat the surfaces of the multiple second electrodes, away from the second substrate, to remove the oxide layer on the surfaces of the second electrodes; and A second protective layer is formed on the side of the plurality of second electrodes away from the second substrate.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the tunable phase shifter is fabricated by: The formation of the second substrate further includes: A low-temperature optical adhesive layer is coated on the side of the second protective layer away from the second substrate to form a second planarization filling structure between adjacent second electrodes. The thickness of the second planarization filling structure in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate is approximately equal to the thickness of the second electrode in the direction perpendicular to the second substrate.

28. The method for manufacturing a tunable phase shifter according to any one of claims 23-27, further comprising: A photoresist material layer is coated on the side of the first substrate closest to the second substrate; as well as The photoresist material layer is exposed using a photolithography process to form multiple spacers. Wherein, the maximum dimension of the orthographic projection of the spacer onto the first substrate in the direction parallel to the first substrate is D1, the distance between two adjacent spacers is D2, and the ratio of D2 to D1 is in the range of 6-12.

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