Device for guiding path of electromagnetic radiation

Abstract

One or more devices for guiding a path of electromagnetic radiation are described. The one or more devices include a substrate comprising a glass material. The substrate also includes a metal material pattern formed on at least the first surface of the substrate. The pattern includes features that cause phase shift of electromagnetic radiation incident on the substrate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] This application claims priority under the patent law to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 397,002, filed on August 11, 2022, the contents of which are the basis for this article and are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0003] Embodiments are directed to devices for directing the path of electromagnetic radiation. At least some embodiments relate to techniques for redirecting electromagnetic radiation using a device having a pattern of metallic material disposed on a glass-containing substrate. Background Art

[0004] The path of the electromagnetic radiation may be modified to direct the electromagnetic radiation to the location of one or more receiving devices. Techniques for designing and manufacturing devices that accurately direct electromagnetic radiation to receiving devices while minimizing signal loss may be needed. Summary of the invention

[0005] question:

[0006] One or more embodiments are directed to providing techniques for designing and manufacturing devices that can precisely direct electromagnetic radiation to a receiving device while minimizing signal loss.

[0007] Solution to the problem:

[0008] One or more embodiments are directed to providing techniques for designing and manufacturing devices that can precisely direct electromagnetic radiation to a receiving device while minimizing signal loss.

[0009] One or more embodiments include a device comprising: one or more substrates, each of the one or more substrates comprising a glass material, and the substrate comprising a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite the first surface; and a layer of metal disposed on the first surface according to a pattern comprising a plurality of elements, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on the first surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is at least twenty gigahertz (GHz).

[0010] One or more embodiments include a communication device comprising: a first substrate comprised of a glass material and having a layer of metal disposed on at least one surface of the first substrate according to a pattern comprising a plurality of elements, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident upon the at least one surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and a frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is at least twenty gigahertz (GHz); a second substrate comprised of a glass material and having an additional layer of metal disposed on at least one surface of the second substrate according to the pattern, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident upon the at least one surface at a first additional angle is redirected at a second additional angle; and a gap disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein a thickness of the gap is between 1.5 mm and 4 mm.

[0011] One or more embodiments include a process comprising: providing a substrate comprising a glass material having a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa, a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm, and a relative dielectric constant between 4.0 F / m and 6.0 F / m; forming a first pattern on a first surface of the substrate by depositing a first layer of metal on the first surface; forming a second pattern on a second surface of the substrate by depositing a second layer of metal on the second surface; coupling the substrate with an additional substrate comprising a glass material such that a gap is provided between the substrate and the additional substrate, wherein the thickness of the gap is between 1.5 mm and 4 mm; and manufacturing a device comprising a plurality of substrates including at least the substrate and the additional substrate, wherein the device redirects a path of electromagnetic radiation incident on the device by at least 25 degrees, and wherein the frequency of the electromagnetic radiation is at least 20 GHz. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1 An environment including an electromagnetic radiation source and a communication device including a substrate to direct a path for the electromagnetic radiation is shown according to one or more implementations.

[0013] Figure 2 An illustrative partial cross-sectional view of a substrate including a plurality of features to direct a path of electromagnetic radiation is shown according to one or more implementations.

[0014] Figure 3 An illustrative device including multiple substrates to direct a path for electromagnetic radiation is shown according to one or more implementations.

[0015] Figure 4 A flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for producing an apparatus for directing a path for electromagnetic radiation according to one or more implementations.

[0016] Figure 5A An orthogonal view of a unit cell of a metasurface of a transmission array is shown to guide a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments.

[0017] Figure 5B A top view of a Metasurface of a transmission array is shown for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments.

[0018] Figure 6 An apparatus including multiple Metasurfaces to guide a path of electromagnetic radiation is shown in accordance with one or more embodiments.

[0019] Figure 7 A measurement system is shown according to one or more embodiments for determining a response to an incident Figure 6 The amount of phase shift caused by electromagnetic radiation on the device shown.

[0020] Figure 8 Shown in no and no Figure 6 Gain measurement results for the case of the device.

[0021] Fig. 9 The relationship between the reflection loss of a device having a glass substrate on which a plurality of unit cells are formed and the path length of a pattern included in the unit cell is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] The following description and drawings fully illustrate the specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, method and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in portions and features of other embodiments, or replace portions and features of other embodiments. The embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.

[0023] Various devices are currently used to direct the path of electromagnetic radiation across multiple frequency ranges. For example, beam steering using an antenna can modify the path of electromagnetic radiation in a wireless communication system. Beam steering can dynamically adjust the path of electromagnetic radiation based on the position of the antenna and based on the position of a receiving device that is the target of the electromagnetic radiation. When the position of the antenna changes and / or when the position of the receiving device changes, the antenna can direct electromagnetic radiation to the receiving device. In one or more instances, the antenna may move due to environmental conditions such as wind, or the device that houses the antenna may be in motion, such as a satellite. In addition, the receiving device may be a mobile computing device that is in motion when the user of the mobile computing device changes position. By adjusting the path of the electromagnetic radiation using beam steering technology, the reception of electromagnetic radiation at the receiving device can be improved. In at least some instances, the use of beam steering can cause an increase in signal strength, which results in a higher signal-to-interference ratio. As a result, at least one of the range of the communication system or the capacity of the communication system can be increased.

[0024] Transmitting arrays, reflecting arrays, and reconfigurable smart surfaces may be used to direct the path of electromagnetic radiation. The transmitting array may change the transmission angle of incident electromagnetic radiation to retransmit the incident electromagnetic radiation in different paths according to different angles. The transmitting array may include a plurality of unit cells, the unit cells including a pattern of a metal material or other conductive material, the pattern redirecting the incident electromagnetic radiation according to different angles other than the initial incident angle. The conductive material pattern formed on the transmitting array may include at least one of a metasurface or a frequency selective surface (FSS).

[0025] Reflective arrays change the angle of incidence of electromagnetic radiation by reflecting the incident electromagnetic radiation back along a path different from the angle of incidence according to Snell's law. Reflective arrays include surfaces that, instead of retransmitting electromagnetic radiation through the reflective array at a different angle, direct the electromagnetic radiation back toward the source of the electromagnetic radiation at a different angle. The reflection of electromagnetic radiation caused by the reflective array occurs for a relatively wide frequency range. In contrast, transmission arrays are designed to retransmit electromagnetic radiation for a relatively narrow frequency range to minimize signal losses caused by reflection.

[0026] A reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) includes an array of components that can be configured individually or in groups to control the scattering, absorption, reflection and / or diffraction properties of the RIS with respect to incident electromagnetic radiation. The components of the RIS can include circuit patterns that can modify the amplitude, implement delays and / or change the polarization characteristics of the incident electromagnetic radiation. A controller can be used to modify the characteristics of the components of the RIS, such as modifying the impedance, to change the response curve of one or more of the components.

[0027] In the prior art, organic substrates have been used to reduce signal loss when changing the path of incident electromagnetic radiation. The organic substrate may include or be formed of a variety of organic materials. In one or more instances, the organic substrate may contain polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). In addition, the organic substrate may contain polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). These organic substrates may have a relatively low relative dielectric constant, such as less than 6. The relative dielectric constant may correspond to the ratio of the dielectric constant of the material to the dielectric constant of a vacuum. The organic substrate used to guide the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation may also be relatively thin, such as on a scale of tens of microns or less, to minimize signal loss.

[0028] However, as the frequency of electromagnetic radiation has increased to carry communication signals according to 5G and 6G technology, the signal loss of these organic substrates has increased. For example, as the frequency of electromagnetic radiation increases, the path of the current propagating along the conductive pattern disposed on the substrate increases, which results in increased signal loss. In various examples, in the case where the surface roughness of the substrate is close to or greater than the thickness of the metal layer used to form the conductive pattern, the signal loss increases based on the length of the propagation path of the current traveling through the conductive pattern. The surface roughness of the organic substrate may also cause inaccuracies in the pattern formed on the organic substrate. Changes in the conductive material pattern may result in phase errors, which may reduce the accuracy of the retransmission of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the substrate. The ability to minimize the surface roughness of the organic substrate is limited, and due to the loss of signal strength and the phase error of the electromagnetic radiation retransmitted by these devices, the device including these substrates to guide the path of the electromagnetic radiation may have limited effectiveness in various frequency ranges.

[0029] Other design considerations for devices that redirect the path of electromagnetic radiation are related to the thickness of the substrates and the gaps between the substrates. Reducing the thickness of organic substrates used in devices that redirect the path of electromagnetic radiation can result in reduced mechanical strength of these organic substrates. The reduced strength of these thinner organic substrates can result in unintended paths for electromagnetic radiation incident on the organic substrates due to bending or warping of the organic substrates. In some cases, support structures can be included in the organic substrates to increase the overall mechanical strength of the substrate, but the support structures cause the overall dielectric constant of the substrate to increase. As a result, signal losses can increase, resulting in reduced transmission performance of devices that include these organic substrates.

[0030] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, a device including a substrate composed of a glass material is used to guide the path of electromagnetic radiation. At least 50% by weight of the substrate may include a glass material. The substrate may have a conductive material pattern disposed on at least one surface of the substrate. The conductive material pattern may cause the path of the electromagnetic radiation incident on the pattern to be modified, such as by reflecting the electromagnetic radiation back toward the source or modifying the transmission angle. In various examples, the conductive material pattern may modify the path of electromagnetic radiation with a frequency of at least 3 gigahertz (GHz). The glass-containing substrate may have a relatively low relative dielectric constant to minimize signal loss. For example, the glass-containing substrate may have a relative dielectric constant of no more than 6 farads / meter. In addition, the glass-containing substrate may be relatively thin while maintaining sufficient mechanical strength. For illustration, the glass-containing substrate may have a thickness of no more than 0.6 mm and a Young's modulus of at least 30 gigapascals (GPa), without any additional support structure being included in the glass-containing substrate.

[0031] The glass-containing substrate may also have a surface roughness that is lower than the surface roughness of the substrate containing the organic material. The surface roughness may correspond to the deviation of the surface from its ideal form in the direction of a vector perpendicular to the surface. In one or more examples, the surface roughness may correspond to an average value of the roughness measured on one or more sections of the surface. In various examples, the glass-containing substrate may have a surface roughness of no greater than 0.5 microns. In one or more examples, the surface roughness of the glass-containing substrate may result in a phase error of no greater than 5 degrees.

[0032] In various examples, the characteristics of a device that directs a path of electromagnetic radiation and includes one or more glass-containing substrates may be configured to minimize signal losses caused by reflections when the device includes a transmission array. For example, the relative permittivity of the glass-containing substrates, the thickness of the glass-containing substrates, and the thickness of the gaps between the glass-containing substrates may be designed so that the total reflection coefficient is no greater than 0.7. In one or more examples, the thickness of the gaps between the substrates may be based on the relative permittivity of the glass-containing substrates and the thickness of the glass-containing substrates so as to minimize the total reflection coefficient. In one or more additional examples, for a given gap between the glass-containing substrates, the thickness of the glass-containing substrates and / or the relative permittivity of the glass-containing substrates may be determined so as to minimize the total reflection coefficient. By minimizing the total reflection of the embodiments of the device including the glass-containing substrates described herein, signal losses are also minimized.

[0033] By using a glass-containing substrate having at least a minimum value of one or more intensity characteristics and having a surface roughness less than a specified amount, embodiments of the devices described herein for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation can have reduced signal loss and reduced phase error with respect to frequencies of at least 3 GHz relative to devices comprising an organic substrate. In addition, by adjusting the following parameters: the relative permittivity of the glass-containing substrate, the thickness of the glass-containing substrate, and the thickness of the gap between substrates of the device comprising the glass-containing substrate, the total reflectance can also be minimized and signal loss can be reduced relative to devices including organic substrates.

[0034] Figure 1 An environment 100 is shown that includes an electromagnetic radiation source 102 and a communication device 104, which includes one or more substrates for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments. The source 102 can be a device that transmits electromagnetic radiation or is included in a device that transmits electromagnetic radiation. In one or more examples, the source 102 can encode information in the electromagnetic radiation. For example, the source 102 can include a computing device that is part of a communication system. For illustration, the source 102 can include a user device. In various examples, the source 102 can be a user device that can have a fixed location or be mobile, and can refer to any device that can communicate with the communication device 104 to transmit data and / or control information to it or receive data and / or control information from it. For example, the source 102 may include a terminal, a terminal device, a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT), a user terminal (UT), a subscriber station (SS), a wireless device, a handheld device, a smart phone, a tablet computing device, a notebook computing device, a mobile gaming device, a smart watch, one or more additional user computing devices, etc. In addition, the source 102 may include another component of the communication system, such as a repeater, a base station, a router, a switch, one or more combinations thereof, etc.

[0035] In various examples, the communication device 104 may include a base station. The base station may include a device or system that communicates with a user device and / or other base stations. In at least some examples, the location of the base station may be fixed. The base station may transmit data and control information by sending and / or receiving electromagnetic radiation about at least one of the user device or other base stations. In one or more illustrative examples, the communication device 104 may correspond to a node B, an evolved-Node B (eNB), a next generation Node B (gNB), a sector, a site, a base transceiver system (BTS), an access point (AP), a relay node, a remote radio head (RRH), a radio unit (RU), a small cell, etc. The communication device 104 may also correspond to an area or function covered by a base station controller (BSC) in CDMA, a node B in WCDMA, an eNB in ​​LTE, a gNB or a sector (site) in 5G, and may cover various coverage areas, such as a macro cell, a large cell, a micro cell, a pico cell, a femto cell, a relay node, an RRH, a RU and a small cell communication range.

[0036] In one or more examples, source 102 and communication device 104 may be part of a wireless communication system. In one or more illustrative examples, the wireless communication system may include and / or implement a cellular network, such as a fifth generation wireless (5G) system, a long term evolution (LTE) system, an advanced LTE system, a code division multiple access (CDMA) system, or a global system for mobile communication (GSM), or may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) system or any other wireless communication system. Although the wireless communication system including source 102 and communication device 104 may be described primarily with reference to a wireless communication system using a cellular network, it should be understood that the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto.

[0037] A wireless communication network including source 102 and communication device 104 may support communication between multiple user devices by sharing available network resources. For example, information may be transmitted between user devices using one or more multiple access schemes such as code division multiple access (CDMA), frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), single carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA), OFDM-FDMA, OFDM-TDMA, and OFDM-CDMA. In one or more illustrative examples, a user device including source 102 may communicate with communication device 104 via at least one of an uplink and / or a downlink (DL).

[0038] The communication device 104 may receive electromagnetic radiation generated by the source 102 and retransmit the electromagnetic radiation. For example, the communication device 104 may receive the first electromagnetic radiation 106 from the source 102 and retransmit the second electromagnetic radiation 108. In various examples, information encoded in the first electromagnetic radiation 106 may also be encoded in the second electromagnetic radiation 108. In some cases, the signal strength of the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may be less than the signal strength of the first electromagnetic radiation 106. In one or more examples, the difference between the signal strengths of the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may be due to losses that occur due to the communication device 104 retransmitting the first electromagnetic radiation 106. The reduction in the signal strength of the second electromagnetic radiation 106 relative to the signal strength of the first electromagnetic radiation 106 may correspond to a reduction in at least one of an electric field or a magnetic field generated by the second electromagnetic radiation 108 relative to the first electromagnetic radiation 106. In one or more examples, the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a lower power density than the first electromagnetic radiation 106. In one or more illustrative examples, the power density of second electromagnetic radiation 108 may be at least 70% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 75% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 80% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 85% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 90% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 95% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, at least 98% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106, or at least 99% of the power density of first electromagnetic radiation 106.

[0039] In addition, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of at least 3 GHz, at least 5 GHz, at least 10 GHz, at least 15 GHz, at least 20 GHz, at least 25 GHz, at least 30 GHz, or at least 35 GHz. In addition, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of no more than 85 GHz, no more than 75 GHz, no more than 65 GHz, no more than 55 GHz, or no more than 45 GHz. In one or more illustrative examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of 3 GHz to 85 GHz, 3 GHz to 20 GHz, 20 GHz to 40 GHz, 40 GHz to 85 Ghz, 20 GHz to 55 GHz, or 15 GHz to 35 GHz. In various examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency corresponding to a 5G communication standard.

[0040] In one or more additional examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of at least 90 GHz, at least 150 GHz, at least 200 GHz, at least 250 GHz, at least 300 GHz, at least 350 GHz, at least 400 GHz, at least 450 GHz, at least 500 GHz, at least 550 GHz, at least 600 GHz, at least 650 GHz, or at least 700 GHz. In addition, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of no greater than 3500 GHz, no greater than 3000 GHz, no greater than 2500 GHz, no greater than 2000 GHz, no greater than 1500 GHz, no greater than 1200 GHz, no greater than 1000 GHz, no greater than 950 GHz, no greater than 900 GHz, no greater than 850 GHz, no greater than 800 GHz, no greater than 750 GHz, or no greater than 700 GHz. In one or more illustrative examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency of 90 GHz to 3500 GHz, 90 GHz to 150 GHz, 100 GHz to 200 GHz, 150 GHz to 250 GHz, 150 GHz to 300 GHz, 200 GHz to 350 GHz, 300 GHz to 500 GHz, 500 GHz to 750 GHz, 750 GHz to 1200 GHz, or 1000 GHz to 3000 GHz. In various examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a frequency corresponding to the sixth generation (6G) communication standard.

[0041] The first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a wavelength in air corresponding to a frequency of at least one of the 5G communication standard or the 6G communication standard. For example, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a wavelength of 3 mm to 100 mm, 5 mm to 60 mm, 5 mm to 15 mm, 3 mm to 8 mm, or 7 mm to 15 mm. In one or more additional examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 and the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may have a wavelength of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, 0.3 mm to 1 mm, 1 mm to 2 mm, 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, 0.6 mm to 1.2 mm, 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm, 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm, or 0.1 mm to 0.4 mm.

[0042] The communication device 104 may include an antenna that redirects the path of the first electromagnetic radiation 106 to generate the second electromagnetic radiation 108. In one or more examples, the communication device 104 may include one or more antennas, individual antennas of the one or more antennas having one or more substrates, such as the illustrative substrate 110. In various examples, the first electromagnetic radiation 106 may be incident on the one or more substrates of the antenna at a first angle, and may be retransmitted as the second electromagnetic radiation 108 at a second angle different from the first angle. For example, the communication device 104 may include an antenna that causes a phase shift in the first electromagnetic radiation 106 to generate the second electromagnetic radiation. In one or more illustrative examples, the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may be phase shifted relative to the first electromagnetic radiation 106 by at least 3 degrees, at least 5 degrees, at least 8 degrees, at least 10 degrees, at least 12 degrees, at least 15 degrees, at least 18 degrees, at least 20 degrees, at least 22 degrees, at least 25 degrees, at least 28 degrees, at least 30 degrees, at least 35 degrees, at least 40 degrees, or at least 50 degrees. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the second electromagnetic radiation 108 may be phase shifted relative to the first electromagnetic radiation 106 by 5 degrees to 50 degrees, 5 degrees to 15 degrees, 10 degrees to 20 degrees, 15 degrees to 25 degrees, 20 degrees to 30 degrees, 20 degrees to 40 degrees, 25 degrees to 35 degrees, or 30 degrees to 40 degrees.

[0043] exist Figure 1In the illustrative example of , first electromagnetic radiation 106 may be incident on substrate 110 at a first angle 112 and retransmitted as second electromagnetic radiation at a second angle 114. In one or more examples, the difference between first angle 112 and second angle 114 may be 0.5 to 10 degrees, 1 to 5 degrees, 2 to 4 degrees, 3 to 6 degrees, 3 to 5 degrees, 2 to 10 degrees, 4 to 10 degrees, 6 to 10 degrees, or 8 to 10 degrees. In the case where communication device 104 includes an antenna having multiple substrates 110, the total difference between the first angle 112 of first electromagnetic radiation 106 entering the antenna and the second angle 114 of second electromagnetic radiation 108 exiting the antenna may be the sum of individual phase shifts caused by individual ones of the multiple substrates included in the antenna.

[0044] The substrate 110 may include a first surface 116 and a second surface 118. A plurality of features may be disposed on at least one of the first surface 116 or the second surface 118 such that the second electromagnetic radiation 108 is retransmitted at a second angle 114 from a first angle 112 of the first electromagnetic radiation 106. In one or more examples, the features may be formed of a conductive material on at least one of the first surface 116 or the second surface 118 such that the second electromagnetic radiation 108 is retransmitted at a second angle 114 from a first angle 112 of the first electromagnetic radiation 106. For example, a feature group 120 may be disposed on the first surface 116. The feature group 120 may include a plurality of unit cells, such as a first unit cell 122 and a second unit cell 124. Conductive material patterns may be disposed within individual unit cells. For illustration, the first unit cell 122 may include a first pattern 126 formed of one or more conductive materials, and the second unit cell 124 may include a second pattern 128 formed of one or more conductive materials. In Figure 1 In an illustrative example of , first pattern 126 can correspond to a Minkowski fractal pattern and second pattern 128 can correspond to a cross pattern. In one or more additional examples, at least one of first pattern 126 or second pattern 128 can correspond to a Hibbert pattern or a Koch snowflake pattern. In various examples, the pattern included in the unit cell can cause second electromagnetic radiation 108 to be retransmitted at second angle 114 from first angle 112 of first electromagnetic radiation 106.

[0045] In addition, although Figure 1The illustrative example of shows that the first pattern 126 is different from the second pattern 128, but in one or more additional examples, the first pattern 126 and the second pattern 128 may be the same. For example, the first unit cell 122 may include a conductive material pattern corresponding to the conductive material pattern of the second unit cell 124. In various examples, multiple unit cells of the feature group 120 may include the same conductive material pattern. In one or more examples, at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, at least 90%, or at least 95% of the unit cells of the feature group 120 may include the same conductive material pattern. In one or more examples, the feature group may include additional features. For illustration, the feature group 120 may include a plurality of additional active components, such as one or more varactors, one or more pin diodes, one or more transistors, one or more micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), one or more ferroelectric films, one or more graphene-based features, one or more combinations thereof, etc. In at least some examples, at least a portion of the additional active components may be located in the unit cell. Additionally, feature group 120 may include connectors formed of a conductive material that couple active components and / or features disposed in the unit cell such that current may be applied to at least a portion of feature group 120. In one or more illustrative examples, a voltage may be applied to an antenna included in communication device 104 including substrate 110 to cause first electromagnetic radiation 106 to be retransmitted or reflected by a feature disposed on at least one of first surface 116 or second surface 118.

[0046] In one or more examples, an additional set of features may be disposed on the second surface 118. In various examples, the additional set of features disposed on the second surface 118 may be the same or similar to the set of features 120 disposed on the first surface 116. In one or more additional examples, the additional set of features disposed on the second surface 118 may be different from the set of features 120 disposed on the first surface 120. In at least some examples, features disposed on the first surface 116 may be coupled to features disposed on the second surface 118. For example, one or more connectors may couple features disposed on the first surface 116 to features disposed on the second surface 118. To illustrate, one or more vias may be formed in the substrate 110, and the one or more vias may be at least partially filled with a conductive material to couple features disposed on the first surface 116 to features disposed on the second surface 118. In one or more illustrative examples, the set of features 120 disposed on the first surface 116 and / or the additional set of features disposed on the second surface 118 may include a frequency selective surface (FSS). In one or more additional illustrative examples, set of features 120 disposed on first surface 116 and / or an additional set of features disposed on second surface 118 may include a Metasurface.

[0047] In one or more illustrative examples, set of features 120 disposed on first surface 116 and / or additional features disposed on second surface 118 may include a component based on the frequency of first electromagnetic radiation 106. Additionally, set of features 120 disposed on first surface 116 and / or additional features disposed on second surface 118 may include a component based on an amount of difference between first angle 112 and second angle 114. In various examples, features disposed on at least one of first surface 116 or second surface 118 may be different when the frequency of first electromagnetic radiation 106 and / or the difference between first angle 112 and second angle 114 changes. Furthermore, although Figure 1 The illustrative example of indicates that the communication device 104 may include a transmission array, but in one or more additional examples, the communication device 104 may include a reflective array or a reconfigurable smart surface. In the case where the communication device 104 includes a reflective array or a reconfigurable smart surface, the features disposed on the first surface 116 and / or the second surface 118 may provide functionality corresponding to the reflective array or the reconfigurable smart surface. In an implementation where the communication device 104 includes a reflective array, the features disposed on the first surface 116 and the second surface 118 may cause at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or at least 99% of the first electromagnetic radiation 106 to be reflected at the first surface 116.

[0048] The substrate 110 may include one or more materials. In one or more examples, the substrate 110 may include one or more glass materials. In one or more examples, the substrate 110 may include at least 60% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 65% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 70% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 75% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 80% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 85% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 90% by weight of the one or more glass materials, at least 95% by weight of the one or more glass materials, or at least 99% by weight of the one or more glass materials. In various examples, the substrate 110 may include a glass material having an amount of silicon dioxide and an amount of one or more additional components. As used herein, the term "silicon dioxide" may refer to silicon dioxide (SiO2). In one or more illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may include pure silicon dioxide. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may include fused silicon dioxide. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may include one or more aluminum oxides. For example, the substrate 110 may include Al2O3. In yet further illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may include boron trioxide (B2O3). In various illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may include one or more alkaline earth metals. For illustration, the substrate 110 may include at least one of MgO, CaO, SrO, or BaO. In one or more embodiments, the substrate 110 may include an alkaline earth boroaluminosilicate glass.

[0049] In one or more embodiments, the substrate 110 may include a glass material having a silicon dioxide content greater than the content of any other component of the glass material. For example, the substrate 110 may include at least 50 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 55 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 60 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 65 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 70 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 75 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 80 mol% silicon dioxide, at least 85 mol% silicon dioxide (by weight), at least 90 mol% silicon dioxide, at least about 95 mol% silicon dioxide, or at least about 99 mol% silicon dioxide. In various examples, substantially the entire substrate 110 may be composed of silicon dioxide. In one or more illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may be composed of pure silicon dioxide. In one or more additional illustrative examples, substrate 110 may be comprised of about 50 mol% silicon dioxide to about 99 mol% silicon dioxide, about 60 mol% to about 90 mol% silicon dioxide, about 75 mol% to about 95 mol% silicon dioxide, about 50 mol% silicon dioxide to about 70 mol% silicon dioxide, about 60 mol% silicon dioxide to about 80 mol% silicon dioxide, or about 80 mol% silicon dioxide to about 95 mol% silicon dioxide.

[0050] In the case where the substrate 110 comprises aluminum oxide, the amount of aluminum oxide present in the substrate 110 may be 5 mol% to 40 mol%, 10 mol% to 30 mol%, 20 mol% to 40 mol%, 10 mol% to 20 mol%, 20 mol% to 30 mol%, or 25 mol% to 40 mol%. In embodiments where the substrate 110 comprises boron trioxide, the amount of boron trioxide present in the substrate 110 may be 5 mol% to 40 mol%, 10 mol% to 30 mol%, 20 mol% to 40 mol%, 10 mol% to 20 mol%, 20 mol% to 30 mol%, or 25 mol% to 40 mol%. In addition, in the case where the substrate 110 includes one or more alkaline earth metals, the amount of the individual alkaline earth metal present in the substrate 110 may include 0.05 mol% to 10 mol%, 0.5 mol% to 10 mol%, 2 mol% to 10 mol%, 2 mol% to 5 mol%, 6 mol% to 9 mol%, or 0.05 mol% to 1 mol%. As used herein, mol% may refer to a molar percentage calculated on an oxide basis.

[0051] In addition, the substrate 110 may have a relative permittivity of no greater than 6.0 farad / meter (F / m), no greater than 5.5 F / m, no greater than 5.0 F / m, no greater than 4.8 F / m, no greater than 4.5 F / m, no greater than 4.2 F / m, no greater than 4.0 F / m, no greater than 3.5 F / m, no greater than 3.0 F / m, no greater than 2.5 F / m, no greater than 2.0 F / m, or no greater than 1.5 F / m at standard temperature and pressure. In one or more illustrative examples, the substrate 110 may have a relative permittivity of 1.5 F / m to 6.0 F / m, 3.5 F / m to 5.5 F / m, 4.0 F / m to 6.0 F / m, 5.0 F / m to 6.0 F / m, 4.5 F / m to 5.5 F / m, or 3.0 F / m to 4.0 F / m. The relative permittivity may also be referred to herein as the dielectric constant. The relative permittivity may be calculated as the ratio of the complex frequency-dependent permittivity of a material to the permittivity of a vacuum.

[0052] In one or more examples, the substrate 110 can have a mechanical strength that minimizes the curvature of the substrate 110. As a result, the direction of the retransmitted second electromagnetic radiation 108 can be more accurately determined than if the substrate 110 had a certain amount of curvature. In various examples, the mechanical strength of the substrate 110 can be achieved without the use of a support structure and / or the use of support fibers within the substrate 110. Thus, the mechanical strength of the substrate 110 can be achieved based on the properties of the glass comprising the substrate 110. In one or more illustrative examples, the substrate can have a Young's modulus of at least 30 gigapascals (GPa), at least 35 GPa, at least 40 GPa, at least 45 GPa, at least 50 GPa, at least 55 GPa, at least 60 GPa, at least 60 GPa, at least 65 GPa, at least 70 GPa, at least 75 GPa, at least 80 GPa, at least 85 GPa, or at least 90 GPa. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the substrate 110 can have a Young's modulus of 30 GPa to 150 GPa, 30 GPa to 100 GPa, 30 GPa to 50 GPa, 30 GPa to 40 GPa, 40 GPa to 80 GPa, 50 GPa to 90 GPa, 60 GPa to 80 GPa, or 90 GPa to 150 GPa.

[0053] In various examples, the substrate 110 can be optically transparent. To illustrate, the substrate 110 can have an optical transparency of at least 70%, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, at least 99%, at least 99.5%, or at least 99.9%. In one or more illustrative examples, the substrate 110 can have an optical transparency of 70% to 100%, 80% to 99.5%, 90% to 99%, or 95% to 99.5%.

[0054] The feature group 120 disposed on the first surface 116 and / or the additional features disposed on the second surface 118 may be formed of a material including one or more metals. In one or more examples, the features included in the unit cells of at least one of the first surface 116 or the second surface 118 may be formed of one or more metal materials. In various examples, at least one of the first pattern 126 or the second pattern 128 may be formed of one or more metal materials. In one or more examples, the metal features formed on the first surface 116 and / or the second surface 118 may be formed of a material including at least one of copper, a copper alloy, titanium, or a titanium alloy. In one or more illustrative examples, the metal features disposed on at least one of first surface 116 or second surface 118 may include at least 80 wt % copper, at least 82 wt % copper, at least 85 wt % copper, at least 88 wt % copper, at least 90 wt % copper, at least 92 wt % copper, at least 95 wt % copper, at least 98 wt % copper, at least 99 wt % copper, or at least 99.5 wt % copper. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the metal features disposed on at least one of first surface 116 or second surface 118 may consist essentially entirely of copper.

[0055] In various examples, the metal features disposed on at least one of the first surface 116 or the second surface 118 may have a conductivity of at least 40 MegaSiemens per meter (MS / m), at least 45 MS / m, at least 50 MS / m, at least 55 MS / m, at least 60 MS / m, at least 65 MS / m, or at least 70 MS / m at 20° C. In one or more illustrative examples, the conductive features disposed on the first surface 116 or the second surface 118 may be formed of one or more metallic materials having a conductivity of 40 MS / m to 70 MS / m, 45 MS / m to 65 MS / m, 50 MS / m to 60 MS / m, or 55 MS / m to 60 MS / m at 20° C.

[0056] Figure 2An exemplary partial cross-sectional view of a substrate 110 is shown, the substrate 110 including a plurality of features for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments. For example, the substrate 110 may include a first feature 202 disposed on a first surface 204 and a second feature 206 disposed on a second surface 208. The first feature 202 may be electrically and / or physically coupled to the second feature 206 through a via 210 disposed in the substrate 110. The first feature 202, the second feature 206, and the via 210 may include one or more metallic materials. For example, at least one of the first feature 202, the second feature 206, or the via 210 may include copper, one or more copper alloys, aluminum, one or more aluminum alloys, titanium, one or more titanium alloys, or one or more combinations thereof. The first feature 202 and / or the second feature 206 may include a pattern formed of one or more metallic materials. The pattern may include a Minkowski fractal pattern, a Hibbert pattern, a Koch snowflake pattern, or a cross fractal pattern. In various examples, first feature 202 and / or second feature 206 may be included in or constitute a corresponding unit cell among a plurality of unit cells formed on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208. In one or more illustrative examples, the plurality of unit cells may be configured according to a pattern. For illustration, the plurality of unit cells may be configured according to a grid.

[0057] In one or more examples, first feature 202 and second feature 206 can have a width 212 and a height 214. Width 212 can correspond to a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208. For example, the width 212 may be 0.05 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.1 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.15 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.2 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.25 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.3 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.35 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, or 0.4 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208. In one or more illustrative examples, width 212 may be between 0.05 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208 and 0.40 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208, between 0.05 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208 and 0.10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208, or between 0.05 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208 and 0.20 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of first surface 204 or second surface 208. The width 212 may be 0.25 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, 0.1 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208 to 0.2 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208, or 0.2 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208 to 0.3 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208. In one or more additional examples, the width 212 may be 0.01 mm to 1 mm, 0.05 mm to 0.5 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, 0.3 mm to 0.7 mm, 0.5 mm to 1 mm, 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, or 0.4 mm to 0.8 mm.

[0058] Additionally, height 214 of at least one of first feature 202 or second feature 206 can be no greater than 1.1 micrometers, no greater than 0.9 micrometers, no greater than 0.7 micrometers, no greater than 0.5 micrometers, no greater than 0.3 micrometers, or no greater than 0.1 micrometers. In one or more illustrative examples, height 214 can be 0.05 micrometers to 1.1 micrometers, 0.1 micrometers to 0.5 micrometers, 0.2 micrometers to 0.4 micrometers, 0.3 micrometers to 0.6 micrometers, 0.4 micrometers to 0.8 micrometers, or 0.5 micrometers to 1.0 micrometers.

[0059] The width of the via 210 may be greater than the height 214. In one or more examples, the width of the via 210 is greater than the height 214 of the features formed on the first surface 204 and the features formed on the second surface 208 to reduce signal loss. In one or more illustrative examples, the width of the via 210 may be 0.1 micrometers to 1.3 micrometers, 0.3 micrometers to 0.7 micrometers, 0.5 micrometers to 1.0 micrometers, 0.4 micrometers to 0.8 micrometers, 0.7 micrometers to 1.0 micrometers, or 0.8 micrometers to 1.2 micrometers.

[0060] In various examples, the surface roughness of the substrate 110 may be less than the thickness 214. For example, the surface roughness of the substrate 110 may be no greater than 0.6 microns, no greater than 0.5 microns, no greater than 0.4 microns, no greater than 0.3 microns, no greater than 0.2 microns, no greater than 0.1 microns, no greater than 0.05 microns, or no greater than 0.01 microns. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the surface roughness of the substrate 110 may be 0.01 microns to 0.6 microns, 0.1 microns to 0.5 microns, 0.2 microns to 0.4 microns, or 0.3 microns to 0.5 microns. The surface roughness of the substrate 110 may correspond to the average surface roughness of at least one sample portion of the substrate 110. The average surface roughness may correspond to the arithmetic mean of the profile height deviations from the average line. The surface roughness may also correspond to the root mean square average of the profile height deviations from the average line. In addition, the surface roughness may correspond to at least one of the maximum valley depth below the mean line within a single sampling length, the maximum peak height above the mean line within a single sampling length, or the maximum peak-to-valley height of the profile within a single sampling length. In one or more additional examples, the surface roughness may correspond to a measure of the kurtosis of the profile above the mean line. In yet additional examples, the surface roughness may correspond to the average distance between the highest peak and the lowest valley in each sampling length. In yet other examples, the surface roughness may correspond to the five highest peaks and the lowest valley over the entire sampling length.

[0061] In one or more examples, based on the surface roughness of substrate 110 being less than height 214, signal loss can be reduced with respect to electromagnetic radiation having a frequency of at least 3 GHz. The surface roughness can be measured using a contact roughness meter. In one or more examples, the surface roughness can be measured by tracking a probe on the surface of a target. In one or more additional examples, the surface roughness can be measured by a laser-based non-contact roughness meter that emits a laser beam onto a target and detects reflected light to measure the roughness.

[0062] Furthermore, minimizing the surface roughness of the substrate 110 can reduce phase errors regarding the amount of phase shift produced by electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one of the first surface 204 or the second surface 208. The phase error can be determined according to (360 / (effective wavelength)) x (pattern accuracy) x (total pattern length of the unit cell), where the effective wavelength is in meters, the pattern accuracy is expressed as a percentage, and the total pattern length of the unit cell is in meters. The total pattern length of the unit cell can correspond to the length of a current path implemented on a metallic material of a pattern including the unit cell, such as the amount of length of metallic material used to form a Hibbert curve in the unit cell or the amount of length of metallic material used to form a Minkowski fractal pattern. In one or more examples, the pattern length variation can be a measure of pattern accuracy and can be no greater than 0.05 mm, no greater than 0.04 mm, no greater than 0.03 mm, no greater than 0.02 mm, no greater than 0.01 mm, no greater than 0.008 mm, no greater than 0.006 mm, or no greater than 0.004 mm. In one or more illustrative examples, the phase error may be no greater than 8 degrees, no greater than 7 degrees, no greater than 6 degrees, no greater than 5 degrees, no greater than 4 degrees, no greater than 3 degrees, no greater than 2 degrees, no greater than 1 degree, or no greater than 0.5 degrees. By minimizing the phase error, the accuracy of the path of electromagnetic radiation guided using substrate 110 may be increased.

[0063] The substrate 110 may have a height 216, a width 218, and a length 220. In one or more examples, the size of the substrate 110 may be based on the device in which the substrate 110 is included. In one or more examples, the substrate 110 may be included in an antenna. For example, the substrate 110 may be included in an antenna included in a base station of a communication system. In one or more illustrative examples, the height 214 may be no greater than 0.8 mm, no greater than 0.7 mm, no greater than 0.6 mm, no greater than 0.5 mm, no greater than 0.4 mm, no greater than 0.3 mm, no greater than less than 0.2 mm, or no greater than 0.1 mm. In one or more additional illustrative examples, height 216 may be 0.05 mm to 1 mm, 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm, 0.2 mm to 0.5 mm, 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm, 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm, 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm, 0.5 mm to 0.7 mm, 0.6 mm to 0.8 mm, or 0.7 mm to 1 mm. In one or more additional illustrative examples, width 218 may be 2 cm to 100 cm, 5 cm to 80 cm, 10 cm to 60 cm, 20 cm to 50 cm, 30 cm to 60 cm, 40 cm to 80 cm, 50 cm to 90 cm, or 10 cm to 40 cm. In various examples, the length 220 can be 2 cm to 200 cm, 5 cm to 80 cm, 10 cm to 60 cm, 50 cm to 150 cm, 100 cm to 200 cm, or 120 cm to 180 cm, 20 cm to 50 cm, 30 cm to 60 cm, 40 cm to 80 cm, 50 cm to 90 cm, 10 cm to 40 cm, 50 cm to 150 cm, 100 cm to 200 cm, or 120 cm to 180 cm. In one or more examples, the substrate 110 can have a height 216 of 0.4 mm to 0.7 mm, a width 218 of 10 cm to 60 cm, and a length 220 of 10 cm to 60 cm.

[0064] Figure 3 An exemplary device 300 including multiple substrates for guiding a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more implementations is shown. The device 300 may include multiple substrates. For example, the device 300 may include at least a first substrate 302 and a second substrate 304. The first substrate 302 and the second substrate 304 may each have a reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 The composition, features, and characteristics of the substrate 110 described herein. A gap 306 may be disposed between the first substrate 302 and the second substrate 304. The gap 306 may be filled with one or more substances. For example, the gap 306 may be filled with one or more gases. In one or more illustrative examples, the gap 306 may be filled with air. In one or more additional illustrative examples, the gap 306 may include a vacuum.

[0065] First substrate 302 may have a first thickness 308, and second substrate 304 may have a second thickness 310. The values ​​of first thickness 308 and second thickness 310 may correspond to height 216 of substrate 110. Additionally, gap 306 may have a thickness 312. Thickness 312 may be based on the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed by device 300. For example, thickness 312 may be 0.60 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.55 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.50 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.45 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.40 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.35 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.30 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.25 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.20 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, 0.15 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300, or 0.10 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation guided by device 300. In one or more illustrative examples, thickness 312 may be 0.1 to 0.5 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed by device 300, 0.2 to 0.3 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed by device 300, or 0.4 to 0.5 times the wavelength of electromagnetic radiation directed by device 300. In one or more illustrative examples, thickness 312 may be 0.1 mm to 10 mm, 0.5 mm to 5 mm, 1 mm to 4 mm, 0.1 mm to 2 mm, 0.1 mm to 1 mm, 0.5 mm to 3 mm, 2 mm to 5 mm, 1 mm to 3 mm, 5 mm to 7 mm, 6 mm to 8 mm, or 7 mm to 9 mm.

[0066] In various examples, the properties of substrates 302, 304, thicknesses 308, 310, and thickness 312 of gap 306 can be configured to achieve a specified amount of reflection of incident electromagnetic radiation 314. In one or more examples, incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can correspond to Figure 1The first electromagnetic radiation 106 of the present invention can be configured to reflect the incident electromagnetic radiation 314. For example, the relative permittivity, thicknesses 308, 310, and thickness 312 of the substrates 302, 304 can be configured to produce a total reflection 316 of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314. For illustration, the total reflection 316 can be composed of multiple components. The individual components that make up the total reflection 316 can be determined based on the relative permittivity of the substrates 302, 304 and the relative permittivity of one or more substances disposed in the gap 306. The individual components of the total reflection 316 can also be based on the thicknesses 308, 310 of the substrates 302, 304 and the thickness 312 of the gap 306, respectively. In one or more illustrative examples, the relative permittivity of the first substrate 302, the relative permittivity of the second substrate 304, the relative permittivity of the gap 306, the thickness 308 of the first substrate 302, the thickness 310 of the second substrate 310, and the thickness 312 of the gap 306 may be determined to produce a total reflection amount 316 corresponding to a total reflection coefficient of no greater than 0.70, no greater than 0.68, no greater than 0.65, no greater than 0.62, no greater than 0.60, no greater than 0.58, no greater than 0.55, no greater than 0.52, no greater than 0.50, no greater than 0.48, no greater than 0.45, no greater than 0.42, or no greater than 0.40. In one or more illustrative examples, the magnitude of the total reflectance can be 0.30 to 0.70, 0.40 to 0.60, 0.50 to 0.70, 0.50 to 0.60, or 0.55 to 0.65. In one or more additional examples, the individual components of the total reflectance can correspond to a first reflectance 316 about an interface between a first surface of the first substrate 302 and a medium through which electromagnetic radiation 314 travels, a second reflectance 318 about an interface between a second surface of the first substrate 302 disposed opposite the first surface of the first substrate 302 and a medium forming the gap 306, a third reflectance 322 about an interface between the medium forming the gap 306 and a first surface of the second substrate 304, and a fourth reflectance 324 about an interface between a second surface of the second substrate 304 disposed parallel to the first surface of the second substrate 304 and the medium contacting the second surface of the second substrate 304.

[0067] In one or more non-limiting illustrative examples, the magnitude of the total reflectance may be determined using the following equation: (1) (2)

[0070] Among them and (3)

[0071] Among them (4).

[0072] In equations 1-4, Γ_in corresponds to the total amount of reflection, Γ_0 corresponds to the amount of reflection at the interface between the first surface of the first substrate 302 and the medium through which the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 travels, corresponds to the amount of reflection at the interface between the second surface of the first substrate 302 disposed opposite the first surface of the first substrate 302 and the medium forming the gap 306, corresponds to the amount of reflection at the interface between the medium including the gap 306 and the first surface of the second substrate 304, and corresponds to the amount of reflection at the interface between the second surface of the second substrate 304 disposed parallel to the first surface of the second substrate 304 and the medium contacting the second surface of the second substrate 304. In addition, ε corresponds to the relative permittivity of the material and μ corresponds to the magnetic permeability of the material, such that ε0 and μ0 correspond to the medium in front of the first substrate 302, ε1 and μ1 correspond to the material of the first substrate 302, ε2 and μ2 correspond to the medium within the gap 306, ε3 and μ3 correspond to the second substrate 304, and ε4 and μ4 correspond to the medium disposed behind the second substrate 304. In addition, η corresponds to a measure of the magnetic permeability / permittivity of a given substance, such that η0 corresponds to the medium in front of the first substrate 302, η1 corresponds to the material of the first substrate 302, η2 corresponds to the medium within the gap 306, η3 corresponds to the second substrate 304, and η4 corresponds to the medium disposed behind the second substrate 304. In addition, λ corresponds to a wavelength within a given substance, such that λ0 corresponds to a wavelength in the medium in front of the first substrate 302, λ1 corresponds to a wavelength in the first substrate 302, λ2 corresponds to a wavelength in the medium within the gap 306, λ3 corresponds to a wavelength in the second substrate 304, and λ4 corresponds to a wavelength in the medium disposed behind the second substrate 304.

[0073] although Figure 3 The total reflection amount 316 in the illustrative example of includes a first component 318, a second component 320, a third component 322, and a fourth component 324, but in other embodiments, the total reflection amount 316 may include more components or fewer components. For example, in the case where the device 300 includes a single substrate, the total reflection amount may include fewer components. In addition, in this case, the total reflection coefficient may be less than the total reflection coefficient generated when the device 300 includes two substrates. In addition, in the case where the device 300 includes more substrates and corresponding gaps between the substrates, the total reflection amount may include more than Figure 3318, 320, 322, 324. For illustration, in an embodiment where the device 300 includes three substrates and has two gaps, the total reflection amount may include six components, and in an embodiment where the device includes four substrates and three gaps, the total reflection amount may include eight components. In these cases, the total reflection coefficient may be greater than the total reflection coefficient when the device 300 includes two substrates. In various examples, no matter how many substrates and gaps are included in the device 300, the relative dielectric constant of the substrate, the relative dielectric constant of the material in the gap, the thickness of the substrate, and the thickness of the gap may be determined to minimize the total reflection coefficient.

[0074] Furthermore, the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can be modified at respective interfaces between different media of the device 300. For example, the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can be modified by a first amount at an interface between a first surface of the first substrate 302 and a medium through which the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 travels. Additionally, the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can be modified by a second amount at an interface between a second surface of the first substrate 302 disposed opposite the first surface of the first substrate 302 and a medium forming the gap 306. Furthermore, the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can be modified by a third amount at an interface between the medium forming the gap 306 and the first surface of the second substrate 304. The path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 can also be modified by a fourth amount at an interface between a second surface of the second substrate 304 disposed parallel to the first surface of the second substrate 304 and a medium contacting the second surface of the second substrate 304. In one or more examples, the modification of the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation 314 at a respective interface of the device 300 can correspond to a phase shift that changes the angle at which the electromagnetic radiation 314 travels relative to the respective interface. In various examples where device 300 includes additional substrates, the path of the incident electromagnetic radiation may be further modified depending on the number of additional substrates included in device 300 .

[0075] Additionally, the amount by which the path of electromagnetic radiation 314 is modified at individual interfaces may be based on the relative permittivities of substrates 302, 304, the relative permittivities of one or more substances within gap 306, thicknesses 308, 310, 312, and characteristics of features formed on surfaces of substrates 302, 304. In one or more illustrative examples, a phase shift of 1 to 6 degrees may be produced, a phase shift of 2 to 5 degrees may be produced, a phase shift of 3 to 6 degrees may be produced, or a phase shift of 4 to 6 degrees may be produced for individual substrates included in device 300. Where device 300 includes two substrates, a total phase shift of 2 to 12 degrees may be produced, a total phase shift of 4 to 10 degrees may be produced, or a total phase shift of 8 to 12 degrees may be produced. Furthermore, when the device 300 includes five substrates, a total phase shift of 5 to 30 degrees may be generated, a total phase shift of 20 to 30 degrees may be generated, a total phase shift of 15 to 25 degrees may be generated, or a total phase shift of 25 to 30 degrees may be generated.

[0076] Figure 4 A flow chart showing an exemplary method 400 for producing an apparatus for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments. The method 400 may include: At 402, providing a substrate comprising a glass material. In one or more examples, the glass material of the substrate may comprise at least 50 mol% silicon dioxide based on oxide. In addition, the substrate may have a relative permittivity of not greater than 6.0. Furthermore, the substrate may have a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm. In one or more examples, the substrate may have a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa. In one or more additional examples, the substrate may have a surface roughness of not greater than 0.3 mm. In one or more examples, the substrate may be a light-transmitting substrate having a transparency value of at least 95%.

[0077] In addition, method 400 may include, at 404, forming a first pattern on the first surface by depositing a first metal layer on the first surface of the substrate. In one or more examples, one or more shielding layers may be deposited on the first surface of the substrate based on the first pattern. In one or more additional examples, the first pattern may be formed on the first surface by performing a first sputtering process to deposit the first metal layer on the first surface. In one or more additional examples, the first pattern may be formed by performing a first electron beam deposition process to deposit the first metal layer on the first surface. After depositing the metal on the first surface according to the pattern, the one or more shielding layers may be removed.

[0078] In addition, method 400 may include: at 406, forming a second pattern on the second surface by depositing a second metal layer on the second surface of the substrate. In various examples, the second metal layer may be deposited on the second surface of the substrate. In one or more examples, one or more shielding layers may be deposited on the second surface of the substrate based on the second pattern. In one or more additional examples, the second pattern may be formed on the second surface by performing a second sputtering process after the first sputtering process to deposit the second metal layer on the second surface. In one or more additional examples, the second pattern may be formed by performing a second electron beam deposition process after the first electron beam deposition process to deposit the second metal layer on the second surface.

[0079] The first pattern may include a plurality of features. For example, the first pattern may include a plurality of unit cells. In various examples, the unit cells may be configured according to a grid. The unit cells may include structures formed according to one or more designs, such as a Minkowski fractal pattern, a Koch snowflake pattern, a Hibbert curve pattern, or a cross fractal pattern. In various examples, the first pattern may include a frequency selective surface or a metasurface to guide the path of electromagnetic radiation. Additional features may be formed on the first surface. For illustration, at least one of a varactor, one or more pin diodes, one or more transistors, one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), one or more ferroelectric films, one or more graphene-based features, one or more combinations thereof, etc. may be formed on the first surface. At least a portion of the features of the first pattern may be activated by applying a voltage to cause electromagnetic radiation to be guided along a path. Features that can be activated by a voltage may be referred to as "active components" herein.

[0080] In one or more examples, the second pattern may correspond to the first pattern. In one or more illustrative examples, the second pattern may be the same as the first pattern. In various examples, at least a portion of the features of the first pattern may be coupled to at least a portion of the features of the second pattern. In at least some examples, a plurality of vias may be formed in the substrate and a conductive material may be deposited in the vias to couple one or more features of the first pattern with one or more features of the second pattern. The vias may be formed in the substrate using one or more laser projection processes and one or more chemical etching processes. The diameter of the vias may be greater than the height of the features formed on the first surface according to the first pattern and the height of the features formed on the second surface according to the second pattern.

[0081] The metal used to form the first pattern and the second pattern may include at least one of copper or titanium. In addition, the metal used to form the first pattern and the second pattern may have a conductivity of 40 MegaSiemens per meter (MS / m) to 60 MS / m at 20° C. In addition, the height of the metal deposited on the first surface to generate the first pattern and deposited on the second surface to generate the second pattern may be 0.1 μm to 500 μm.

[0082] The method 400 may also include, at 408, coupling the substrate to an additional substrate such that a gap is disposed between the substrate and the additional substrate. In one or more examples, a gas may be disposed in the gap. In one or more illustrative examples, the gas may include air. In one or more additional examples, the gap may have a thickness of no greater than 3 mm. In at least some examples, one or more adhesives may be used to couple the substrate to the additional substrate. For example, an optically clear adhesive may be used to couple the substrate to the additional substrate. In one or more additional examples, one or more packages or one or more mechanical coupling devices may be used to couple the substrate to the additional substrate.

[0083] In addition, at 410, method 400 may include: producing a device including a plurality of substrates, the plurality of substrates including at least a substrate and an additional substrate. In one or more instances, the device may redirect the path of electromagnetic radiation incident on the device by at least 20 degrees. In one or more illustrative instances, the electromagnetic radiation incident on the device may have a frequency of at least 20 GHz. In various instances, the device may include an antenna for transmitting electromagnetic radiation of a communication system. In one or more additional instances, the device may include a transmission array. In one or more additional instances, the device may include a reflection array. In other instances, the device may include a reconfigurable smart surface. In various instances, the device may include a reflective frequency selective surface for redirecting electromagnetic radiation within an indoor environment. The device may also include a reflective frequency selective surface for redirecting electromagnetic radiation in an outdoor environment. In at least some instances, the device may include a transmission frequency selective surface for redirecting electromagnetic radiation from an outdoor environment to an indoor environment.

[0084] In the case where the device includes a reflective array, a portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation on the first surface is reflected at the first surface, and the remaining portion of the incident electromagnetic radiation on the first surface propagates toward the second surface and is reflected at the second surface. In various examples, the reflection of the electromagnetic radiation at the first surface is at least 50%, at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80%, or at least 90% relative to the total reflection.

[0085] The method 400 may include additional embodiments, such as any single embodiment or any combination of embodiments described below and / or in combination with one or more other methods described elsewhere herein.

[0086] although Figure 4 Exemplary blocks of method 400 are shown, but in some embodiments, Figure 4 Compared to the blocks depicted in , method 400 may include additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or blocks configured in a different manner. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of method 400 may be performed in parallel.

[0087] Figure 5A An orthogonal view of a unit cell of a metasurface 500 of a transmission array for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more implementations is shown. The metasurface 500 may include a first unit cell 502 and a second unit cell 504. The first unit cell 502 may include a first active component 506 and the second unit cell 504 may include a second active component 508. In one or more illustrative examples, the first active component 506 and the second active component 508 may include a varactor diode. The metasurface 500 may also include a first electrical connector 510 and a second electrical connector 512. The first electrical connector 510 may be configured to transmit at least one of a first voltage or a first current to the active components 506, 508. In one or more examples, the first electrical connector 510 may provide one or more first bias conditions to the active components 506, 508. Additionally, the second electrical connector 512 may be configured to transmit at least one of a second voltage or a second current to the active components 506, 508. In various examples, the second electrical connector 512 can provide one or more second bias conditions to the active components 506 , 508 .

[0088] Figure 5B A top view of a metasurface 500 of a transmission array for directing a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more embodiments is shown. The metasurface 500 includes a pattern of unit cells. The pattern of unit cells may include a plurality of individual unit cells, such as a representative unit cell 550. An individual unit cell may include one or more active components, such as a representative active component 552. The unit cells may be coupled to one or more electrical connectors to induce one or more electrical states of the unit cells. For example, the metasurface 500 may include a representative first electrical connector 554 to induce one or more first bias conditions with respect to the active components coupled to the first electrical connector 554. Additionally, a representative second electrical connector 556 induces one or more second bias conditions with respect to the active components coupled to the second electrical connector 556.

[0089] Figure 6 A device 600 is shown including multiple metasurfaces to guide a path of electromagnetic radiation according to one or more implementations. Individual metasurfaces include a pattern of unit cells in which individual varactors are located. In one or more examples, spacers may be present to create air gaps between glass metasurfaces.

[0090] exist Figure 6In the illustrative example of , device 600 may include a first Metasurface 602, a second Metasurface 604, and a third Metasurface 606. Patterns may be formed on the surfaces of the individual Metasurfaces. In one or more examples, the patterns may be formed of one or more conductive materials. In one or more additional examples, the patterns may be formed of one or more polymer materials. In one or more further examples, the patterns may be formed of one or more semiconductor materials. Figure 6 In the illustrative example of FIG. 6 , the first Metasurface 602 may include a first pattern 608 and a second pattern 610 that may be different from the first pattern 608. The first Metasurface 602 may also include one or more active components 612. The second Metasurface 604 may also include a first pattern 614 and a second pattern 616 that is different from the first pattern 614. In addition, the second Metasurface may include one or more active components 618. Furthermore, the third Metasurface 606 may include a first pattern 620 and a second pattern 622 and an active component 624.

[0091] In one or more examples, at least a portion of the first pattern 608, 614, 620 can be formed on the same surface as the second pattern 610, 616, 622. In various examples, the first pattern 608, 614, 620 can be formed on both a portion of the top surface and the bottom surface of the Metasurface 602, 604, 606, and the second pattern 610, 616, 622 can be formed on an additional portion of the bottom surface of the Metasurface 602, 604, 606.

[0092] The device 600 may also include one or more first electrical connectors 626, 628 to transmit at least one of a specified voltage or current to the active components 612, 618, 624. For example, the first electrical connector 626 may be coupled to the first Metasurface 602 and the second Metasurface 604 to provide a first bias condition, and an additional first electrical connector 628 may be coupled to the second Metasurface 604 and the third Metasurface 606 to provide the first bias condition. In addition, the device 600 may include second electrical connectors 630, 632 to transmit at least one of a specified voltage or current to the active components 612, 618, 624. For example, the second electrical connector 630 may be coupled to the first Metasurface 602 and the second Metasurface 604 to provide a second bias condition, and an additional second electrical connector 632 may be coupled to the second Metasurface 604 and the third Metasurface 606 to provide a second bias condition.

[0093] Figure 7 A measurement system 700 is shown for determining a response to an incident Figure 6The measurement system 700 may include a receiving horn antenna 702 and a transmitting horn antenna 704. The receiving horn antenna 702 may be disposed opposite to the transmitting horn antenna 704. The measurement system 700 may also include a first group of absorbers 706 disposed on a first metal substrate 708 and a second group of absorbers 710 disposed on a second metal substrate 712. A frequency selective surface 714 may be disposed on the first metal surface 708 and the second metal surface 712 between the first group of absorbers 706 and the second group of absorbers 710. In various examples, at least one of the receiving horn antenna 702 or the transmitting horn antenna 704 may be rotatable.

[0094] Figure 8 Shown in no and no Figure 6 When different voltages are applied to Figure 6 When the device is used, the gain is measured for electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength of 28 GHz.

[0095] Fig. 9 The relationship between the reflection loss of a device having a glass substrate on which a plurality of unit cells are formed and the path length of the pattern included in the unit cell is plotted. Fig. 9 In the illustrative example of , the wavelength of the guided electromagnetic radiation is 28 GHz and the width of the individual unit cells is 2.5 mm.

[0096] Some embodiments are described as numbered examples (Example 1, 2, 3, etc.) These are provided as examples only and do not limit the technology disclosed herein.

[0097] Example 1. A device comprising: one or more substrates, individual substrates of the one or more substrates comprising a glass material, and the substrates comprising a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface; a metal layer, the metal layer disposed on the first surface according to a pattern comprising a plurality of components, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on the first surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least twenty gigahertz (GHz).

[0098] Example 2. The device of example 1, wherein the individual substrates have a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa and a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm.

[0099] Example 3. The device of example 1 or 2, wherein the respective substrate has a relative permittivity of 4.0 farad / meter (F / m) to 6.0 F / m and an optical transparency of at least 90%.

[0100] Example 4. The device of any of examples 1-3, wherein electromagnetic radiation is incident on the first surface and is redirected through the second surface at a second angle.

[0101] Example 5. A device as described in any of Examples 1-4, wherein a portion of an incident electromagnetic wave on the first surface is reflected at the first surface, and the remaining portion of the incident electromagnetic wave on the first surface propagates toward the second surface and is reflected at the second surface, and wherein the reflection of the electromagnetic wave at the first surface is at least 50% relative to the total reflection.

[0102] Example 6. The device of any of Examples 1-5, wherein the surface roughness of the substrate measures no greater than 0.4 mm.

[0103] Example 7. The device of any of Examples 1-6, wherein the pattern includes a plurality of unit cells, and individual unit cells of the plurality of unit cells include features formed by a metal layer disposed in the individual unit cells.

[0104] Example 8. The device of example 7, wherein the features are formed according to a Minkowski fractal pattern, a Koch snowflake pattern, a Hibbert curve pattern, or a cross fractal pattern.

[0105] Example 9. The device of Example 7, wherein the pattern includes at least one of one or more varactor diodes, one or more pin diodes, one or more transistors, one or more micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), one or more ferroelectric films, or one or more graphene-based features.

[0106] Example 10. The device of any of Examples 1-9, wherein the pattern is formed of a metal material including at least one of copper, titanium, or aluminum, and the glass material comprises at least 50 mol% silicon dioxide on an oxide basis.

[0107] Example 11. A device as described in any of Examples 1-10, wherein: an additional metal layer is disposed on the second surface according to an additional pattern including a plurality of additional components; and the individual substrates include a plurality of vias to couple the plurality of components of the metal layer disposed on the first surface with an additional plurality of components of the additional metal layer disposed on the second surface.

[0108] Example 12. The device of Example 11, wherein a width of an individual via of the plurality of vias is greater than a height of the metal layer and an additional height of the additional metal layer.

[0109] Example 13. The device of Example 12, wherein the height of the metal layer is no greater than 0.5 microns.

[0110] Example 14. A communication device comprising: a first substrate, the first substrate being composed of a glass material and having a metal layer, the metal layer being arranged on at least one surface of the first substrate according to a pattern including a plurality of components, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least twenty gigahertz (GHz); a second substrate, the second substrate being composed of a glass material and having an additional metal layer, the additional metal layer being arranged on at least one surface of the second substrate according to a pattern, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on at least one surface at a first additional angle is redirected at a second additional angle; and a gap, the gap being arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the gap has a thickness of 1.5 mm to 4 mm.

[0111] Example 15. The communication device of Example 14, wherein a total reflection coefficient with respect to the first substrate and the second substrate is no greater than 0.7.

[0112] Example 16. The communication device of Example 14 or 15, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of an antenna.

[0113] Example 17. The communication device of any of Examples 14-16, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of a reflective array.

[0114] Example 18. The communication device of any of Examples 14-17, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of a reconfigurable smart surface.

[0115] Example 19. A method comprising the following steps: providing a substrate comprising a glass material, the substrate having a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa, a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm, and a relative dielectric constant of 4.0 F / m to 6.0 F / m; forming a first pattern on a first surface by depositing a first metal layer on the first surface of the substrate; forming a second pattern on a second surface by depositing a second metal layer on the first surface of the substrate; coupling the substrate to an additional substrate comprising a glass material such that a gap is disposed between the substrate and the additional substrate, wherein the gap has a thickness of 1.5 mm to 4 mm; and producing a device comprising a plurality of substrates, the plurality of substrates including at least the substrate and the additional substrate, wherein the device redirects a path of electromagnetic radiation incident on the device by at least 25 degrees, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least 20 GHz.

[0116] Example 20. A method as described in Example 19, wherein: a first pattern is formed on the first surface by performing a first sputtering process to deposit a first metal layer onto the first surface; and a second pattern is formed on the second surface by performing a second sputtering process to deposit a second metal layer onto the second surface.

[0117] Example 21. A method as described in Example 19 or 20, wherein: a first pattern is formed on a first surface by performing a first electron beam deposition process to deposit a first metal layer onto the first surface; and a second pattern is formed on a second surface by performing a second electron beam deposition process to deposit a second metal layer onto the second surface.

[0118] Example 22. A method as described in any of Examples 19-21, comprising the following steps: forming one or more vias in a substrate using one or more laser projection processes and one or more chemical etching processes, wherein the one or more vias include a conductive material that electrically couples one or more features of a first metal layer disposed on a first surface with one or more features of a second metal layer disposed on a second surface.

[0119] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the description and drawings should be viewed in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings forming a part of this article show specific embodiments in which the target object can be practiced in an illustrative manner rather than a restrictive manner. The illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived therefrom, and structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, this embodiment should not be viewed in a restrictive sense, and the scope of the various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims and the full scope of equivalents enjoyed by such claims.

[0120] Although specific embodiments have been shown and described herein, it should be understood that any configuration calculated to achieve the same purpose may replace the specific embodiments shown. The present disclosure is intended to cover any and all adaptations or variations of the various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments and other embodiments not specifically described herein will be clear to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the above description.

[0121] In this document, as is common in patent documents, the term "(a / an)" is used to include one or more than one, regardless of any other examples or usages of "at least one" or "one or more". In this document, it is further noted that otherwise the term "or" is used to refer to a non-exclusive or, such that "A or B" includes "A but not B", "B but not A", and "A and B". In this document, the terms "including" and "wherein" are used as the plain English equivalents of the corresponding terms "comprising" and "wherein". In addition, in the following claims, the terms "including" and "comprising" are open-ended, that is, systems, user equipment (UE), articles, compositions, formulations, or methods that include components other than those listed after such terms in the claims are still considered to fall within the scope of the claims. In addition, in the following claims, the terms "first", "second", and "third", etc., are used only as markers and are not intended to impose numerical requirements on their objects.

[0122] An abstract of the present disclosure is provided to comply with patent law requirements. The abstract will allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. It should be understood at the time of submission that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the foregoing embodiments, it can be seen that in order to simplify the present disclosure, various features are grouped together in a single embodiment. However, the method of the present disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting the following intention: the claimed embodiment requires more features than are explicitly stated in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the following claims, the object of the invention lies in less than all the features of a single disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the embodiments, with each claim independently serving as a separate embodiment.

Claims

1. A device comprising: One or more substrates, each of which comprises a glass material, and includes a first surface and a second surface disposed opposite to the first surface; and A metal layer is disposed on the first surface according to a pattern comprising a plurality of components, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on the first surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least twenty gigahertz (GHz).

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the individual substrates have a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa and a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the individual substrates have a relative permittivity of 4.0 farad / meter (F / m) to 6.0 F / m and an optical transparency of at least 90%. 4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation is incident on the first surface and is redirected through the second surface at the second angle.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein a portion of an incident electromagnetic wave on the first surface is reflected at the first surface, and a remaining portion of the incident electromagnetic wave on the first surface propagates toward the second surface and is reflected at the second surface, and wherein reflection of the electromagnetic wave at the first surface is at least 50% relative to total reflection.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the surface roughness of the substrate measures no more than 0.4 mm. 7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the pattern comprises a plurality of unit cells, and individual unit cells of the plurality of unit cells comprise features formed by a metal layer disposed in the individual unit cells.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the features are formed according to a Minkowski fractal pattern, a Koch snowflake pattern, a Hibbert curve pattern, or a cross fractal pattern.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the pattern comprises at least one of one or more varactors, one or more pin diodes, one or more transistors, one or more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), one or more ferroelectric films, or one or more graphene-based features.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the pattern is formed of a metal material including at least one of copper, titanium, or aluminum, and the glass material contains at least 50 mol% silicon dioxide on an oxide basis.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein: an additional metal layer is disposed on the second surface according to an additional pattern including a plurality of additional components; and The respective substrates include a plurality of vias to couple the plurality of components of the metal layer disposed on the first surface with the additional plurality of components of the additional metal layer disposed on the second surface.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein a width of individual vias of the plurality of vias is greater than a height of the metal layer and an additional height of the additional metal layer. The device of claim 12 , wherein the height of the metal layer is no greater than 0.5 microns.

14. A communication device, comprising: a first substrate comprised of a glass material and having a metal layer disposed on at least one surface of the first substrate according to a pattern comprising a plurality of components, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on the at least one surface at a first angle is redirected at a second angle, and the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least twenty gigahertz (GHz); a second substrate comprised of a glass material and having an additional metal layer disposed on at least one surface of the second substrate according to the pattern, wherein electromagnetic radiation incident on the at least one surface at a first additional angle is redirected at a second additional angle; and A gap is provided between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the gap has a thickness of 1.5 mm to 4 mm. The communication device according to claim 14 , wherein a total reflection coefficient with respect to the first substrate and the second substrate is not greater than 0.

7. The communication device of claim 14 , wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of an antenna.

17. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of a reflective array.

18. The communication device of claim 14, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are components of a reconfigurable smart surface.

19. A method comprising the steps of: Providing a substrate comprising a glass material, the substrate having a Young's modulus of at least 30 GPa, a thickness of 0.2 mm to 0.6 mm, and a relative permittivity of 4.0 F / m to 6.0 F / m; forming a first pattern on a first surface of the substrate by depositing a first metal layer on the first surface; forming a second pattern on a second surface of the substrate by depositing a second metal layer on the second surface; coupling the substrate with an additional substrate including the glass material such that a gap is disposed between the substrate and the additional substrate, wherein the gap has a thickness of 1.5 mm to 4 mm; and A device comprising a plurality of substrates including at least the substrate and the additional substrate is produced, wherein the device redirects a path of electromagnetic radiation incident on the device by at least 25 degrees, and wherein the electromagnetic radiation has a frequency of at least 20 GHz.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein: forming the first pattern on the first surface by performing a first sputtering process to deposit the first metal layer onto the first surface; and The second pattern is formed on the second surface by performing a second sputtering process to deposit the second metal layer onto the second surface.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein: forming the first pattern on the first surface by performing a first electron beam deposition process to deposit the first metal layer onto the first surface; and The second pattern is formed on the second surface by performing a second electron beam deposition process to deposit the second metal layer onto the second surface.

22. The method according to claim 19, comprising the steps of: One or more vias are formed in the substrate using one or more laser projection processes and one or more chemical etching processes, wherein the one or more vias include a conductive material that electrically couples one or more features of the first metal layer disposed on the first surface with one or more features of the second metal layer disposed on the second surface.

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