Liquid crystal device, liquid crystal antenna, and communication apparatus

Abstract

The invention provides a liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device, and relates to the technical field of antennas. The liquid crystal device comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters and a plurality of shielding structures, the first substrate and the second substrate are oppositely arranged at intervals, the liquid crystal phase shifters are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the liquid crystal phase shifters are arranged at intervals in the direction parallel to the first substrate; the plurality of shielding structures are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and at least one of the plurality of shielding structures is located between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters; in the direction perpendicular to the first substrate, the shielding structure comprises a first conductive structure, a medium and a second conductive structure which are sequentially stacked, the first conductive structure is closer to the first substrate, and the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure are at least partially overlapped. And crosstalk and mutual coupling between adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters are reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of antenna technology, and in particular to a liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device. Background Art

[0002] The liquid crystal antenna includes a liquid crystal box, and a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters are arranged in the liquid crystal box, and the liquid crystal phase shifters can adjust the phase of the radio frequency signal. However, when the liquid crystal antenna is working, crosstalk and mutual coupling are likely to occur between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters. Summary of the invention

[0003] The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a liquid crystal device, a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device, which reduce the crosstalk and mutual coupling between adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present disclosure adopt the following technical solutions:

[0005] On the one hand, a liquid crystal device is provided, comprising a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters and a plurality of shielding structures, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, the plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the first substrate; the plurality of shielding structures are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and at least one of the plurality of shielding structures is located between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters; along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate, the shielding structure comprises a first conductive structure, a medium and a second conductive structure which are stacked in sequence, the first conductive structure is closer to the first substrate, and the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure at least partially overlap.

[0006] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal device further includes a first stack, wherein the first stack includes a first conductive layer, a first dielectric layer, and a second conductive layer stacked in sequence in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate, and the first conductive layer is connected to a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate;

[0007] The plurality of shielding structures include a first shielding structure located in the first stack, the first conductive structure of the first shielding structure is located in the first conductive layer, and the second conductive structure of the first shielding structure is located in the second conductive layer.

[0008] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal phase shifter includes liquid crystal molecules, and the liquid crystal molecules are located on a side of the first stack away from the first substrate.

[0009] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal phase shifter further includes a first electrode, the first electrode is located in the second conductive layer, and the first electrode is spaced apart from the second conductive structure.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first stack is provided with a plurality of hollow regions, the plurality of hollow regions are arranged at intervals along a direction parallel to the first substrate, and the liquid crystal phase shifter is disposed in the hollow regions.

[0011] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal phase shifter includes a first electrode and liquid crystal molecules, the first electrode is located in the first conductive layer, and the first electrode is spaced apart from the first conductive structure, a hollow area is provided in the first dielectric layer at a position opposite to the first electrode, and at least part of the liquid crystal is layered and filled in the hollow area.

[0012] In some embodiments, the second conductive layer is connected to a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the liquid crystal phase shifter further includes a second electrode, the second electrode is located in the second conductive layer, and the second electrode is spaced apart from the second conductive structure.

[0013] In some embodiments, the liquid crystal device further includes a second stacked layer connected to a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the plurality of shielding structures include a second shielding structure located in the second stacked layer.

[0014] In some embodiments, a plurality of the shielding structures are disposed between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters, and the plurality of the shielding structures are electrically connected.

[0015] In some embodiments, the plurality of shielding structures form a shielding structure array, and the shielding structure array surrounds the liquid crystal phase shifter.

[0016] In some embodiments, the shielding structure further includes one or more conductive pillars, which are disposed in the medium, one end of which is electrically connected to the first conductive structure, and the other end of which is electrically connected to the second conductive structure.

[0017] In some embodiments, the conductive pillar is connected to a geometric center of the first conductive structure, and / or the conductive pillar is connected to a geometric center of the second conductive structure.

[0018] In some embodiments, the first conductive structure is a patterned thin film, and / or the second conductive structure is a patterned thin film.

[0019] In some embodiments, the orthographic projection of the patterned film on the first substrate is one or more of a polygon, a slotted polygon, a fork, a spiral, and a Hilbert curve.

[0020] In some embodiments, the first substrate and / or the second substrate is a glass substrate.

[0021] On the other hand, a liquid crystal antenna is provided, comprising a feeding structure, a radiation unit and the liquid crystal device.

[0022] On the other hand, a communication device is provided, comprising the liquid crystal antenna.

[0023] The liquid crystal device, liquid crystal antenna and communication device provided by the embodiments of the present disclosure have a shielding structure between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters, and along the direction perpendicular to the first substrate, the shielding structure includes a first conductive structure, a dielectric and a second conductive structure stacked in sequence. Since the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure at least partially overlap, the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure can be equivalent to capacitors, and since the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure have inductive properties due to their conductivity, the shielding structure can be equivalent to a resonant circuit including both capacitors and inductors. When the frequency of the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter is the same as or close to the resonant frequency of the shielding structure, the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter is not easy to pass through the shielding structure to cause crosstalk and mutual coupling with the RF signal in another adjacent liquid crystal phase shifter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present disclosure or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0025] Figure 1 A local area top view of a liquid crystal device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0026] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of AA;

[0027] Figure 3 Several different shapes of the orthographic projection of the patterned film on the first substrate in the embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0028] Figures 4 to 11 It is a top view of several repeating units in the embodiments of the present disclosure;

[0029] Fig.12A partial top view of another liquid crystal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0030] Fig.13 It is a partial structural exploded diagram of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0031] Fig.14 is a partial structural cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0032] Fig.15 is a top view of a first stack in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0033] Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0034] Fig.17 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0035] Fig.18 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0036] Fig.19 It is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal antenna in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Reference numerals:

[0038] 100-liquid crystal device; 200-feeding structure; 300-radiation plate; 301-radiation unit;

[0039] 10-liquid crystal phase shifter; 20-shielding structure; 20a-first shielding structure; 20b-second shielding structure;

[0040] 11-first electrode; 12-second electrode; 13-liquid crystal molecules;

[0041] 21-first conductive structure; 22-second conductive structure; 23-medium; 24-conductive column;

[0042] 110-first stack; 111-hollow area; 120-second stack;

[0043] 101 - first substrate; 102 - first conductive layer; 103 - first dielectric layer; 104 - second conductive layer; 105 - liquid crystal layer; 106 - third conductive layer; 107 - second substrate; 108 - second dielectric layer; 109 - fourth conductive layer;

[0044] 1-insulating layer; 2-fifth conductive layer. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present disclosure to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present disclosure, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present disclosure, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0046] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, words such as "first", "second", "third", and "fourth" are used to distinguish between identical or similar items with substantially the same functions and effects. This is only for the purpose of clearly describing the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present disclosure and shall not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features.

[0047] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, “plurality” means two or more than two, and “at least one” means one or more than one, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0048] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the orientation or positional relationship indicated by the terms "upper" and "lower" etc. is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and is only for the convenience of describing the present disclosure and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present disclosure.

[0049] Embodiment 1

[0050] Figure 1 A local area top view of a liquid crystal device provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure, Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of AA in FIG. Figure 1 A liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is disposed in the area defined by the middle dashed line frame, and a shielding structure 20 is disposed in the area defined by the dotted line frame. Figure 2 The structure in the dotted line frame is the liquid crystal phase shifter 10. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the liquid crystal device 100 includes a first substrate 101 , a second substrate 107 and a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 .

[0051] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, and a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 are located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107. For example, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 both include inner side surfaces perpendicular to the thickness direction, and the inner side surfaces of the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, so that a gap is formed between the inner side surfaces of the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107, and the liquid crystal phase shifters 10 are arranged in the gap.

[0052] Exemplarily, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are parallel and face each other.

[0053] The first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 serve as the framework of the liquid crystal device 100, and are used to support and connect other film structures in the liquid crystal device 100. The first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 can be made of flexible materials or rigid materials.

[0054] Exemplarily, the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are both glass substrates. Glass substrates have good rigidity and toughness and are not easily deformed or damaged. In addition, when the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are glass substrates, the liquid crystal device 100 can be prepared using a mature glass-based micro-nano processing technology.

[0055] Of course, the materials of the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 may also be different, for example, the first substrate 101 is a glass substrate and the second substrate 107 is an organic material, or the second substrate 107 is a glass substrate and the first substrate 101 is an organic material. The disclosed embodiment does not limit the materials of the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107.

[0056] Continue to refer Figure 1 and Figure 2 The plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 are spaced apart along a direction parallel to the first substrate 101 , that is, a gap is provided between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 along a direction parallel to the first substrate 101 .

[0057] Exemplarily, a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 are arranged in an array.

[0058] It should be noted that for the sake of convenience, Figure 1 Only the liquid crystal device 100 includes four liquid crystal phase shifters 10, and the four liquid crystal phase shifters 10 are arranged in a 2*2 rectangular array. In practical applications, the number of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 is not limited thereto, and the array arrangement of the liquid crystal phase shifters 10 can also be a polygonal array such as a triangular array, a hexagonal array, a circular array, etc.

[0059] Continue to refer Figure 2 The liquid crystal phase shifter 10 includes a first electrode 11, a second electrode 12, and liquid crystal molecules 13. When the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are connected to a bias voltage, an electric field can be formed between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12, and the liquid crystal molecules 13 are deflected under the action of the electric field, thereby adjusting the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10. In actual application, different liquid crystal phase shifters 10 can be connected to different bias low voltages, so that different liquid crystal phase shifters 10 have different dielectric constants, so that the radio frequency signals emitted by different liquid crystal phase shifters 10 have phase differences.

[0060] in, Figure 2 1 shows the situation where the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are respectively located on opposite sides of the liquid crystal molecule 13, and at this time, the direction of the electric field between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 is perpendicular to the first substrate 101. In practical applications, the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 may also be located on the same side of the liquid crystal molecule 13, for example, the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are both located on the side of the liquid crystal molecule 13 facing the first substrate 101, and at this time, the electric field between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 may be substantially parallel to the first substrate 101.

[0061] in addition, Figure 2 The liquid crystal phase shifter 10 shown in FIG. 1 is a linear liquid crystal phase shifter 10 , and the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 may also be a curved liquid crystal phase shifter 10 .

[0062] For the convenience of introduction, the embodiment of the present disclosure is described by taking the example that the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is a linear liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 are respectively located on two opposite sides of the liquid crystal molecule 13 .

[0063] During operation of the liquid crystal device 100 , crosstalk and mutual coupling easily occur between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 . As a result, when the liquid crystal device 100 is applied to a liquid crystal antenna, the crosstalk and mutual coupling affect the bandwidth and efficiency of the liquid crystal antenna.

[0064] In view of this, continue to refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The liquid crystal device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure further includes a plurality of shielding structures 20 , which are located between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 , that is, the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and the shielding structure 20 are both arranged in the gap between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 .

[0065] The orthographic projections of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and the shielding structure 20 on the first substrate 101 do not overlap. For example, the first substrate 101 includes a first region and a second region that are independent of each other, the orthographic projection of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 on the first substrate 101 is located in the first region, and the orthographic projection of the shielding structure 20 on the first substrate 101 is located in the second region.

[0066] The shielding structure 20 may be connected to the side of the first substrate 101 facing the second substrate 107, or may be connected to the side of the second substrate 107 facing the first substrate 101, or may be connected to both the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107. The connection here may be a direct connection (i.e., there is no other film layer structure between the shielding structure 20 and the first substrate 101 or the second substrate 107), or may be connected through other film layer structures.

[0067] Continue to refer Figure 2Along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the shielding structure 20 includes a first conductive structure 21, a medium 23 and a second conductive structure 22 which are stacked in sequence, the first conductive structure 21 is closer to the first substrate 101, and the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 at least partially overlap.

[0068] The first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 can be made of conductive materials, such as copper, gold, silver and other metals with high conductivity. The medium 23 can be made of insulating materials, such as silicon nitride, organic matter, etc. When the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 are glass substrates, the medium 23 can be made of materials that can be applied to glass-based micro-nano processing technology.

[0069] The first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 at least partially overlap and are isolated by the medium 23, so that the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 form a capacitor. In addition, the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are made of conductive materials, so that the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 themselves have inductance characteristics. Therefore, the shielding structure 20 can be equivalent to a resonant circuit including both capacitance and inductance, so that the shielding structure 20 can prevent electromagnetic signals of a specific frequency from passing through, for example, the shielding structure 20 can prevent electromagnetic signals with a frequency equal to the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit.

[0070] The first conductive structure 21 may be a patterned film. The patterned film means that the first conductive structure 21 is in the form of a film as a whole and has a specific pattern. The thickness direction of the patterned film may be perpendicular to the first substrate 101, and the dimension of the patterned film in the thickness direction is much smaller than the dimension of the length and width directions.

[0071] The orthographic projection of the patterned thin film on the first substrate 101 may have various shapes. Figure 3 : are several different shapes of the orthographic projection of the patterned film on the first substrate in the embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 3 As shown, the patterned film can be Figure 3 The rectangle shown in figure a, Figure 3 The graphic film can also be a hexagonal polygon as shown in the figure b. Figure 3 The slit polygon described in the figure d, or the patterned film can be Figure 3 The cross-shaped shape shown in Figure c, or the patterned film can be Figure 3 The spiral shape shown in Figure e, or the patterned film can be Figure 3 The Hilbert curve shown in figure f.

[0072] Of course, the patterned film may also be in other shapes, which are not listed here one by one.

[0073] When the patterned film includes elongated patterns, e.g. Figure 3 The larger the equivalent inductance value of the shielding structure 20 is, the larger the equivalent inductance value of the shielding structure 20 is.

[0074] Similarly, the second conductive structure 22 may also be a patterned film. When the second conductive structure 22 is a patterned film, the orthographic projection shape of the second conductive structure 22 on the first substrate 101 can refer to the description of the first conductive structure 21, and will not be repeated here. It should be noted that when the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are both patterned films, the shapes of the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 may be the same or different. For example, the first conductive structure 21 is Figure 3 In figure a, the second conductive structure 22 can be Figure 3 The a figure in the figure can also be Figure 3 Figure b, figure c, figure d, figure e or figure f.

[0075] When the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are both patterned thin films, the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 may be disposed opposite to each other and spaced apart along the thickness direction.

[0076] Of course, any one of the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 can also be a structure other than a patterned film. That is, one of the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 is a patterned film, and the other is a non-patterned film. For example, the first conductive structure 21 is a patterned film, and the second conductive structure 22 is an unpatterned conductive layer, or the second conductive structure 22 is a patterned film, and the first conductive structure 21 is an unpatterned conductive layer.

[0077] In actual application, the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20 can be adjusted by adjusting the shape, material, and size of the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22, adjusting the material and thickness of the medium 23, etc., so as to adjust the capacitance value of the capacitor and the inductance value of the inductor. This makes the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20 the same as or close to the frequency of the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0078] At least one of the plurality of shielding structures 20 is located between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 . The shielding structure 20 reduces crosstalk and mutual coupling between the two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 by preventing the transmission of electromagnetic signals between the two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 .

[0079] For example, the plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters 10 include a first liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and a second liquid crystal phase shifter 10 adjacent to each other, a first radio frequency signal passes through the first liquid crystal phase shifter 10, a second radio frequency signal passes through the second liquid crystal phase shifter 10, the frequencies of the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal are the same, and the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20 is the same as or close to the frequencies of the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal. Since the shielding structure 20 is located between the first liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and the second liquid crystal phase shifter 10, the first radio frequency signal is not easily transmitted to the second liquid crystal phase shifter 10 through the shielding structure 20, and the second radio frequency signal is not easily transmitted to the first liquid crystal phase shifter 10 through the shielding structure 20, thereby reducing the crosstalk and mutual coupling between the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal.

[0080] There may be one shielding structure 20 or multiple shielding structures 20 between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10. In the electromagnetic signal transmission path between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10, the more shielding structures 20 there are, the better the suppression effect on crosstalk and mutual coupling.

[0081] In the liquid crystal device 100 provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure, a shielding structure 20 is provided between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10. Along the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the shielding structure 20 includes a first conductive structure 21, a medium 23 and a second conductive structure 22 which are stacked in sequence. Since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are at least partially overlapped, the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 can be equivalent to capacitors. Since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 have inductive characteristics due to their conductivity, the shielding structure 20 can be equivalent to a resonant circuit including both capacitors and inductors. When the frequency of the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is the same as or close to the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20, the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is not easy to pass through the shielding structure 20 and cause crosstalk and mutual coupling with the RF signal in another adjacent liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0082] When multiple shielding structures 20 are disposed between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 , the multiple shielding structures 20 between the two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 can be electrically connected to form a shielding structure 20 array, thereby improving the electromagnetic signal shielding effect between the two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 .

[0083] The plurality of shielding structures 20 between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 may be periodically arranged in a direction parallel to the first substrate 101. For example, the plurality of electrically connected shielding structures 20 form a repeating unit, and a plurality of repeating units may be provided between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10. The number of shielding structures 20 in a repeating unit may be three, four, five, etc.

[0084] Figures 4 to 111 is a top view of several repeating units in the embodiments of the present disclosure. Figures 4 to 11 Several possible repeating units of the shielding structure 20 are illustrated.

[0085] When the patterned film is rectangular and the repeating unit includes four shielding structures 20, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Figure 4 shown.

[0086] When the patterned film is hexagonal and includes four shielding structures 20 in the repeating unit, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Figure 5 shown.

[0087] When the patterned film is a rectangular shape with slits, and the repeating unit includes four shielding structures 20, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Figure 6 shown.

[0088] When the patterned film is spiral-shaped and includes four shielding structures 20 in the repeating unit, the top view of the repeating unit may be as follows: Figure 7 shown.

[0089] When the patterned film is in a fork shape and includes three shielding structures 20 in the repeating unit, the top view of the repeating unit may be as follows: Figure 8 shown.

[0090] When the patterned film is rectangular and includes three shielding structures 20 in the repeating unit, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Fig. 9 shown.

[0091] When the patterned film is hexagonal and includes three shielding structures 20 in the repeating unit, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Fig.10 shown.

[0092] When the patterned film is a slit rectangle and the repeating unit includes three shielding structures 20, the top view of the repeating unit can be as follows: Fig.11 shown.

[0093] Of course, the number of the shielding structures 20 within the repeating unit can also be five, which will not be listed here one by one.

[0094] In practical applications, the shielding structure 20 may be provided between every two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 in the liquid crystal device 100 , or the shielding structure 20 may be provided only between some of the two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10 .

[0095] In addition to the shielding structure 20 between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10, the shielding structure 20 may also be provided at other positions of the liquid crystal device 100. For example, the shielding structure 20 is provided near the edge of the liquid crystal device 100 to prevent the radio frequency signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 from affecting the operation of other devices outside the liquid crystal device 100.

[0096] Fig.12 FIG. 1 is a partial top view of another liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.12 As shown, a plurality of shielding structures 20 form a shielding structure 20 array, and the shielding structure 20 array surrounds the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 . Fig.12 The grid-like structure in the figure represents an array of shielding structures 20 formed by electrically connecting a plurality of shielding structures 20, and each grid of the grid-like structure represents a shielding structure 20. The grid-like structure is provided with a plurality of blank areas, and a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is provided in each blank area, so that shielding structures 20 are provided around the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, and the radio frequency signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is not easy to crosstalk and couple with the radio frequency signals in other liquid crystal phase shifters 10 through the shielding structure 20.

[0097] in, Fig.12 FIG. 4 shows a case where a plurality of shielding structures 20 are arranged in a rectangular array. In actual application, the arrangement of the plurality of shielding structures 20 is not limited thereto.

[0098] The shielding structure 20 may further include a conductive column 24, which is disposed in the medium 23. The conductive column 24 is made of a conductive material, such as a metal such as gold, silver, or copper, and the conductive column 24 penetrates the medium 23 along the thickness direction of the medium 23, so that one end of the conductive column 24 is electrically connected to the first conductive structure 21, and the other end of the conductive column 24 is electrically connected to the second conductive structure 22.

[0099] The conductive pillar 24 electrically connects the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 , thereby enhancing the inductance characteristic of the shielding structure 20 and improving the shielding effect of the shielding structure 20 on electromagnetic signals.

[0100] The shielding structure 20 may include one conductive pillar 24, or may include multiple conductive pillars 24. When the shielding structure 20 includes multiple conductive pillars 24, the multiple conductive pillars 24 are arranged at intervals in a direction parallel to the first substrate 101, so that the first conductive structure 21, the second conductive structure 22 and the multiple conductive pillars 24 together form an equivalent inductance.

[0101] When the shielding structure 20 includes a conductive column 24, one end of the conductive column 24 can be connected to the geometric center of the first conductive structure 21. For example, when the first conductive structure 21 is a rectangle, the conductive column 24 is connected to the intersection of two diagonals of the rectangle; when the first conductive structure 21 is a hexagon, the conductive column 24 is connected to the intersection of multiple diagonals of the hexagon; when the first conductive structure 21 is a Figure 3 When the first conductive structure 21 is a spiral shape of the middle e figure, the conductive column 24 is connected to the midpoint of the spiral; when the first conductive structure 21 is Figure 3 When the first conductive structure 21 is a fork in the figure c, the conductive column 24 is connected to the intersection of the three forks; Figure 3 When the slit rectangle is in the middle d figure, the conductive column 24 is connected to the central area of ​​the slit rectangle.

[0102] Similarly, the other end of the conductive pillar 24 may be connected to the geometric center of the second conductive structure 22 .

[0103] Alternatively, one end of the conductive pillar 24 may be connected to the geometric center of the first conductive structure 21, and the other end of the conductive pillar 24 may be connected to the non-geometric center of the second conductive structure 22. Alternatively, one end of the conductive pillar 24 may be connected to the non-geometric center of the first conductive structure 21, and the other end of the conductive pillar 24 may be connected to the geometric center of the second conductive structure 22.

[0104] When the shielding structure 20 includes multiple conductive pillars 24, one of the multiple conductive pillars 24 can be connected to the geometric center of the first conductive structure 21 and / or the second conductive structure 22, and the remaining conductive pillars 24 of the multiple conductive pillars 24 can be connected to non-geometric centers of the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22.

[0105] Of course, the shielding structure 20 may also not include the conductive pillar 24. In this case, the first conductive structure 21 and / or the second conductive structure 22 may be Figure 3 The graph c, the graph d, the graph e or the graph f enables the shielding structure 20 to have a larger equivalent inductance value when the conductive pillar 24 is not included.

[0106] Continue to refer Figure 2 The liquid crystal device 100 may further include a first stack 110 , where the first stack 110 is connected to a side of the first substrate 101 facing the second substrate 107 , and the plurality of shielding structures 20 include a first shielding structure 20 a located in the first stack 110 .

[0107] The first stack 110 may include a plurality of first shielding structures 20a, which are arranged at intervals in a direction parallel to the first substrate 101. The structures of the first shielding structures 20a may be the same or different.

[0108] In a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the first stack 110 includes a first conductive layer 102, a first dielectric layer 103, and a second conductive layer 104 stacked in sequence, and the first conductive layer 102 is closer to the first substrate 101. The first conductive structure 21 of the first shielding structure 20a is located in the first conductive layer 102, the second conductive structure 22 of the first shielding structure 20a is located in the second conductive layer 104, and the dielectric 23 is located in the first dielectric layer 103.

[0109] When the first substrate 101 is a glass substrate, the first stack 110 can be prepared by glass-based micro-nano processing technology. For example, the first conductive layer 102 can be formed on the first substrate 101, the first dielectric layer 103 can be formed on the second conductive layer 104, and the second conductive layer 104 can be formed on the first dielectric layer 103.

[0110] During the preparation of the first stack 110 , the first conductive layer 102 may be patterned to form a plurality of first conductive structures 21 in the first conductive layer 102 . The second conductive layer 104 is a whole conductive layer that is not patterned, that is, the second conductive structure 22 is the second conductive layer 104 .

[0111] Fig.13 FIG. 1 is a partial structural exploded view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.13 As shown, the second conductive layer 104 may also be patterned to form a plurality of second conductive structures 22 in the second conductive layer 104, and the first conductive layer 102 is a whole conductive layer that is not patterned, that is, the first conductive structure 21 is the first conductive layer 102. When the first conductive layer 102 is not patterned and only the second conductive layer 104 is patterned, the first dielectric layer 103 and the second conductive layer 104 formed in the process of preparing the first stack 110 are relatively flat.

[0112] Of course, both the first conductive layer 102 and the second conductive layer 104 may be patterned, so as to form a plurality of first conductive structures 21 in the first conductive layer 102 and a plurality of second conductive structures 22 in the second conductive layer 104 .

[0113] The liquid crystal molecules 13 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can be located on the side of the first stack 110 away from the first substrate 101. That is, the liquid crystal molecules 13 of all liquid crystal phase shifters 10 can be arranged in the same layer to form a liquid crystal layer 105. When preparing the liquid crystal device 100, the liquid crystal layer 105 can be formed on the side of the first stack 110 away from the first substrate 101, so that the preparation process of the liquid crystal device 100 is simpler. In addition, the first stack 110 provides a relatively flat surface for the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, which has little effect on the preparation process of the existing liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0114] Fig.14FIG. 1 is a partial structural cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.14 As shown, the first electrode 11 of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can be arranged in a different layer from the second conductive layer 104. The different layer arrangement means that the first electrode 11 and the second conductive layer 104 are not formed in the same patterning process.

[0115] Exemplarily, the second conductive layer 104 is provided with an insulating layer 1 and a fifth conductive layer 2 in sequence in a direction away from the first substrate 101 , and the first electrode 11 is located in the fifth conductive layer 2 .

[0116] Continue to refer Figure 2 , the first electrode 11 may also be located in the second conductive layer 104, and the first electrode 11 is spaced apart from the second conductive structure 22. That is, the first electrode 11 and the second conductive structure 22 are disposed in the same layer. The same layer arrangement means that the first electrode 11 and the second conductive structure 22 are formed in the same patterning process.

[0117] Compared with the first electrode 11 and the second conductive structure 22 being arranged in different layers, when the first electrode 11 and the second conductive structure 22 are arranged in the same layer, the number of film layers between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 can be reduced, so that the thickness of the liquid crystal device 100 is thinner, and the reduction in the number of film layers can also reduce the difficulty of the preparation process of the liquid crystal device 100.

[0118] Fig.15 is a top view of a first stack in an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig.16 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.15 and Fig.16 As shown, the first stack 110 may be provided with a plurality of hollow regions 111, which are arranged at intervals in a direction parallel to the first substrate 101, and the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is disposed in the hollow regions 111. That is, the region of the first stack 110 opposite to the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is hollowed out.

[0119] When the area of ​​the first stack 110 that is opposite to the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is hollowed out, the first electrode 11 of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can be arranged closer to the first substrate 101. When the spacing between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 remains unchanged, the distance between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 is increased, so that more liquid crystal molecules 13 can be filled between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12. When the number of liquid crystal molecules 13 between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 remains unchanged, the distance between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 can be reduced, thereby reducing the thickness of the liquid crystal device 100.

[0120] Continue to refer Fig.16The first electrode 11 can be located in the first conductive layer 102 , and the first electrode 11 is spaced apart from the first conductive structure 21 . A hollow region 111 is provided in the first dielectric layer 103 at a position opposite to the first electrode 11 , and at least part of the liquid crystal molecules 13 are filled in the hollow region 111 .

[0121] The first electrode 11 and the first conductive structure 21 are arranged in the same layer, which can reduce the number of film layers in the liquid crystal device 100. In addition, when the spacing between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 remains unchanged, the distance between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 is increased, so that more liquid crystal molecules 13 can be filled between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12. When the number of liquid crystal molecules 13 between the first electrode 11 and the second electrode 12 remains unchanged, the distance between the first substrate 101 and the second substrate 107 can be reduced, thereby reducing the thickness of the liquid crystal device 100.

[0122] Of course, the first electrode 11 and the first conductive structure 21 may also be arranged in different layers. For example, the first conductive structure 21 is directly connected to the side of the first substrate 101 facing the second substrate 107, and a connecting layer is provided between the first electrode 11 and the first substrate 101. Along the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the connecting layer is located between the first conductive layer 102 and the second conductive layer 104.

[0123] Fig.17 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.17 As shown, the second conductive layer 104 is connected to the side of the second substrate 107 facing the first substrate 101 . The liquid crystal phase shifter 10 further includes a second electrode 12 . The second electrode 12 is located on the second conductive layer 104 , and the second electrode 12 is spaced apart from the second conductive structure 22 .

[0124] Exemplarily, the first conductive layer 102 is connected to a side of the first substrate 101 facing the second substrate 107, and the second conductive layer 104 is connected to a side of the second substrate 107 facing the first substrate 101. The first electrode 11 and the first conductive structure 21 are located in the first conductive layer 102, and the second electrode 12 and the second conductive structure 22 are located in the second conductive layer 104.

[0125] At this time, the number of film layers of the liquid crystal device 100 is further reduced, the difficulty of the manufacturing process is reduced, and the thickness of the liquid crystal device 100 is made thinner.

[0126] Fig.18 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal device in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.18As shown, the liquid crystal device 100 further includes a second stack 120 , which is connected to a side of the second substrate 107 facing the first substrate 101 , and the plurality of shielding structures 20 include a second shielding structure 20 b located in the second stack 120 .

[0127] Continue to refer Fig.18 , along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101 , the second stack 120 includes a third conductive layer 106 , a second dielectric layer 108 , and a fourth conductive layer 109 stacked in sequence, wherein the third conductive layer 106 is closer to the first substrate 101 .

[0128] The first conductive structure 21 of the second shielding structure 20 b may be located in the third conductive layer 106 , the second conductive structure 22 of the second shielding structure 20 b may be located in the fourth conductive layer 109 , and the medium 23 of the second shielding structure 20 b may be located in the second dielectric layer 108 .

[0129] When the second shielding structure 20 b includes the conductive pillars 24 , the conductive pillars 24 of the second shielding structure 20 b are located in the second dielectric layer 108 .

[0130] It should be noted that the structure and arrangement of the second shielding structure 20b may be the same as or different from the first shielding structure 20a. When the structure and arrangement of the second shielding structure 20b are the same as the first shielding structure 20a, the first shielding structure 20a may be referred to and will not be described in detail.

[0131] For example, Fig.18 As shown, the second electrode 12 of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 may be located in the third conductive layer 106 , and the second electrode 12 is spaced apart from the first conductive structure 21 .

[0132] Embodiment 2

[0133] Fig.19 FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a liquid crystal antenna in an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig.19 As shown, an embodiment of the present disclosure provides a liquid crystal antenna, which includes a feeding structure 200 , a radiation plate 300 and a liquid crystal device 100 .

[0134] Exemplarily, the feeding structure 200 is connected to one side of the liquid crystal device 100 , the radiation plate 300 is connected to the other side opposite to the liquid crystal device 100 , and a plurality of radiation units 301 are disposed in the radiation plate 300 .

[0135] Of course, any one or both of the feeding structure 200 and the radiation plate 300 may also be disposed inside the liquid crystal device 100. For example, the radiation plate 300 is disposed on the side of the second substrate 107 facing the first substrate 101. For another example, the feeding structure 200 is disposed on the side of the first substrate 101 facing the second substrate 107.

[0136] When the liquid crystal antenna is working, the radio frequency signal is fed into the liquid crystal phase shifter by the feeding structure 200, and the radio frequency signal after phase modulation by the liquid crystal phase shifter is fed into the radiation unit 301, thereby stimulating the radiation unit 301 to radiate electromagnetic waves into the free space.

[0137] Exemplarily, the radiation unit 301 is a radiation patch.

[0138] In the liquid crystal antenna provided by the embodiment of the present disclosure, a shielding structure 20 is provided between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10. Along the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the shielding structure 20 includes a first conductive structure 21, a dielectric 23 and a second conductive structure 22 which are stacked in sequence. Since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are at least partially overlapped, the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 can be equivalent to a capacitor, and since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 have inductive characteristics due to their conductivity, the shielding structure 20 can be equivalent to a resonant circuit including both a capacitor and an inductor. When the frequency of the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is the same as or close to the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20, the RF signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is not easy to pass through the shielding structure 20 and cause crosstalk and mutual coupling with the RF signal in another adjacent liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thereby improving the bandwidth and efficiency of the liquid crystal antenna.

[0139] Embodiment 3

[0140] An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a communication device, which includes the above-mentioned liquid crystal antenna, and transmits electromagnetic waves or receives electromagnetic waves through the liquid crystal antenna. The communication device can be applied to a variety of communication systems, such as satellite communication systems, Internet of Things (IoT), narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) systems, global system for mobile communications (GSM), enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE), wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA), code division multiple access 2000 (CDMA2000), time division-synchronization code division multiple access (TD-SCDMA), long term evolution (LTE), fifth generation (5G) communication systems, such as 5G new radio (NR), and three major application scenarios of 5G mobile communication systems, namely enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra reliable low latency communications (ultra reliable low latency communications, uRLLC) and massive machine type communications (massive machine type The present invention may include a mobile machine type communications (mMTC), a device-to-device (D2D) communication system, a machine-to-machine (M2M) communication system, an Internet of Vehicles communication system, or other or future communication systems, which are not specifically limited in the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0141] The communication device provided in the embodiment of the present disclosure includes the above-mentioned liquid crystal device 100, and a shielding structure 20 is provided between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters 10. Along the direction perpendicular to the first substrate 101, the shielding structure 20 includes a first conductive structure 21, a medium 23 and a second conductive structure 22 which are stacked in sequence. Since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 are at least partially overlapped, the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 can be equivalent to a capacitor, and since the first conductive structure 21 and the second conductive structure 22 have inductance characteristics due to their conductivity, the shielding structure 20 can be equivalent to a resonant circuit including both a capacitor and an inductor. When the frequency of the radio frequency signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is the same as or close to the resonant frequency of the shielding structure 20, the radio frequency signal in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is not easy to pass through the shielding structure 20 and cause crosstalk and mutual coupling with the radio frequency signal in another adjacent liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thereby improving the communication quality of the communication device.

[0142] The above is only a specific embodiment of the present disclosure, but the protection scope of the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art who is familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present disclosure, which should be included in the protection scope of the present disclosure. Therefore, the protection scope of the present disclosure should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, a plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters and a plurality of shielding structures. The first substrate and the second substrate are arranged opposite to each other and spaced apart, the plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and the plurality of liquid crystal phase shifters are spaced apart in a direction parallel to the first substrate; The plurality of shielding structures are located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and at least one of the plurality of shielding structures is located between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters; Along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate, the shielding structure includes a first conductive structure, a medium and a second conductive structure stacked in sequence, the first conductive structure is closer to the first substrate, and the first conductive structure and the second conductive structure at least partially overlap.

2. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein The liquid crystal device further comprises a first stack, wherein along a direction perpendicular to the first substrate, the first stack comprises a first conductive layer, a first dielectric layer and a second conductive layer stacked in sequence, and the first conductive layer is connected to a side of the first substrate facing the second substrate; The plurality of shielding structures include a first shielding structure located in the first stack, the first conductive structure of the first shielding structure is located in the first conductive layer, and the second conductive structure of the first shielding structure is located in the second conductive layer.

3. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein: The liquid crystal phase shifter includes liquid crystal molecules, and the liquid crystal molecules are located on a side of the first stack away from the first substrate.

4. The liquid crystal device according to claim 3, wherein: The liquid crystal phase shifter further includes a first electrode, the first electrode is located in the second conductive layer, and the first electrode is spaced apart from the second conductive structure.

5. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein: The first stack is provided with a plurality of hollow regions, the plurality of hollow regions are arranged at intervals along a direction parallel to the first substrate, and the liquid crystal phase shifter is arranged in the hollow regions.

6. The liquid crystal device according to claim 5, wherein: The liquid crystal phase shifter includes a first electrode and liquid crystal molecules. The first electrode is located in the first conductive layer, and the first electrode is spaced apart from the first conductive structure. The first dielectric layer is provided with a hollow area at a position opposite to the first electrode, and at least part of the liquid crystal is layered and filled in the hollow area.

7. The liquid crystal device according to claim 6, wherein: The second conductive layer is connected to a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate. The liquid crystal phase shifter further includes a second electrode. The second electrode is located on the second conductive layer, and the second electrode is spaced apart from the second conductive structure.

8. The liquid crystal device according to claim 2, wherein: The liquid crystal device further includes a second stacked layer connected to a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, and the plurality of shielding structures include a second shielding structure located in the second stacked layer.

9. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the shielding structures are disposed between two adjacent liquid crystal phase shifters, and the plurality of the shielding structures are electrically connected.

10. The liquid crystal device according to claim 9, wherein: The plurality of shielding structures form a shielding structure array, and the shielding structure array surrounds the liquid crystal phase shifter.

11. The liquid crystal device according to claim 1, wherein: The shielding structure further includes one or more conductive pillars, which are disposed in the medium, one end of which is electrically connected to the first conductive structure, and the other end of which is electrically connected to the second conductive structure.

12. The liquid crystal device according to claim 11, wherein The conductive pillar is connected to a geometric center of the first conductive structure, and / or the conductive pillar is connected to a geometric center of the second conductive structure.

13. The liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The first conductive structure is a patterned thin film, and / or the second conductive structure is a patterned thin film.

14. The liquid crystal device according to claim 13, wherein: The orthographic projection of the patterned film on the first substrate is one or more of a polygon, a slotted polygon, a fork, a spiral, and a Hilbert curve.

15. The liquid crystal device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein: The first substrate and / or the second substrate is a glass substrate.

16. A liquid crystal antenna, characterized in that: The invention comprises a feeding structure, a radiation unit and a liquid crystal device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. A communication device, characterized in that: Comprising the liquid crystal antenna as claimed in claim 16.

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