Liquid crystal phase shifter, liquid crystal antenna and communication equipment

Abstract

A liquid crystal phase shifter (10), comprising: a first substrate (1) having a first metal layer (11) on one side thereof, the first metal layer (11) comprising a first electrode (111); a second metal layer (21) and a third metal layer (22) are arranged on the side, facing the first substrate (1), of the second substrate (2), the second metal layer (21) comprises a second electrode (211), and the third metal layer (22) comprises a plurality of first heating wires (221) connected in parallel and two second heating wires (222) connected to the two ends of the first heating wires (221) in series. According to the liquid crystal phase shifter, different voltage signals can be applied to the first electrode (111) and the second electrode (211) to drive liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer (3) to deflect, meanwhile, the liquid crystal layer (3) is heated through the first heating wire (221) and the second heating wire (222), and the working stability of the liquid crystal phase shifter (10) in a low-temperature environment is guaranteed.

Description

Liquid crystal phase shifter, liquid crystal antenna and communication equipment Technical Field

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

[0002] Liquid crystal antennas leverage the anisotropic properties of liquid crystal molecules, using a driving voltage to control their alignment. This changes the dielectric constant of each phase-shifting element, thereby controlling the phase of the RF signal within each phase-shifting element and ultimately controlling the direction of the antenna's radiation beam. Liquid crystal antennas are widely used in low-orbit satellite antennas, vehicle-mounted antennas, base station antennas, and other applications. Because liquid crystal antennas operate in an external environment, changes in ambient temperature can affect the state of the liquid crystal molecules within them. When the ambient temperature is too low, the response rate of the liquid crystal molecules decreases, affecting the antenna's performance.

[0003] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field.

[0004] Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a liquid crystal phase shifter, a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device, which can ensure the phase shift performance of liquid crystal molecules.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a liquid crystal phase shifter, comprising:

[0007] A first substrate, wherein one side of the first substrate has a first metal layer, and the first metal layer includes a first electrode;

[0008] a second substrate located on a side of the first substrate having the first metal layer, and having an insulated second metal layer and a third metal layer on a side of the second substrate facing the first substrate, the second metal layer including a second electrode, the third metal layer including a plurality of first heating lines and two second heating lines distributed at intervals, the plurality of first heating lines being connected in parallel and then in series between the two second heating lines;

[0009] The liquid crystal layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate.

[0010] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the first metal layer includes a plurality of first electrodes distributed in an array, the second metal layer includes a plurality of second electrodes distributed in an array, the plurality of first electrodes correspond to the plurality of second electrodes one-to-one, and the corresponding first electrodes and second electrodes have overlapping areas in the thickness direction of the first substrate;

[0011] The orthographic projections of the first heating line and the second heating line on the first metal layer are located at the periphery of the first electrode, and the orthographic projections of the first heating line and the second heating line on the second metal layer are located at the periphery of the second electrode.

[0012] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the second metal layer is located between the second substrate and the third metal layer.

[0013] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the first substrate has a first binding area located at an edge, and the second substrate has a second binding area located at an edge;

[0014] The first metal layer has a first driving line electrically connected to each of the first electrodes, and an end of the first driving line extends to the first binding area;

[0015] The second metal layer has a second driving line electrically connected to each of the second electrodes, and ends of the second driving line and ends of the second heating line both extend to the second binding area.

[0016] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the first metal layer includes a plurality of first electrodes distributed in an array, the second metal layer includes a second electrode which is a common electrode for the entire surface, and the third metal layer is located between the second metal layer and the second substrate.

[0017] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the first substrate further has a fourth metal layer on a side facing the second substrate;

[0018] The fourth metal layer includes a plurality of third heating lines and two fourth heating lines that are distributed at intervals, the line width of the third heating line is smaller than the line width of the fourth heating line, and the plurality of third heating lines are connected in parallel between the two fourth heating lines;

[0019] The orthographic projections of the third heating line and the fourth heating line on the first metal layer are located at the periphery of the first electrode.

[0020] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the fourth metal layer is located between the first substrate and the first metal layer.

[0021] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the first substrate has a first binding area located at an edge;

[0022] An end portion of the first driving line and an end portion of the fourth heating line of the first metal layer both extend to the first binding region.

[0023] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the first heating line extends along a first direction, the second heating line extends along a second direction, and both ends of each first heating line are electrically connected to two second heating lines respectively, and the first direction intersects with the second direction.

[0024] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the third metal layer includes a plurality of fifth heating lines distributed at intervals;

[0025] The fifth heating lines extend along the second direction, and each of the fifth heating lines intersects the plurality of first heating lines.

[0026] According to any of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, of the two second heating lines, the end of the first one has a first extension portion facing the second one, and the end of the first extension portion is spaced apart from the second one.

[0027] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the second heating line is L-shaped, and the openings of the two second heating lines are opposite to each other, and the length direction of the first heating line is parallel to the direction of the corner diagonals of the two second heating lines.

[0028] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the line widths of the plurality of first heating lines decrease in a direction away from the corner diagonal line.

[0029] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the line width of the first heating line is smaller than the line width of the second heating line.

[0030] According to any of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the line width of the first heating line is greater than or equal to 10 micrometers and less than or equal to 20 micrometers.

[0031] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the line width of the second heating line is greater than or equal to 100 microns.

[0032] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, a surface of the second heating line has a metal film layer, and a resistance of the metal film layer is smaller than a resistance of the second heating line.

[0033] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the thickness of the second heating line is greater than or equal to 100 nanometers and less than or equal to 800 nanometers, and the thickness of the metal film layer is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer and less than or equal to 5 micrometers.

[0034] According to any one of the liquid crystal phase shifters described in the present disclosure, the first heating line extends along a first direction;

[0035] Of the two second heating lines, a first one extends along the second direction, and a second one includes a second extending portion extending along the first direction, a third extending portion extending along the second direction, and a bending portion connecting the second extending portion and the third extending portion;

[0036] An orthographic projection of the bent portion on the second substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the liquid crystal layer on the second substrate. Two ends of each first heating line are electrically connected to a first of the two second heating lines and the third extending portion.

[0037] According to any liquid crystal phase shifter described in the present disclosure, the line width of the second extension portion and the line width of the third extension portion are both greater than the line width of the first heating line, and the line width of the bending portion is greater than or equal to the line width of the first heating line.

[0038] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal antenna is provided, comprising the liquid crystal phase shifter described in the above aspect.

[0039] According to any liquid crystal antenna described in the present disclosure, the first substrate and the second substrate are both multi-layer PCB substrates, and a radiation electrode is integrated in the substrate interlayer of one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a ground electrode is integrated in the substrate interlayer of the other substrate.

[0040] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a communication device is provided, comprising the liquid crystal antenna described in the above aspect.

[0041] The embodiments of the present disclosure include at least the following technical effects:

[0042] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, a liquid crystal phase shifter refers to a device or apparatus capable of shifting the phase of a radio frequency signal. When the liquid crystal phase shifter is operating, different voltage signals may be applied to the first electrode and the second electrode to drive the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer to deflect through the electric field formed between the first electrode and the second electrode. When driving the liquid crystal molecules to deflect, the liquid crystal layer may be heated by the first heating wire and the second heating wire to ensure that the liquid crystal molecules operate within a normal temperature range, thereby avoiding the external low temperature environment from affecting the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules and the working performance of the liquid crystal phase shifter, thereby ensuring the stability of the liquid crystal phase shifter in a low temperature environment. In addition, a plurality of first heating wires may be arranged in parallel and then connected in series between two second heating wires, so that the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer can be uniformly heated by the plurality of first heating wires, thereby ensuring the stability of the heating of the liquid crystal layer by the first heating wire and the second heating wire.

[0043] It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] The accompanying drawings are incorporated into and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the present disclosure, and together with the specification, are used to explain the principles of the present disclosure. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can derive other drawings based on these drawings without inventive effort.

[0045] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a top view of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0046] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure along the line AA shown in FIG1 .

[0047] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure along the line AA shown in FIG1 .

[0048] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of a top view of a liquid crystal phase shifter binding structure provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0050] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure along the line AA shown in FIG1 .

[0051] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure along line AA shown in FIG. 1 .

[0052] FIG8 is a schematic top view of another structure of liquid crystal phase shifters bound according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0053] FIG9 is a schematic structural diagram of another arrangement of heating lines of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0054] FIG10 is a structural diagram of another arrangement of heating lines of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0055] FIG11 is a structural diagram of another arrangement of heating lines of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0056] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of the heating effect of the liquid crystal layer in a liquid crystal phase shifter with a heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] FIG13 is a steady-state temperature distribution curve of a liquid crystal layer along a first direction in a liquid crystal phase shifter having a heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0058] FIG14 is a temperature distribution curve of a liquid crystal layer in a liquid crystal phase shifter with a heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure during a heating process along the second direction.

[0059] FIG15 is a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer along the second direction in a liquid crystal phase shifter with a heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0060] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of the heating effect of the liquid crystal layer in a liquid crystal phase shifter with another heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0061] FIG17 is a temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer in a liquid crystal phase shifter with another heating line size along a first direction during the heating process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0062] FIG18 is a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer along the first direction in a liquid crystal phase shifter with another heating line size provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0063] FIG19 is a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer along the second direction in a liquid crystal phase shifter in which a heating line has a metal film layer provided by an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0064] FIG20 is a schematic structural diagram of another arrangement of heating lines of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0065] FIG21 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal antenna provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0066] Figures 10, liquid crystal phase shifter; 20, radiation electrode; 30, ground electrode; 40, bonding circuit; AA, first bonding area; BB, second bonding area; 1, first substrate; 2, second substrate; 3, liquid crystal layer; 4, phase shift unit; 5, plastic frame; 6, spacer; 11, first metal layer; 12, fourth metal layer; 13, first insulating layer; 14, first alignment film; 111, first electrode; 112, first driving line; 121, third heating line; 122, fourth heating line; 131, first notch; 21, second metal layer; 22, third metal layer; 23, second insulating layer; 24, second alignment film; 211, second electrode; 212, second driving line; 221, first heating line; 222, second heating line; 223, fifth heating line; 231, second notch; 2221. First extension portion; 2222. Second extension portion; 2223. Third extension portion; 2224. Bend portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0067] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the example embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the concepts of the example embodiments to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the figures represent identical or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted. Furthermore, the figures are merely schematic illustrations of the present disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0068] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relationship of one illustrated component to another, these terms are used for convenience only, such as in accordance with the orientation of the illustrations in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that if the illustrated device were flipped upside down, the component described as "upper" would become the component "lower." When a structure is referred to as "on" another structure, it may mean that the structure is integrally formed with the other structure, that the structure is "directly" disposed on the other structure, or that the structure is "indirectly" disposed on the other structure via the other structure.

[0069] The terms "a", "an", "the", "said" and "at least one" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "including" and "having" are used to express open-ended inclusion and mean that additional elements / components / etc. may be present in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.; the terms "first", "second" and "third" etc. are used only as labels and are not intended to limit the quantity of their objects.

[0070] Figure 1 illustrates a top-down schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 provided in an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 illustrates a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 shown in Figure 1 along section line AA. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 includes a first substrate 1, a second substrate 2, and a liquid crystal layer 3. The first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are disposed opposite each other, with the liquid crystal layer 3 located between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2.

[0071] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first substrate 1 has a first metal layer 11 on the side facing the second substrate 2, and the first metal layer 11 includes a first electrode 111; the second substrate 2 has an insulated second metal layer 21 and a third metal layer 22 on the side facing the first substrate 1, the second metal layer 21 includes a second electrode 211, and the third metal layer 22 includes a plurality of first heating lines 221 and two second heating lines 222 distributed at intervals, and the plurality of first heating lines 221 are connected in parallel and then in series between the two second heating lines 222.

[0072] In the embodiments of the present disclosure, the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is a device or apparatus capable of shifting the phase of a radio frequency signal. When the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is in operation, different voltage signals may be applied to the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211 to drive the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3 to deflect via the electric field formed between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211. During the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules, the liquid crystal layer 3 may be heated by the first heating wire 221 and the second heating wire 222 to ensure that the liquid crystal molecules operate within a normal temperature range, thereby preventing the external low temperature environment from affecting the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules and the operating performance of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thereby ensuring the stability of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 in low temperature environments. In addition, providing multiple first heating wires 221 in parallel and then connected in series between two second heating wires 222 can reduce the total resistance of the heating wires, thereby ensuring a heating effect on the liquid crystal layer 3. Furthermore, the multiple first heating wires 221 can achieve uniform heating of the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 3, thereby ensuring the stability of the heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 by the first heating wires 221 and the second heating wires 222.

[0073] The first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 can be glass substrates or PCB substrates, and the first metal layer 11, the second metal layer 21, and the third metal layer 22 can be made of at least one of copper, aluminum, molybdenum, nickel, and the like. A second insulating layer 23 is provided between the second metal layer 21 and the third metal layer 22 to insulate the second electrode 211 from the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222. Furthermore, as shown in FIG2 , the first substrate 1 has a first alignment film 14 adjacent to the liquid crystal layer 3 on its side, and the second substrate 2 has a second alignment film 24 adjacent to the liquid crystal layer 3 on its side. The liquid crystal phase shifter 10 also includes a support located between the first alignment film 14 and the second alignment film 24. In this manner, the alignment of the first and second alignment films 14, 24 allows for alignment of the liquid crystal molecules. Furthermore, the support provides support between the first and second substrates 1 and 2, forming a liquid crystal receiving cavity.

[0074] As shown in FIG2 , the support may include a plastic frame 5 and a spacer 6. The plastic frame 5 is clamped between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 to form a liquid crystal receiving cavity together with the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. The plastic frame 5 supports the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 while bonding the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2. The spacer 6 is located between the first alignment film 14 and the second alignment film 24 to ensure that the liquid crystal layer 3 in the liquid crystal receiving cavity is filled.

[0075] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 includes a plurality of phase shift units 4 distributed in an array between a first substrate 1 and a second substrate 2. Each phase shift unit 4 includes a first electrode 111 and a corresponding second electrode 211. When different voltage signals are applied to the corresponding first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211, an electric field is formed between the corresponding first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211. The deflection of the liquid crystal molecules between the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211 is controlled by the formed electric field, thereby realizing the phase shift function of the radio frequency signal in the area where the phase shift unit 4 is located.

[0076] Regarding the multiple first electrodes 111 and the one-to-one corresponding multiple second electrodes 211 included in the multiple phase shifting units 4, in some embodiments, as shown in FIG2 or FIG3 , the first metal layer 11 includes the multiple first electrodes 111 distributed in an array, and the second metal layer 21 includes the multiple second electrodes 211 distributed in an array. The multiple first electrodes 111 correspond to the multiple second electrodes 211 in a one-to-one manner, and the corresponding first electrodes 111 and second electrodes 211 have overlapping areas in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1. In this way, voltage signals can be applied individually to the multiple first electrodes 111 and the multiple second electrodes 211 to ensure the stability of the voltage signals applied to the first electrodes 111 and the second electrodes 211 included in each phase shifting unit 4, thereby ensuring the stability of the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules between the corresponding first electrodes 111 and the second electrodes 211.

[0077] Optionally, the orthographic projections of the corresponding first electrodes 111 and second electrodes 211 in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1 completely overlap, thereby reducing the area occupied by one phase shifter 4 and facilitating the arrangement of more phase shifters 4 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 .

[0078] Among them, the orthographic projections of the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 included in the third metal layer 22 on the first metal layer 11 are located on the periphery of the first electrode 111 to avoid mutual coupling between the first electrode 111 and the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222; the orthographic projections of the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 included in the third metal layer 22 on the second metal layer 21 are located on the periphery of the second electrode 211 to avoid mutual coupling between the second electrode 211 and the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222, thereby ensuring the stability of the radio frequency signal when it is transmitted along the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211.

[0079] The second metal layer 21 is located between the second substrate 2 and the third metal layer 22. In this case, as shown in FIG2 , the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, in the direction toward the liquid crystal layer 3, includes, in order, the second substrate 2, the second metal layer 21, the second insulating layer 23, the third metal layer 22, and the second alignment film 24. Alternatively, the second metal layer 21 may be located on the side of the third metal layer 22 away from the second substrate 2. In this case, as shown in FIG3 , the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, in the direction toward the liquid crystal layer 3, includes, in order, the second substrate 2, the third metal layer 22, the second insulating layer 23, the second metal layer 21, and the second alignment film 24. For both of the aforementioned configurations, when the third metal layer 22 is located on the side of the second metal layer 21 away from the second substrate 2, the heating lines included in the third metal layer 22 are closer to the liquid crystal layer 3, thereby better heating the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0080] Among them, the method for applying voltage signals to multiple first electrodes 111 and multiple second electrodes 211 can be as shown in Figure 4, where the first substrate 1 has a first binding area AA located at the edge, the first metal layer 11 has a first driving line 112 electrically connected to each first electrode 111, and the end of the first driving line 112 extends to the first binding area AA; as shown in Figure 4, the second substrate 2 has a second binding area BB located at the edge, the second metal layer 21 has a second driving line 212 electrically connected to each second electrode 211, and the end of the second driving line 212 extends to the second binding area BB. In this way, based on the first driving line 112 and the second driving line 212 being bound to the corresponding binding circuit 40 (such as an FPC flexible circuit board, a PCB circuit board, etc.) in their respective binding areas, the binding circuit 40 of the first driving line 112 and the binding circuit 40 of the second driving line 212 are respectively electrically connected to the corresponding driving circuit to achieve different voltage signals being applied to the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211.

[0081] The first binding area AA and the second binding area BB may overlap in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1 , so that after the first binding area AA and the second binding area BB are bound to different binding circuits 40 , the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can be miniaturized.

[0082] As for the method of applying voltage to the second heating wire 222, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the ends of the second heating wire 222 extend to the second binding area BB. Of course, the second substrate 2 may also have a third binding area located at the edge, and the ends of the second heating wire 222 extend to the third binding area, with the second binding area BB and the third binding area being spaced apart.

[0083] In the case where the end of the second heating line 222 extends to the second binding area BB, as shown in FIG4 , the second insulating layer 23 between the second metal layer 21 and the third metal layer 22 has a second notch 231 at its edge. The orthographic projection of the second notch 231 on the second substrate 2 covers the second binding area BB, ensuring that both the second driving line 212 and the second heating line 222 can extend to the second binding area BB. When both the second driving line 212 and the second heating line 222 extend to the second binding area BB, they can be bound to the same binding circuit 40 and, in turn, electrically connected to the same driving circuit to achieve integrated control of heating and phase shifting. Furthermore, since only one binding circuit 40 is required for binding, the structure of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is simplified, the difficulty of binding is reduced, and the efficiency of binding is improved. This also facilitates reducing the size of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thereby miniaturizing the liquid crystal antenna having the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0084] Optionally, the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 also has a temperature monitoring element, and the connecting line of the temperature monitoring element extends to the second binding area BB, so that after the temperature monitoring element is connected to the external driving circuit, the ambient temperature of the second substrate 2 side can be monitored by the temperature monitoring element, and when the ambient temperature is lower than the normal operating temperature of the liquid crystal molecules, the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 are controlled to heat the second substrate 2 side, thereby realizing a closed loop of temperature monitoring and temperature control on the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, and at the same time realizing integrated control of phase shifting, heating and temperature monitoring of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0085] The temperature monitoring element can be a temperature-sensitive resistor or thermistor, and can be disposed on the same layer as the first heating wire 221 and the second heating wire 222. That is, the third metal layer 22 includes the first heating wire 221, the second heating wire 222, and the temperature monitoring element. Of course, the temperature monitoring element can also be located on other metal film layers on the side of the second substrate 2, and this is not limited in the present embodiment.

[0086] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the first metal layer 11 includes a plurality of first electrodes 111 arranged in an array, and the second metal layer 21 includes a second electrode 211 that serves as a common electrode across the entire surface. This allows voltage signals to be applied directly to the second electrodes 211 of the plurality of phase shifting units 4 via the common electrode, simplifying the film structure of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0087] The third metal layer 22 is located between the second metal layer 21 and the two substrates. That is, the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 are both located between the entire common electrode and the second substrate 2. In this way, based on the shielding effect of the second metal layer 21, the mutual coupling between the radio frequency signal and the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 can be isolated. Therefore, when the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 are formed on the third metal layer 22, it is not necessary to ensure that the orthographic projections of the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 on the first metal layer 11 are located outside the first electrode 111, thereby simplifying the wiring difficulty of the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the first substrate 1 has a first binding area AA, and the second substrate 2 has a second binding area BB. In this case, the end of the first drive line 112 of the first metal layer 11, which is used to drive the first electrode 111, extends to the first binding area AA, and the common signal loading line for the entire common electrode of the second metal layer 21 and the third metal layer 22 extend to the second binding area BB. In this way, the first drive line 112 and the common signal loading line can be bound to the corresponding binding circuit 40 in their respective binding areas. The binding circuit 40 for the first drive line 112 and the binding circuit 40 for the common signal loading line can then be electrically connected to the corresponding drive circuit, respectively, to apply different voltage signals to the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211.

[0089] Among them, when the second binding area BB is only used to bind the common signal loading line, for the binding of the end of the second heating line 222, in order to simplify the structure, the end of the second heating line 222 can be set to extend to the second binding area BB. At this time, the second heating line 222 and the common signal loading line are bound to the same binding circuit 40, and then electrically connected to the same driving circuit to achieve integrated control of heating and phase shifting.

[0090] In the disclosed embodiment, in addition to forming first heating lines 221 and second heating lines 222 on the side of the second substrate 2 to heat the liquid crystal layer 3, as shown in FIG7 or FIG8 , a fourth metal layer 12 may be provided on the side of the first substrate 1 facing the second substrate 2. The fourth metal layer 12 includes a plurality of third heating lines 121 and two fourth heating lines 122 spaced apart from each other. The width of the third heating lines 121 is smaller than that of the fourth heating lines 122, and the plurality of third heating lines 121 are connected in parallel between the two fourth heating lines 122. In this manner, by forming the third heating lines 121 and the fourth heating lines 122 on the side of the first substrate 1, the liquid crystal layer 3 can be heated by the third heating lines 121 and the fourth heating lines 122 on the side of the first substrate 1. Combined with the heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 by the first heating lines 221 and the second heating lines 222 on the side of the second substrate 2, this achieves dual-sided heating of the liquid crystal layer 3, further enhancing the heating effect on the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0091] A first insulating layer 13 is provided between the first metal layer 11 and the fourth metal layer 12 to insulate the first electrode 111 from the third heating wire 121 and the fourth heating wire 122. Furthermore, the orthographic projections of the third heating wire 121 and the fourth heating wire 122 on the first metal layer 11 are located outside the first electrode 111. This prevents mutual coupling between the first electrode 111 and the third heating wire 121 and the fourth heating wire 122, thereby ensuring the stability of the radio frequency signal when transmitted along the first electrode 111 and the second electrode 211.

[0092] The fourth metal layer 12 is located between the first substrate 1 and the first metal layer 11. In this case, as shown in FIG7 or FIG8 , the first substrate 1 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, in the direction toward the liquid crystal layer 3, includes, in sequence, the first substrate 1, the fourth metal layer 12, the first insulating layer 13, the first metal layer 11, and the first alignment film 14. Alternatively, the fourth metal layer 12 may be located on the side of the first metal layer 11 away from the first substrate 1. In this case, the first substrate 1 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, in the direction toward the liquid crystal layer 3, includes, in sequence, the first substrate 1, the first metal layer 11, the first insulating layer 13, the fourth metal layer 12, and the first alignment film 14. For both of the aforementioned configurations, when the fourth metal layer 12 is located on the side of the first metal layer 11 away from the first substrate 1, the heating lines included in the fourth metal layer 12 are closer to the liquid crystal layer 3, thereby better heating the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0093] In combination with the above, the first substrate 1 has a first binding area AA located at the edge, the first metal layer 11 has a first driving line 112 connected to the first electrode 111, and the end of the first driving line 112 extends to the first binding area AA. In this case, the voltage applied to the fourth heating line 122 can be, as shown in FIG8 , such that the ends of the fourth heating line 122 both extend to the first binding area AA. Alternatively, the first substrate 1 can have a fourth binding area located at the edge, the end of the fourth heating line 122 extends to the fourth binding area, and the first binding area AA is spaced apart from the fourth binding area.

[0094] In the case where the end of the fourth heating line 122 extends to the first binding area AA, as shown in FIG8 , the first insulating layer 13 between the fourth metal layer 12 and the first metal layer 11 has a first notch 131 at its edge. The orthographic projection of the first notch 131 on the first substrate 1 covers the first binding area AA, ensuring that both the first drive line 112 and the fourth heating line 122 can extend to the first binding area AA. When both the first drive line 112 and the fourth heating line 122 extend to the first binding area AA, they can be bound to the same binding circuit 40 and, in turn, electrically connected to the same drive circuit to achieve integrated control of heating and phase shifting. Furthermore, since only one binding circuit 40 is required for binding, the structure of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is simplified, reducing the difficulty of binding and improving binding efficiency. This also facilitates reducing the size of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thereby miniaturizing the liquid crystal antenna having the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0095] Optionally, the first substrate 1 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 also has a temperature monitoring element, and the connecting line of the temperature monitoring element extends to the first binding area AA, so that after the temperature monitoring element is connected to the external driving circuit, the ambient temperature of the first substrate 1 side can be monitored by the temperature monitoring element, and when the ambient temperature is lower than the normal operating temperature of the liquid crystal molecules, the third heating line 121 and the fourth heating line 122 are controlled to heat the first substrate 1 side, thereby realizing a closed loop of temperature monitoring and temperature control on the first substrate 1 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, and realizing integrated control of phase shifting, heating and temperature monitoring of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0096] It should be noted that the third metal layer 22 and / or the fourth metal layer 12 mentioned above can be the metal film layers of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 itself, that is, the metal film layers included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 itself are reused as the third metal layer 22 and the fourth metal layer 12; of course, they can also be metal film layers separately provided in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 to reduce the difficulty of wiring the heating lines on each metal film layer.

[0097] In the case where the third metal layer 22 and / or the fourth metal layer 12 reuse the metal film layers already present in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, this facilitates simplifying the film structure of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 while avoiding an increase in the cost of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10. Taking the third metal layer 22 as an example of a reused film layer, the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, in the direction approaching the liquid crystal layer 3, includes, in order, the second substrate 2, a functional film layer, a second insulating layer 23, a second metal layer 21, and a second alignment film 24. The functional film layer has alignment marks, identification marks, and a binding harness, as well as first and second heating lines 221 and 222, to serve as the third metal layer 22.

[0098] In the case where the third metal layer 22 and / or the fourth metal layer 12 are provided separately, taking the third metal layer 22 provided separately as an example, the second substrate 2 side of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 includes, in the direction close to the liquid crystal layer 3, the second substrate 2, the functional film layer, the third insulating layer, the second metal layer 21, the second insulating layer 23, the third metal layer 22, and the second alignment film 24. The functional film layer has alignment marks, identification marks, and a binding harness, and the third metal layer 22 has a first heating line 221 and a second heating line 222.

[0099] In the embodiment of the present disclosure, for the multiple first heating lines 221 and two second heating lines 222 of the third metal layer 22, the third metal layer 22 may have multiple groups of heating lines, each group of heating lines includes multiple first heating lines 221 and two second heating lines 222. In this way, the liquid crystal layer 3 can be heated in different regions through the distribution area of ​​each group of heating lines, thereby improving the heating effect.

[0100] The liquid crystal phase shifter 10 includes an effective heating region corresponding to the liquid crystal layer 3, i.e., the region enclosed by the frame 5 as shown in FIG1 , and an edge region located outside the effective heating region. The plurality of first heating lines 221 are located in the effective heating region, i.e., the orthographic projections of the plurality of first heating lines 221 on the second substrate 2 are all located within the orthographic projections of the liquid crystal layer 3 on the second substrate 2, thereby ensuring that the plurality of first heating lines 221 can effectively heat the liquid crystal layer 3. The second heating lines 222 can be located in the effective heating region or in the edge region, or a portion of the second heating lines 222 can be located in the effective heating region and another portion in the edge region.

[0101] The line width of the second heating line 222 in the edge area is greater than that of the first heating line 221 , and the line width of the second heating line 222 in the effective heating area is greater than or equal to that of the first heating line 221 .

[0102] Specifically, the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 may be arranged according to any of the following embodiments to effectively control the resistance of the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222 to achieve effective heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 .

[0103] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG1 , the first heating lines 221 extend along a first direction X, and the second heating lines 222 extend along a second direction Y. Each first heating line 221 is electrically connected to two second heating lines 222 at both ends, and the first direction X intersects the second direction Y. In this manner, multiple first heating lines 221 are spaced apart along the second direction Y to ensure that the resistance of the first heating lines 221 within the heated area is uniform, thereby effectively ensuring that the multiple first heating lines 221 effectively and uniformly heat the liquid crystal layer 3 of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10.

[0104] In combination with the multiple phase shifting units 4 described above, optionally, the multiple phase shifting units 4 distributed in an array are located in the area between the two second heating lines 222. In this case, the two second heating lines 222 can serve as a current convergence area, and the multiple first heating lines 221 can serve as an effective heating area for the liquid crystal layer 3. In this case, the multiple phase shifting units 4 can be heated more evenly by the multiple first heating lines 221, thereby ensuring the heating effect.

[0105] Optionally, for multiple phase shifting units 4 distributed in an array, a group of phase shifting units 4 spaced apart along the first direction X exists between two adjacent first heating lines 221. This means that there is no overlap between the phase shifting units 4 and the first heating lines 221 in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1. The number of phase shifting units 4 in a group in the second direction Y can be one, two, or the like. For example, assuming a group of phase shifting units 4 in the second direction Y is one, as shown in FIG1 , multiple phase shifting units 4 spaced apart along the first direction X exist between two adjacent first heating lines 221. This allows the adjacent first heating lines 221 to heat the group of phase shifting units 4 in between, ensuring a heating effect on the phase shifting units 4.

[0106] Optionally, as shown in FIG9 , the end of the first of the two second heating wires 222 has a first extension portion 2221 facing the second, and the end of the first extension portion 2221 is spaced apart from the second. Thus, by providing the first extension portion 2221 at the end of the first of the two second heating wires 222, the distance between the two second heating wires 222 is shortened, thereby facilitating electrical connection between the two second heating wires 222 and the binding circuit 40.

[0107] Of course, as shown in FIG5 , the same-direction ends of the two second heating wires 222 may each have a first extension portion 2221 facing each other, and the total length of the two first extension portions 2221 may be less than the length of the first heating wire 221. In this case, the two first extension portions 2221 can shorten the distance between the two second heating wires 222, thereby facilitating the binding of the two second heating wires 222 to the binding circuit 40 in the second binding area BB.

[0108] Optionally, as shown in FIG10 , the third metal layer 22 includes a plurality of fifth heating lines 223 spaced apart from each other. The fifth heating lines 223 extend along the second direction Y, and each fifth heating line 223 intersects with the plurality of first heating lines 221. Thus, the fifth heating lines 223 can be combined with the first heating lines 221 and the fifth heating lines 223 to simultaneously heat the liquid crystal layer 3 in the region where the plurality of phase shifting units 4 are located, further ensuring a sufficient heating effect on the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0109] Among them, the fifth heating line 223 and the first heating line 221 can constitute a plurality of grid-shaped heating lines. In order to ensure uniform heating of each phase shift unit 4, a phase shift unit 4 as shown in Figure 10 can be set in each grid. At this time, a circle of each phase shift unit 4 has a heating line for heating; four phase shift units 4 can also be set. At this time, two adjacent sides of each phase shift unit 4 have heating lines for heating.

[0110] The line width of the fifth heating line 223 is equal to the line width of the first heating line 221. Of course, the line width of the fifth heating line 223 can also be set to be slightly smaller than the line width of the first heating line 221, or slightly larger than the line width of the first heating line 221, depending on the spacing between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 in the second direction Y. As long as it is smaller than the line width of the second heating line 222, it will prevent the second heating line 222 from fusing. For example, if the spacing between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 in the first direction X is smaller than the spacing between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 in the second direction Y, the line width of the fifth heating line 223 can be set to be slightly larger than the line width of the first heating line 221. If the spacing between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 in the first direction X is larger than the spacing between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 in the second direction Y, the line width of the fifth heating line 223 can be set to be slightly smaller than the line width of the first heating line 221.

[0111] Optionally, the plurality of first heating lines 221 are evenly distributed along the second direction Y to ensure uniform heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 by the plurality of first heating lines 221, thereby improving the heating effect. The first direction X is perpendicular to the second direction Y. In this case, the plurality of phase shifting units 4 included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can form a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 having a rectangular or square shape in a top view. Alternatively, the first direction X and the second direction Y form an acute angle. In this case, the plurality of phase shifting units 4 included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can form a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 having a rectangular or square shape in a top view.

[0112] It should be noted that the two second heating lines 222 described in the above embodiment have the same extension direction. Of course, the extension directions of the two second heating lines 222 can also be different. In this case, the multiple phase shifting units 4 included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can constitute a liquid crystal phase shifter 10 with a trapezoidal or triangular shape in a top view.

[0113] In other embodiments, as shown in FIG11 , the second heating lines 222 are L-shaped, with the openings of the two second heating lines 222 facing each other, and the length of the first heating line 221 parallel to the diagonal corner lines of the two second heating lines 222. In this manner, the L-shaped second heating lines 222 can be arranged to shorten the distance between the ends of the two second heating lines 222, thereby facilitating electrical connection between the two second heating lines 222 and the binding circuit 40 at the second binding area BB. Furthermore, the plurality of first heating lines 221 are symmetrically arranged along a perpendicular midline to the diagonal corner line OO, effectively ensuring a heating effect on the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0114] The heating area of ​​each of the plurality of first heating lines 221 is different. Specifically, the heating area of ​​each first heating line 221 decreases in a direction away from the corner diagonal line OO. In this case, to ensure that the plurality of first heating lines 221 effectively and uniformly heat the liquid crystal layer 3 included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 and to ensure that the plurality of first heating lines 221 generate the same amount of heat in each area of ​​the liquid crystal layer 3, the line width of the plurality of first heating lines 221 can be set to decrease in a direction away from the corner diagonal line.

[0115] Regarding the arrangement of the first heating wires 221 and the second heating wires 222 described in the two aforementioned embodiments, multiple first heating wires 221 are connected in parallel and then in series between two second heating wires 222. The multiple first heating wires 221 are located in the effective heating area of ​​the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, while the two second heating wires 222 are located in the edge area. When the first and second heating wires 221, 222 are controlled to heat the liquid crystal layer 3, the second heating wire 222 will divert some of the voltage to heat the edge area of ​​the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, resulting in wasted heat. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the second heating wire 222 can be set larger than that of the first heating wire 221 to reduce the resistance of the second heating wire 222, thereby reducing the heating power in the area where the second heating wire 222 is located, reducing heat waste, and preventing the heating power density in the area where the second heating wire 222 is located from being much greater than the heating power density in the area where the multiple first heating wires 221 are located, thereby preventing the second heating wire 222 from fusing.

[0116] As shown in FIG10 or FIG11 , the line width of the first heating line 221 can be set to be smaller than the line width of the second heating line 222; the thickness of the first heating line 221 (the dimension in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1) can also be set to be smaller than the thickness of the second heating line 222; of course, the line width of the first heating line 221 can also be set to be smaller than the line width of the second heating line 222, and the thickness of the first heating line 221 (the dimension in the thickness direction of the first substrate 1) can also be set to be smaller than the thickness of the second heating line 222.

[0117] Taking the example that the line width of the first heating line 221 is smaller than the line width of the second heating line 222, optionally, the line width of the first heating line 221 can be set to be greater than or equal to 10 microns and less than or equal to 500 microns. For example, the line width of the first heating line 221 is 10 microns, 50 microns, 100 microns, 300 microns, and 500 microns. Of course, the line width of the first heating line 221 can also be set to be slightly less than 10 microns, or slightly greater than 500 microns in combination with the line width of the second heating line 222, and this is not limited in the present disclosure. For example, the line width of the first heating line 221 can be set to 200 microns, the line width of the second heating line 222 can be set to 3000 microns, and the process error of the line width is 50 microns.

[0118] Optionally, the line width of the second heating line 222 can be set to be greater than or equal to 100 microns. For example, the line width of the second heating line 222 is set to 100 microns, 500 microns, 1000 microns, 3000 microns, 5000 microns, 6000 microns, etc. Preferably, the line width of the second heating line 222 can be set to 2500 microns. Of course, the line width of the second heating line 222 can also be set to be slightly less than 600 microns, or slightly greater than 3000 microns in combination with the line width of the first heating line 221, and this is not limited in the present disclosure. For example, the line width of the first heating line 221 can be set to 10 microns, the line width of the second heating line 222 can be set to 400 microns, and the process error of the line width is 5 microns.

[0119] In addition, considering that the first heating line 221 has the same width along its extension direction, the resistance at any position on the first heating line 221 is the same. In this case, the heat generated on the first heating line 221 in the direction closer to the high-voltage end may gradually increase, resulting in uneven heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 by the first heating line 221. To this end, the width of the first heating line 221 can be set to gradually increase in the direction away from the high-voltage end to ensure that the resistance of the first heating line 221 gradually decreases, thereby ensuring uniform heating of the liquid crystal layer 3 by the first heating line 221.

[0120] In Example 1, the line width of the first heating line 221 is 15 microns, and the line width of the second heating line 222 is 600 microns. When the liquid crystal layer 3 is heated by the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222, combined with the heating line arrangement shown in FIG1 , the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is two-dimensionally modeled along the first direction X, and a heating effect diagram of the liquid crystal layer 3 as shown in FIG12 and a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 as shown in FIG13 are obtained; after two-dimensional modeling of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 along the second direction Y, a temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 during the heating process as shown in FIG14 is obtained (the figure shows a total of 8 temperature curves detected every 60 seconds), and a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 as shown in FIG15 are obtained.

[0121] In Example 2, the line width of the first heating line 221 is 15 microns, and the line width of the second heating line 222 is 2500 microns. When the liquid crystal layer 3 is heated by the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222, combined with the heating line arrangement shown in Figure 1 above, the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is two-dimensionally modeled along the first direction X, and a heating effect diagram of the liquid crystal layer 3 as shown in Figure 16 is obtained, a temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 during the heating process as shown in Figure 17 (a total of 8 temperature curves detected every 60 seconds are shown in the figure), and a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 as shown in Figure 18 is obtained.

[0122] It can be seen from this that in the above-mentioned Example 1, the heating effect of the area where the second heating line 222 is located is much greater than the heating effect of the area where the first heating line 221 is located, and the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 after the second heating line 222 heats the liquid crystal layer 3 and the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 heated by the first heating line 221 differ by nearly 40 degrees Celsius; in the above-mentioned Example 2, compared with Example 1, after the line width of the second heating line 222 is increased to 2500 microns, the heating effect of the area where the second heating line 222 is located is close to the heating effect of the area where the first heating line 221 is located, and the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 after the second heating line 222 heats the liquid crystal layer 3 and the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 heated by the first heating line 221 differ by only about 4 degrees Celsius.

[0123] In the present disclosure, in addition to setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the first heating wire 221 smaller than that of the second heating wire 222, a metal film layer with low resistance can also be provided on the surface of the second heating wire 222. That is, the surface of the second heating wire 222 has a metal film layer, and the resistance of the metal film layer is lower than the resistance of the second heating wire 222. In this way, the provision of the metal film layer reduces the overall resistance of the second heating wire 222, thereby reducing the heating power in the area where the second heating wire 222 is located, and ensuring the heating effect of the multiple first heating wires 221 on the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0124] In combination with the material of the second heating line 222 , when the second heating line 222 is made of metal molybdenum, the material of the metal film layer may be set to be metal copper to effectively reduce the resistance of the second heating line 222 .

[0125] Among them, for the metal film layer on the surface of the second heating line 222, taking the third metal layer 22 located between the second metal layer 21 and the second substrate 2 as an example, when the production of the third metal layer 22 is completed and the second insulating layer 23 is produced on the side of the third metal layer 22 facing away from the second substrate 2, a window can be set on the second insulating layer 23 to expose the second heating line 222 of the third metal layer 22, and then when the second electrode 211 included in the second metal layer 21 is produced, a metal film layer separated from the second electrode 211 is formed on the surface of the second heating line 222 to simplify the production process of the metal film layer on the second heating line 222.

[0126] Optionally, the thickness of the second heating line 222 is greater than or equal to 100 nanometers and less than or equal to 800 nanometers, and the thickness of the metal film layer is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer and less than or equal to 5 micrometers. For example, the thickness of the second heating line 222 is 100 nanometers, 300 nanometers, 500 nanometers, 700 nanometers, or 800 nanometers, and the thickness of the metal film layer is 1 micrometer, 2 micrometers, 3 micrometers, 4 micrometers, or 5 micrometers. Preferably, the thickness of the second heating line 222 is 430 nanometers, and the thickness of the metal film layer is 3 micrometers.

[0127] In Example 3, the thickness of the first heating line 221 is 430 nanometers, the thickness of the second heating line 222 is 430 nanometers, and the surface of the second heating line 222 has a metal film layer with a thickness of 3 microns. When the liquid crystal layer 3 is heated by the first heating line 221 and the second heating line 222, combined with the heating line arrangement shown in Figure 1 above, the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 is two-dimensionally modeled along the first direction X, and a steady-state temperature distribution curve of the liquid crystal layer 3 is obtained as shown in Figure 19.

[0128] Compared with Example 1, after a 3-micron thick metal film layer is set on the surface of the second heating line 222, the heating effect of the area where the second heating line 222 is located is close to the heating effect of the area where the first heating line 221 is located, and the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 after the second heating line 222 heats the liquid crystal layer 3 is close to the temperature of the liquid crystal layer 3 after the first heating line 221 heats the liquid crystal layer 3.

[0129] In some other embodiments, as shown in Figure 20, the first heating line 221 extends along the first direction X; of the two second heating lines 222, the first extends along the second direction Y, and the second includes a second extension portion 2222 extending along the first direction X, a third extension portion 2223 extending along the second direction Y, and a bending portion 2224 connecting the second extension portion 2222 and the third extension portion 2223; the orthographic projection of the bending portion 2224 on the second substrate 2 and the orthographic projection of the liquid crystal layer 3 on the second substrate 2 have an overlapping area, that is, part of the bending portion 2224 is located in the effective heating area, and the two ends of each first heating line 221 are respectively electrically connected to the first and the third extension portion 2223 of the two second heating lines 222.

[0130] The first of the two second heating lines 222 and the third extension portion 2223 of the second heating line 222 extend to the second binding area BB and are bound and connected to the binding circuit 40. The bent portion 2224 connecting the second extension portion 2222 and the third extension portion 2223 can be a metal trace extending between two adjacent phase shifting units 4 along the first direction X and connected at the ends in a staggered manner as shown in FIG. 20 , so as to heat the multiple phase shifting units 4 of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 in combination with the multiple first heating lines 221.

[0131] Furthermore, both second heating lines 222 may include a second extension portion 2222 extending along the first direction X, a third extension portion 2223 extending along the second direction Y, and a bending portion 2224 connecting the second extension portion 2222 and the third extension portion 2223. In this case, multiple first heating lines 221 are located between the bending portions 2224 of the two second heating lines 222, and after being spaced apart along the second direction Y, the two ends of each first heating line 221 are respectively connected to the second extension portions 2222 of the two second heating lines 222, and the third extension portions 2223 of the two second heating lines 222 extend to the second binding area BB and are bound and connected to the binding circuit 40.

[0132] Regarding the arrangement of the first heating lines 221 and the second heating lines 222 described in the third embodiment, multiple first heating lines 221 are connected in parallel and then in series between two second heating lines 222. The multiple first heating lines 221 are located in the effective heating area of ​​the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, the first of the two second heating lines 222 is located in the edge area, and the bent portion 2224 of the second is located in the effective heating area.

[0133] When the first and second heating lines 221 and 222 are controlled to heat the liquid crystal layer 3, the portions of the second heating lines 222 located in the edge regions divide a portion of the voltage, heating the edge regions of the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, thus wasting heat. In this case, the cross-sectional area of ​​the portions of the second heating lines 222 located in the edge regions can be set larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the first heating lines 221 to reduce the resistance of the second heating lines 222, thereby reducing the heating power in the region where the second heating lines 222 are located and reducing heat waste.

[0134] Taking the example of the first heating line 221 having a smaller width than the second heating line 222, the widths of the edge regions and the effective heating regions of the two second heating lines 222 can be set separately. Specifically, the widths of the portions of the two second heating lines 222 located in the edge regions (i.e., the first of the two second heating lines 222 and the second extension portion 2222 and the third extension portion 2223 of the second) can refer to the above embodiment, i.e., the widths of the second extension portion 2222 and the third extension portion 2223 are both greater than the width of the first heating line 221. The widths of the portions of the two second heating lines 222 located in the effective heating region (i.e., the bend portion 2224 of the second of the two second heating lines 222) can be set so that the width of the bend portion 2224 is greater than or equal to the width of the first heating line 221.

[0135] It should be noted that the arrangement of the multiple third heating lines 121 and the two fourth heating lines 122 of the fourth metal layer 12 may refer to the arrangement described in any of the above embodiments, and the embodiments of the present disclosure will not elaborate on this. Because the arrangement of the third heating lines 121 and the fourth heating lines 122 on the fourth metal layer 12 can be the same as or different from the arrangement of the first heating lines 221 and the second heating lines 222 on the third metal layer 22, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this. In addition, with respect to the arrangement of the third heating lines 121 and the fourth heating lines 122 included in the fourth metal layer 12, the line width of the third heating line 121 may refer to the line width of the first heating line 221 described above, and the line width of the fourth heating line 122 may refer to the line width of the second heating line 222 described above; and the metal film layer provided on the surface of the fourth heating line 122 may refer to the metal film layer provided on the surface of the second heating line 222 described above, and the embodiments of the present disclosure will not elaborate on this.

[0136] The present disclosure also provides a liquid crystal antenna, including the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 described in the above embodiment. Thus, in combination with the above, the liquid crystal layer 3 can be heated by heating wires such as the first heating wire 221 and the second heating wire 222 to ensure the antenna performance of the liquid crystal antenna in a low-temperature environment. At the same time, the first drive wire 112 and the first heating wire 221 are bound in the same binding area, and the second drive wire 212 and the second heating wire 222 are bound in the same binding area, thereby facilitating the miniaturization of the liquid crystal antenna. Furthermore, since the first heating wire 221, the second heating wire 222, etc. are disposed within the liquid crystal phase shifter 10, the effects on the radiation performance of the liquid crystal antenna are avoided, and the effects on the assembly flatness of the liquid crystal antenna are also avoided.

[0137] The liquid crystal antenna further includes a ground electrode 30 and a radiating electrode 20 to receive or radiate radio frequency signals via the radiating electrode 20. In conjunction with the above, the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 included in the liquid crystal phase shifter 10 can be glass substrates or PCB substrates. When the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are glass substrates, the ground electrode 30 is provided on the surface of one of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 away from the liquid crystal layer 3, and the radiating electrode 20 is provided on the surface of the other away from the liquid crystal layer 3. When both the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are multi-layer PCB substrates, the radiating electrode 20 is integrated into the substrate interlayer of one of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, and the ground electrode 30 is integrated into the substrate interlayer of the other. For example, as shown in FIG21 , both the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are multi-layer PCB substrates, and the radiating electrode 20 is integrated into the substrate interlayer of the first substrate 1, and the ground electrode 30 is integrated into the substrate interlayer of the second substrate 2.

[0138] This disclosure also provides a communication device including the aforementioned liquid crystal antenna. The communication device can be a satellite receiving antenna, a vehicle-mounted radar, a base station antenna, or the like. In this manner, the combination of the aforementioned liquid crystal antenna effectively ensures the stability of the communication device, thereby ensuring effective communication.

[0139] Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate other embodiments of the present disclosure after considering the specification and practicing the invention disclosed herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the present disclosure that follow the general principles of the present disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The description and examples are to be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the present disclosure being indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A liquid crystal phase shifter, characterized in that: include: A first substrate, wherein one side of the first substrate has a first metal layer, and the first metal layer includes a first electrode; A second substrate is located on a side of the first substrate having the first metal layer, and the second substrate has an insulated second metal layer and a third metal layer on a side facing the first substrate, the second metal layer includes a second electrode, and the third metal layer includes a plurality of first heating wires and two second heating wires that are spaced apart, and the plurality of first heating wires are connected in parallel and then in series between the two second heating wires; The liquid crystal layer is located between the first substrate and the second substrate.

2. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first metal layer includes a plurality of first electrodes distributed in an array, and the second metal layer includes a plurality of second electrodes distributed in an array, the plurality of first electrodes correspond to the plurality of second electrodes one by one, and the corresponding first electrodes and second electrodes have overlapping areas in the thickness direction of the first substrate; The orthographic projections of the first heating line and the second heating line on the first metal layer are located at the periphery of the first electrode, and the orthographic projections of the first heating line and the second heating line on the second metal layer are located at the periphery of the second electrode.

3. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second metal layer is located between the second substrate and the third metal layer.

4. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 2, wherein: The first substrate has a first binding area located at an edge, and the second substrate has a second binding area located at an edge; The first metal layer has a first driving line electrically connected to each of the first electrodes, and an end of the first driving line extends to the first binding area; The second metal layer has a second driving line electrically connected to each of the second electrodes, and ends of the second driving line and ends of the second heating line both extend to the second binding area.

5. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first metal layer includes a plurality of first electrodes distributed in an array, the second metal layer includes a second electrode which is a whole-surface common electrode, and the third metal layer is located between the second metal layer and the second substrate.

6. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The first substrate further has a fourth metal layer on a side facing the second substrate; The fourth metal layer includes a plurality of third heating lines and two fourth heating lines that are spaced apart, the line width of the third heating line is smaller than the line width of the fourth heating line, and the plurality of third heating lines are connected in parallel. between two of the fourth heating lines; The orthographic projections of the third heating line and the fourth heating line on the first metal layer are located at the periphery of the first electrode.

7. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 6, characterized in that: The fourth metal layer is located between the first substrate and the first metal layer.

8. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 6, wherein: The first substrate has a first binding area located at an edge; An end portion of the first driving line and an end portion of the fourth heating line of the first metal layer both extend to the first binding area.

9. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first heating lines extend along a first direction, the second heating lines extend along a second direction, and both ends of each of the first heating lines are electrically connected to two of the second heating lines respectively, and the first direction intersects with the second direction.

10. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 9, characterized in that: The third metal layer includes a plurality of fifth heating lines distributed at intervals; The fifth heating lines extend along the second direction, and each of the fifth heating lines intersects the plurality of first heating lines.

11. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 9, characterized in that: Of the two second heating wires, an end portion of a first one has a first extension portion facing the second one, and an end portion of the first extension portion is spaced apart from the second one.

12. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The second heating wire is L-shaped, and the openings of the two second heating wires are opposite to each other. The length direction of the first heating wire is parallel to the direction of the diagonal lines of the corners of the two second heating wires.

13. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 12, wherein: The line widths of the plurality of first heating lines decrease gradually in a direction away from the corner diagonal line.

14. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: A line width of the first heating line is smaller than a line width of the second heating line.

15. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 14, characterized in that: The line width of the first heating line is greater than or equal to 10 micrometers and less than or equal to 20 micrometers.

16. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 14, wherein: The line width of the second heating line is greater than or equal to 100 micrometers.

17. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that: A metal film layer is provided on a surface of the second heating line, and a resistance of the metal film layer is smaller than a resistance of the second heating line.

18. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 17, wherein: The thickness of the second heating line is greater than or equal to 100 nanometers and less than or equal to 800 nanometers, and the thickness of the metal film layer is greater than or equal to 1 micrometer and less than or equal to 5 micrometers.

19. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein: The first heating line extends along a first direction; Of the two second heating lines, a first one extends along the second direction, and a second one includes a second extending portion extending along the first direction, a third extending portion extending along the second direction, and a bending portion connecting the second extending portion and the third extending portion; An orthographic projection of the bent portion on the second substrate overlaps with an orthographic projection of the liquid crystal layer on the second substrate, and two ends of each of the first heating lines are electrically connected to a first one of the two second heating lines and the third extension portion, respectively.

20. The liquid crystal phase shifter according to claim 19, wherein: The line width of the second extending portion and the line width of the third extending portion are both greater than the line width of the first heating line, and the line width of the bending portion is greater than or equal to the line width of the first heating line.

21. A liquid crystal antenna, characterized in that: A liquid crystal phase shifter comprising any one of claims 1-20.

22. The liquid crystal antenna according to claim 21, characterized in that: The first substrate and the second substrate are both multi-layer PCB substrates, and a radiation electrode is integrated in a substrate interlayer of one of the first substrate and the second substrate, and a ground electrode is integrated in a substrate interlayer of the other substrate.

23. A communication device, characterized in that: Includes the liquid crystal antenna as described in claim 21 or 22.

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