A phase shifter and antenna
By designing through-holes to expose the connection pins on the dielectric substrate of the phase shifter, a double-layer substrate structure is formed, which solves the problem of insufficient strength in the corner area of the phase shifter, achieves corner reinforcement without increasing signal loss, and extends service life.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BEIJING BOE TECH DEV CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-11-29
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-29
AI Technical Summary
Existing phase shifters have insufficient strength in the corner areas, making them prone to damage, and increasing the substrate thickness will lead to increased signal loss.
A through-hole is designed on the dielectric substrate of the phase shifter to expose the connection pins, and the opening is placed in the non-corner area to form a double-layer substrate structure to enhance the corner strength while maintaining low signal loss.
The structural strength of the corner area of the phase shifter has been improved, the service life has been extended, and the support capacity of the corner area has been enhanced without increasing signal loss.
Smart Images
Figure CN122118328A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, specifically relating to a phase shifter and an antenna. Background Technology
[0002] Antenna technology, as an important branch of modern communication technology, has a core component called the phase shifter. The phase shifter is mainly composed of two parallel substrates and a tunable dielectric layer. The tunable dielectric layer is filled between the two substrates, and its molecular arrangement can be controlled by an external electric or magnetic field, thereby changing the electromagnetic characteristics of the phase shifter and realizing the reception and response to specific frequency signals.
[0003] To enable effective interaction between the phase shifter and external signals, the two substrates need to be staggered, and connection pins are placed at the exposed positions to receive and transmit these external signals. This design often results in the corner areas of the phase shifter being supported by only a single substrate layer. This leads to insufficient strength in the corner areas of the phase shifter, increasing the risk of breakage. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art, and to provide a phase shifter and antenna for corner reinforcement.
[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a phase shifter, which includes: a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other, and an adjustable dielectric layer disposed between the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate;
[0006] The phase shifter is divided into a working area and a bonding area; the phase shifter also includes:
[0007] A first electrode layer is disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the tunable dielectric layer, and a first connection pin is provided to provide a bias voltage for the first electrode layer; the first electrode layer is located in the working area, and the first connection pin is located in the bonding area; and / or, a second electrode layer is disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the tunable dielectric layer, and a second connection pin is provided to provide a bias voltage for the second electrode layer; the second electrode layer is located in the working area, and the second connection pin is located in the bonding area;
[0008] In the working area, the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have completely overlapping orthographic projections onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located.
[0009] When the phase shifter includes a first connection pin located on the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate has a first opening extending through its thickness direction, the first opening being located in the bonding region; and the orthographic projection of the first opening onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the first connection pin onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate.
[0010] When the phase shifter includes a second connection pin located on the second dielectric substrate, the first dielectric substrate has a second opening extending through its thickness direction, the second opening being located in the bonding region; and the orthographic projection of the second opening onto the plane of the second dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the second connection pin onto the plane of the second dielectric substrate.
[0011] In one possible implementation, the orthographic projection of the first connection pin onto the first dielectric substrate is a first pattern; the orthographic projection of the first opening onto the first dielectric substrate is a second pattern; and the distance between the edge of the first pattern and the edge of the second pattern is greater than 0.5 mm.
[0012] The orthographic projection of the second connection pin on the second dielectric substrate is a third pattern; the orthographic projection of the second opening on the second dielectric substrate is a fourth pattern; the distance between the edge of the third pattern and the edge of the fourth pattern is greater than 0.5 mm.
[0013] In one possible implementation, the first opening extends through one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening extends through one side of the first dielectric substrate.
[0014] The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate both include a first side, and a second side and a third side respectively connected to the two ends of the first side;
[0015] The second side and the third side are selected from any one of a straight side, an arc side, or a wavy side.
[0016] In one possible implementation, the first opening extends through one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening extends through one side of the first dielectric substrate.
[0017] The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate each include a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, and a fifth side; the second side and the third side are arranged opposite to each other;
[0018] The first side is connected to the fourth side and the fifth side at both ends, the fourth side is connected to the second side, and the fifth side is connected to the third side;
[0019] Both the fourth and fifth sides are curved edges.
[0020] In one possible implementation, the first opening extends through one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening extends through one side of the first dielectric substrate.
[0021] The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate each include a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, and a fifth side; the second side and the third side are arranged opposite to each other;
[0022] The first side is connected to the fourth side and the fifth side at both ends, the fourth side is connected to the second side, and the fifth side is connected to the third side;
[0023] The angle formed by the fourth side and the first side, and the angle formed by the second side, are both obtuse angles; the angle formed by the fifth side and the first side, and the angle formed by the third side, are both obtuse angles.
[0024] In a second aspect, embodiments of this disclosure provide an antenna that includes the phase shifter provided in the first aspect of the present invention; wherein a feeding structure is provided on the side of the first dielectric substrate opposite to the tunable dielectric layer, and a radiating structure is provided on the side of the second dielectric substrate opposite to the tunable dielectric layer.
[0025] In one possible implementation, a third dielectric substrate is disposed on the side of the power supply structure opposite to the first dielectric substrate; the orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located.
[0026] A fourth dielectric substrate is disposed on the side of the radiating structure opposite to the second dielectric substrate; the orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located.
[0027] In one possible implementation, the orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located covers the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm.
[0028] The orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located covers the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm.
[0029] In one possible implementation, when the first dielectric substrate has a second opening, the third dielectric substrate includes at least a first cutout portion corresponding to the position of the second opening; when the second dielectric substrate has a first opening, the fourth dielectric substrate includes at least a second cutout portion corresponding to the position of the first opening.
[0030] In one possible implementation, the fourth dielectric substrate further includes a third cutout for exposing the phase shifter markings on the second dielectric substrate.
[0031] In one possible implementation, both the third dielectric substrate and the fourth dielectric substrate are selected from PCB or foam. Attached Figure Description
[0032] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an exemplary phase shifter.
[0033] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary phase shifter.
[0034] Figure 3a This is a cross-sectional view of a phase shifter provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0035] Figure 3b for Figure 3a A partial structural diagram of the provided phase shifter.
[0036] Figure 3c for Figure 3b The cross-sectional view of D-D' in the diagram.
[0037] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of a phase shifter is provided as a first example of this disclosure.
[0038] Figure 5 A top view of a phase shifter provided as a first example of this disclosure.
[0039] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The cross-sectional view of C-C' in the diagram.
[0040] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a phase shifter is provided as a second example of this disclosure.
[0041] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of a phase shifter is provided as a third example of this disclosure.
[0042] Figure 9 A schematic diagram of a phase shifter is provided as a fourth example of this disclosure.
[0043] Figure 10A schematic diagram of a phase shifter provided as a fifth example of this disclosure.
[0044] Figure 11 This is a cross-sectional view of an antenna provided in an embodiment of this disclosure.
[0045] Figure 12 This is a top view of an antenna provided in an embodiment of this disclosure. Detailed Implementation
[0046] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.
[0047] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in this application shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application pertains. The terms “a,” “an,” “an,” “the,” and similar words used in this application do not indicate quantity limitation and may indicate singular or plural. The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and any variations thereof used in this application are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or device that includes a series of steps or modules (units) is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may also include steps or units not listed, or may include other steps or units inherent to these processes, methods, products, or devices. The terms “connected,” “linked,” “coupled,” and similar words used in this application are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, but may include electrical connections, whether direct or indirect. “Multiple” used in this application refers to two or more. “And / or” describes the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships may exist; for example, “A and / or B” can represent: A alone, A and B simultaneously, and B alone. The character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship. The terms "first," "second," and "third" used in this application are merely to distinguish similar objects and do not represent a specific ordering of objects. "Above," "below," "left," and "right" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.
[0048] The structure of a conventional phase shifter is as follows: Figure 1-2 As shown, the substrate includes a first dielectric substrate 101 and a second dielectric substrate 102. The first dielectric substrate 101 and the second dielectric substrate 102 are disposed opposite to each other, and the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate 101 and the second dielectric substrate 102 onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate 101 is located includes an overlapping region (e.g., ...). Figure 1 Region B in the text) and non-overlapping regions (such as...) Figure 1The phase shifter also includes an adjustable dielectric layer 103 disposed between the first dielectric substrate 101 and the second dielectric substrate 102, wherein the orthographic projection of the adjustable dielectric layer 103 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 101 is located in the overlapping region. The phase shifter also includes a connection pin 104 disposed between the first dielectric substrate 101 and the second dielectric substrate 102, wherein the orthographic projection of the connection pin 104 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 101 is located in the non-overlapping region (e.g., region A). Figure 1 (Area A in the diagram). Connection pin 104 is used to receive control signals output from external devices. These control signals are used to adjust the dielectric constant of the tunable dielectric, thereby changing the phase characteristics of the phase shifter. Figure 1 It can be seen that the corner regions of a conventional phase shifter are located in the aforementioned non-overlapping regions (such as...). Figure 1 Region A in the diagram refers to the corner areas of conventional phase shifters, which consist of only a single dielectric substrate, resulting in low corner strength. Furthermore, these corner areas are susceptible to impacts during transportation, installation, and use, and are stress concentration zones, making them prone to breakage. While increasing the thickness of the dielectric substrate can improve corner strength, it also increases signal loss. Therefore, increasing corner strength without increasing signal loss is a critical technical challenge.
[0049] To address the aforementioned problems, the present disclosure provides the following technical solutions.
[0050] This disclosure provides a phase shifter, as shown in Figures 3-10. The phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate 201 and a second dielectric substrate 202 disposed opposite to each other, an adjustable dielectric layer 203 disposed between the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202, a first electrode layer 402 disposed on the first dielectric substrate 201 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203, and a second electrode layer 404 disposed on the second dielectric substrate 202 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203. The phase shifter is divided into working areas (e.g., ...). Figure 5 (B area in the middle) and binding area (such as Figure 5The phase shifter includes a first connection pin 401 disposed on the first dielectric substrate 201 to provide a bias voltage to the first electrode layer 402, and a second connection pin 403 disposed on the second dielectric substrate 202 to provide a bias voltage to the second electrode layer 404. In this embodiment, only the first connection pin 401 disposed on the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second connection pin 403 disposed on the second dielectric substrate 202 are used as examples. The first electrode layer 402 and the second electrode layer 404 are located in the working area, and the first connection pin 401 and the second connection pin 403 are located in the bonding area.
[0051] Specifically, in this embodiment, the second dielectric substrate 202 has a first opening 301 extending through its thickness direction. The first opening 301 is located in the bonding region, and the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 on the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 covers the orthographic projection of the first connection pin 401 on the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201. When the phase shifter includes a second connection pin 403 located on the second dielectric substrate 202, the first dielectric substrate 201 has a second opening 302 extending through its thickness direction, and the plane 302 containing the second opening is located in the bonding region. Furthermore, the orthographic projection of the second opening 302 on the plane of the second dielectric substrate 202 covers the orthographic projection of the second connection pin 403 on the plane of the second dielectric substrate 202. The orthographic projections of the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202 located in the bonding region do not overlap on the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201.
[0052] In this embodiment, for the first connection pin 401 located in the bonding area and disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 201 near the second dielectric substrate 202, the first connection pin 401 is exposed by providing a second dielectric substrate 202 with a first opening 301, thereby facilitating the bonding of an external driving circuit to the first connection pin 401 to provide a bias voltage for the first electrode layer 402. Similarly, for the second connection pin 403 located in the bonding area and disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 202 near the first dielectric substrate 201, the second connection pin 403 is exposed by providing a first dielectric substrate 201 with a second opening 302, thereby facilitating the bonding of an external driving circuit to the second connection pin 403 to provide a bias voltage for the second electrode layer 404. Furthermore, since the bonding area is located in a non-corner region, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 in the bonding area are disposed in the non-corner region of the phase shifter, thereby ensuring that the corner region of the phase shifter is a double-layer substrate, realizing corner reinforcement, enhancing the structural strength of the corner region of the phase shifter, and improving the service life of the phase shifter.
[0053] The phase shifter in this embodiment can specifically be a liquid crystal phase shifter, that is, the adjustable electrolyte layer 203 is a liquid crystal layer. This embodiment receives external driving signals through the first connection pin 401 and / or the second connection pin 403 to change the electric field formed by the first electrode layer 402 and / or the second electrode layer 404, thereby driving the liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer to deflect, changing the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer, and thus realizing phase characteristic control of the phase shifter.
[0054] In some examples, refer to Figure 3a , 3b Like 3c, the phase shifter includes a first dielectric substrate 201 and a second dielectric substrate 202 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal layer 2031 disposed between the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202. A first electrode layer 402 is disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate 201 near the liquid crystal layer 2031. The first electrode layer 402 includes electrodes arranged side by side and along a first direction (e.g., ...). Figure 3b A first transmission line 4021 and a second transmission line 4022 extend in the X direction (as shown in the diagram). A second electrode layer 404 is disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate 202 near the liquid crystal layer 2031. The second electrode layer 404 includes a plurality of patch electrodes 4041 arranged side by side along a first direction. The two ends of each patch electrode 4041 at least partially overlap with the orthographic projection of the first transmission line 4021 and the second transmission line 4022 on the first dielectric substrate 10, so that each patch electrode 4041 forms a capacitor with the first transmission line 4021 and the second transmission line 4022 respectively. In this case, by applying different voltages to the first transmission line 4021 and the second transmission line 4022 respectively, an electric field is formed in the overlapping area of the first transmission line 4021 and the patch electrode 4041, and an electric field is also formed in the overlapping area of the second transmission line 4022 and the patch electrode 4041, so as to control the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer 2031 between the first electrode layer 402 and the second electrode layer 404, thereby realizing phase shifting of microwave signals.
[0055] To better illustrate the specific structure of the phase shifter in the embodiments of this disclosure, the following description is provided in conjunction with specific examples.
[0056] First example: (Refer to) Figure 6In this example, the phase shifter includes a first electrode layer 402 located on the side of the first dielectric substrate 201 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203, and a first connection pin 401; the phase shifter also includes a second electrode layer 404 located on the side of the second dielectric substrate 202 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203, and a second connection pin 403. The second dielectric substrate 202 has a first opening 301 extending through its thickness direction, and the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 on the first dielectric substrate 201 covers the orthographic projection of the first connection pin 401 on the first dielectric substrate 201. Correspondingly, the first dielectric substrate 201 has a second opening 302 extending through its thickness direction, and the orthographic projection of the second opening 302 on the second dielectric substrate 202 covers the orthographic projection of the second connection pin 403 on the second dielectric substrate 202. The first electrode layer 402 and the second electrode layer 404 are located in functional areas (such as...). Figure 5 In region B), the first connection pin 401 and the second connection pin 403 are located in the bonding area (e.g., region B). Figure 5 Region A in the diagram), and the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate 201 is located (e.g., region ...). Figure 5 The orthographic projection of region A1 in the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second opening 302 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 (e.g., the A1 region in the first dielectric substrate 201) and the second opening 302 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201. Figure 5 The A2 area in the document overlaps with the Bonding area.
[0057] In this example, a first opening 301 is provided on the second dielectric substrate 202 to expose a first connection pin 401 located on the side of the first dielectric substrate 201 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203; and a second opening 302 is provided on the first dielectric substrate 201 to expose a second connection pin 403 located on the side of the second dielectric substrate 201 near the adjustable dielectric layer 203. The pattern formed by the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 coincides with the bonding area. Therefore, the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202 are overlapped in the corner area, thereby achieving corner reinforcement, enhancing the structural strength of the corner area of the phase shifter, and improving the service life of the phase shifter.
[0058] In some examples, refer to Figure 4 The first opening 301 penetrates one side of the second dielectric substrate 202. At this time, the side of the second dielectric substrate 202 with the first opening 301 is concave relative to the corresponding side of the first dielectric substrate 201. The orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 has a first side 3011, a second side 3012 connected to one end of the first side 3011, and a third side 3012 connected to the other end of the first side 3011 and disposed opposite to the second side 3012. The first side 3011, the second side 3012, and the third side 3013 are all straight edges. Figure 4As shown, the angles between the second side 3012 and the first side 3011, and between the third side 3013 and the first side 3011, are both obtuse angles. By designing the second side 3012 and the third side 3013 as straight sides, and ensuring that the angles between the second side 3012 and the first side 3011, and between the third side 3013 and the first side 3011, obtuse angles can be avoided, thus preventing material brittleness during the cutting process to form the first opening 301. This reduces the manufacturing difficulty of the first opening 301 and improves the product yield. The structure of the second opening 302 is roughly the same as that of the first opening 301, and will not be described further here.
[0059] In some examples, the orthographic projection of the first connection pin 401 onto the first dielectric substrate 201 is a first pattern, and the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the first dielectric substrate 201 is a second pattern. The distance between the edge of the first pattern and the edge of the second pattern is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 2 mm, for example, 0.8, 1, or 1.5 mm. Correspondingly, the orthographic projection of the second connection pin 403 onto the second dielectric substrate 202 is a third pattern, and the orthographic projection of the second opening 302 onto the second dielectric substrate 202 is a fourth pattern. The distance between the edge of the third pattern and the edge of the fourth pattern is greater than 0.5 mm and less than 2 mm. Therefore, the area of the first opening 301 is larger than the area of the first connection pin 401, and the area of the second opening 302 is larger than the area of the second connection pin 403. The first opening 301 can fully expose the first connection pin 401 on the opposite side, and the second opening 302 can fully expose the second connection pin 403 on the opposite side. This facilitates the bonding of the external driving circuit with the first connection pin 401 and the second connection pin 403 to provide bias voltage for the first electrode layer 402 and the second electrode layer 404, thereby optimizing the testing and testing process.
[0060] Second example: Refer to Figure 7 The structure of this example is largely the same as that of the first example, except that the second side 3012 and the third side 3013 in the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 are both curved edges. Compared to the first example, the curved edges of the first and second openings in this example further avoid stress concentration, thereby preventing cracks and fractures during the fabrication of the first opening 301 and the second opening 302, and improving the fragment yield.
[0061] In particular, the angles between the tangent of the second side 3012 and the extension of the first side 3011, as well as the angles between the tangent of the third side 3013 and the extension of the first side 3011, are all obtuse angles. This obtuse angle design prevents material brittleness during the cutting process to form the first opening 301 and the second opening 302, improving the cutting quality, thereby reducing manufacturing difficulty and increasing product yield.
[0062] Third example: (Refer to) Figure 8 The structure of this example is largely the same as the second example, except that the second side 3012 and the third side 3013 in the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 are both wavy edges. Compared with the second example, the second side 3012 and the third side 3013 in this example are both wavy edges, that is, the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 in this example have wavy edges, which makes the stress distribution of the first opening 301 and the second opening 302 more uniform, and further improves the fragment yield.
[0063] Fourth example: Reference Figure 9 The structure of this example is largely the same as that of the first example, except that the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 includes a first side 3011, a second side 3012, a third side 3013, a fourth side 3014, and a fifth side 3015, all of which are straight lines. The second side 3012 and the third side 3013 are arranged opposite to each other. One end of the first side 3011 is connected to one end of the fourth side 3014, and one end of the second side 3012 is connected to the other end of the fourth side 3014. One end of the fifth side 3015 is connected to the other end of the first side 3011, and the other end of the fifth side 3015 is connected to one end of the third side 3013. The angles formed by the fourth side 3014 and the first side 3011, as well as the angles formed by the fourth side 3014 and the second side 3012, are both obtuse angles; the angles formed by the fifth side 3015 and the first side 3011, as well as the angles formed by the fifth side 3015 and the third side 3013, are also obtuse angles. The structure of the second opening 302 is roughly the same as that of the first opening 301, and will not be described again here.
[0064] Fifth example: Refer to Figure 10 The structure of this example is largely the same as that of the fourth example, except that the fourth side 3014 and the fifth side 3015 in the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate 201 is located are both curved edges. Furthermore, the angles formed by the tangent of the fourth side 3014 and the extension of the first side 3011, as well as the angles formed by the tangent of the fourth side 3014 and the extension of the second side 3012, are all obtuse angles; the angles formed by the tangent of the fifth side 3015 and the extension of the first side 3011, as well as the angles formed by the tangent of the fifth side 3015 and the extension of the third side 3013, are all obtuse angles. The beneficial effects of this structure are largely the same as those of the second example, and will not be repeated here.
[0065] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the phase shifter further includes a frame adhesive located between the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202, serving to support the distance between the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202, and the frame adhesive is disposed around the adjustable dielectric layer 203.
[0066] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the materials of the first dielectric substrate 201 and the second dielectric substrate 202 include, but are not limited to, rigid materials with low microwave loss such as quartz and glass.
[0067] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the materials of the first electrode layer 402 and the second electrode layer 404 can be low-resistance, low-loss metals such as copper, gold, and silver, and can be prepared by magnetron sputtering, thermal evaporation, electroplating, etc.
[0068] Another embodiment of this disclosure provides an antenna, with reference to... Figure 11 The antenna includes a phase shifter provided in any of the above examples, wherein a feed structure 505 is provided on the side of the first dielectric substrate 201 opposite to the tunable dielectric layer 203, and a radiation structure 506 is provided on the side of the second dielectric substrate 202 opposite to the tunable dielectric layer 203. Since the phase shifter provided in any of the above examples can improve the strength of its corner regions without increasing the thickness of the first and second dielectric substrates, the reliability of the antenna can be improved while ensuring antenna performance.
[0069] In some examples, a third dielectric substrate 501 is disposed on the side of the power supply structure 505 away from the first dielectric substrate 201; the orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate 501 onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate 202 is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate 201 onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate 202 is located; a fourth dielectric substrate 502 is disposed on the side of the radiation structure 506 away from the second dielectric substrate 202; the orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate 502 onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate 201 is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate 202 onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate 201 is located.
[0070] In some examples, the orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate 501 onto the plane containing the second dielectric substrate 202 covers the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate 201 onto the plane containing the second dielectric substrate 202, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm; similarly, the orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate 502 onto the plane containing the first dielectric substrate 201 covers the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate 202 onto the plane containing the first dielectric substrate 201, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm. This avoids external impacts on the first and second dielectric substrates 201 and 202, reducing the probability of breakage and thus improving the reliability of the antenna.
[0071] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the third dielectric substrate 501 and the fourth dielectric substrate 502 are both selected from PCB or foam.
[0072] In some examples of this disclosure, refer to Figure 12 The fourth dielectric substrate 502 has a first cutout portion 504 corresponding to the position of the first opening 301. The orthographic projection of the first cutout portion 504 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 covers the orthographic projection of the first opening 301 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201. Alternatively, if the first dielectric substrate 201 has a second opening 302, the third dielectric substrate 501 has a second cutout portion corresponding to the position of the second opening 302. The orthographic projection of the second cutout portion onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201 covers the orthographic projection of the second opening 302 onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate 201. This example exposes the first connection pin 401 and / or the second connection pin 403 of the phase shifter by providing the first and / or second cutout portions, facilitating soldering and other operations by operators and optimizing the production and testing process.
[0073] In some examples of this disclosure, the fourth dielectric substrate 502 further includes a third cutout portion 503 for exposing phase shifter markings on the second dielectric substrate 202. Specifically, the phase shifter markings include one or more of the phase shifter's name, trademark, and model number. The third cutout portion 503 exposes the phase shifter markings, thereby facilitating subsequent product management and maintenance. Of course, the aforementioned third cutout portion 503 can also be used to expose visual alignment marks and visual inspection points on the second dielectric substrate 202.
[0074] The antenna provided in this embodiment further includes a transceiver unit, a radio frequency transceiver, a signal amplifier, a power amplifier, and a filtering unit. The antenna in the antenna system can function as either a transmitting antenna or a receiving antenna. The transceiver unit may include a baseband and a receiving end. The baseband provides signals in at least one frequency band, such as 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G signals, and transmits these signals to the radio frequency transceiver. After receiving the signal, the antenna in the antenna system processes it through the filtering unit, power amplifier, signal amplifier, and radio frequency transceiver before transmitting it to the receiving end in the transmitting unit. The receiving end may be, for example, a smart gateway.
[0075] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to the transceiver unit and is used to modulate the signals transmitted by the transceiver unit, or to demodulate the signals received by the antenna before transmitting them to the transceiver unit. Specifically, the RF transceiver may include a transmitting circuit, a receiving circuit, a modulation circuit, and a demodulation circuit. After the transmitting circuit receives various types of signals provided by the baseband, the modulation circuit can modulate the various types of signals provided by the baseband and then send them to the antenna. The antenna receives the signals and transmits them to the receiving circuit of the RF transceiver. The receiving circuit then transmits the signals to the demodulation circuit, which demodulates the signals and transmits them to the receiving end.
[0076] Furthermore, the RF transceiver is connected to a signal amplifier and a power amplifier, which are then connected to a filtering unit. The filtering unit is connected to at least one antenna. During signal transmission, the signal amplifier improves the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the RF transceiver's output signal before transmitting it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit may include a duplexer and a filtering circuit. The filtering unit combines the signals output from the signal amplifier and power amplifier, filters out clutter, and transmits them to the antenna, which then radiates the signal. During signal reception, the antenna receives the signal and transmits it to the filtering unit. The filtering unit filters out clutter from the received signal before transmitting it to the signal amplifier and power amplifier. The signal amplifier increases the gain of the received signal, improving the SNR; the power amplifier amplifies the power of the received signal. The received signal is then processed by the power amplifier and signal amplifier before being transmitted to the RF transceiver, which in turn transmits it to the transceiver unit.
[0077] In some examples, the signal amplifier may include various types of signal amplifiers, such as low-noise amplifiers, without limitation.
[0078] In some examples, the antenna provided in this disclosure also includes a power management unit connected to a power amplifier to provide voltage to the power amplifier for amplifying signals.
[0079] It is understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary implementations used to illustrate the principles of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of protection of the present invention.
Claims
1. A phase shifter comprising: An adjustable dielectric layer is disposed between a first dielectric substrate and a second dielectric substrate disposed opposite to each other; The phase shifter is divided into a working area and a bonding area; The phase shifter further includes: A first electrode layer is disposed on the side of the first dielectric substrate near the tunable dielectric layer, and a first connection pin is provided to provide a bias voltage for the first electrode layer; the first electrode layer is located in the working area, and the first connection pin is located in the bonding area; and / or, a second electrode layer is disposed on the side of the second dielectric substrate near the tunable dielectric layer, and a second connection pin is provided to provide a bias voltage for the second electrode layer; the second electrode layer is located in the working area, and the second connection pin is located in the bonding area; In the working area, the first dielectric substrate and the second dielectric substrate have completely overlapping orthographic projections onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located. When the phase shifter includes a first connection pin located on the first dielectric substrate, the second dielectric substrate has a first opening extending through its thickness direction, the first opening being located in the bonding region; and the orthographic projection of the first opening onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the first connection pin onto the plane of the first dielectric substrate. When the phase shifter includes a second connection pin located on the second dielectric substrate, the first dielectric substrate has a second opening extending through its thickness direction, the second opening being located in the bonding region; and the orthographic projection of the second opening onto the plane of the second dielectric substrate covers the orthographic projection of the second connection pin onto the plane of the second dielectric substrate.
2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein, The orthographic projection of the first connection pin on the first dielectric substrate is a first pattern; the orthographic projection of the first opening on the first dielectric substrate is a second pattern; the distance between the edge of the first pattern and the edge of the second pattern is greater than 0.5 mm; The orthographic projection of the second connection pin on the second dielectric substrate is a third pattern; the orthographic projection of the second opening on the second dielectric substrate is a fourth pattern; the distance between the edge of the third pattern and the edge of the fourth pattern is greater than 0.5 mm.
3. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein, The first opening penetrates one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening penetrates one side of the first dielectric substrate. The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate both include a first side, and a second side and a third side respectively connected to the two ends of the first side; The second side and the third side are selected from any one of a straight side, an arc side, or a wavy side.
4. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein, The first opening penetrates one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening penetrates one side of the first dielectric substrate. The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate each include a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, and a fifth side; the second side and the third side are arranged opposite to each other; The first side is connected to the fourth side and the fifth side at both ends, the fourth side is connected to the second side, and the fifth side is connected to the third side; Both the fourth and fifth sides are curved edges.
5. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein, The first opening penetrates one side of the second dielectric substrate; the second opening penetrates one side of the first dielectric substrate. The orthographic projections of the first opening and the second opening onto the second dielectric substrate each include a first side, a second side, a third side, a fourth side, and a fifth side; the second side and the third side are arranged opposite to each other; The first side is connected to the fourth side and the fifth side at both ends, the fourth side is connected to the second side, and the fifth side is connected to the third side; The angle formed by the fourth side and the first side, and the angle formed by the second side, are both obtuse angles; the angle formed by the fifth side and the first side, and the angle formed by the third side, are both obtuse angles.
6. An antenna comprising the phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-5; wherein, A power feeding structure is provided on the side of the first dielectric substrate opposite to the tunable dielectric layer, and a radiation structure is provided on the side of the second dielectric substrate opposite to the tunable dielectric layer.
7. The antenna according to claim 6, wherein, A third dielectric substrate is disposed on the side of the power supply structure opposite to the first dielectric substrate; the orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located. A fourth dielectric substrate is provided on the side of the radiating structure that is away from the second dielectric substrate; The orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located covers at least a portion of the side of the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located.
8. The antenna according to claim 7, wherein, The orthographic projection of the third dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located covers the orthographic projection of the first dielectric substrate onto the plane where the second dielectric substrate is located, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm. The orthographic projection of the fourth dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located covers the orthographic projection of the second dielectric substrate onto the plane where the first dielectric substrate is located, and the distance between their edges is greater than 0.1 mm.
9. The antenna according to claim 7, wherein, When the first dielectric substrate has a second opening, the third dielectric substrate includes at least a first cutout portion corresponding to the position of the second opening; when the second dielectric substrate has a first opening, the fourth dielectric substrate includes at least a second cutout portion corresponding to the position of the first opening.
10. The antenna according to claim 8, wherein, The fourth dielectric substrate further includes a third cutout portion for exposing the phase shifter markings on the second dielectric substrate.
11. The antenna according to claim 7, wherein, Both the third dielectric substrate and the fourth dielectric substrate are selected from PCB or foam.