Radio wave control body and method for manufacturing radio wave control body

Abstract

This radio wave control body includes a dielectric substrate (110) having a first surface (110A) positioned on the incident side of radio waves, a second surface (110B), and a plurality of unit regions (111) arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface (110A) and having the same size as each other in a plan view, and a plurality of conductor elements (120A, 120B) disposed on the first surface (110A), wherein: the plurality of unit regions (111) include a first unit region (111A) that is not divided, and second unit regions (111B) that include N (N is an integer of 2 or more) divided unit regions obtained by equally dividing the unit region (111) in the first direction; and the plurality of conductor elements (120A, 120B) are provided one by one in each of the first unit region (111A) and the N divided unit regions of the second unit regions (111B).

Description

Radio wave control body and method for manufacturing radio wave control body

[0001] This disclosure relates to a radio wave control body and a method for manufacturing a radio wave control body. This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-227615 filed in Japan on December 24, 2024, and incorporates its content herein by reference.

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a radio wave scattering device including a first radio wave scattering unit in which a plurality of cells for scattering an incident beam at a predetermined first scattering angle are arranged, and a second radio wave scattering unit in which a plurality of cells for scattering the incident beam at a predetermined second scattering angle are arranged. The first radio wave scattering unit and the second radio wave scattering unit are arranged adjacent to each other, and a phase difference for setting the incident beam to a predetermined scattering angle is set between the first radio wave scattering unit and the second radio wave scattering unit (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-189533 (A)

[0004] By the way, the appearance of the conventional radio wave scattering device has room for improvement.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a radio wave control body with a good appearance and a method for manufacturing a radio wave control body.

[0006] The radio wave control body according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a dielectric substrate having a first surface located on the radio wave incident side, a second surface, and a plurality of unit regions arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface and having equal sizes in plan view, and a plurality of conductor elements arranged on the first surface. The plurality of unit regions include an undivided first unit region and a second unit region including N (N is an integer of 2 or more) divided unit regions obtained by equally dividing the unit region in the first direction. The plurality of conductor elements are provided one by one in each of the first unit region and the N divided unit regions of the second unit region.

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a radio wave control body with a good appearance and a method for manufacturing a radio wave control body can be provided.

[0008] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the application of the radio wave control body 100 of the embodiment. This is a diagram illustrating an example of the application of the radio wave control body 100 of the embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the radio wave control body 100. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the conductor elements 120A and 120B of the conductor layer 120. This is a diagram showing an example of the unit region 111 (first unit region 111A, second unit region 111B) and divided unit region 111C. This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120A. This is a diagram showing an example of the phase characteristics of the S11 parameter with respect to length P. This is a diagram showing an example of the measured results (part 1) of the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control body 100. This is a diagram showing an example of the measured results (part 2) of the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control body 100. This is a diagram showing an image representing an example of the appearance of the actual radio wave control body 100. This is a diagram showing an enlarged view of the portion of the radio wave control body 100 where the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120A are arranged in the X and Y directions. This is a diagram showing modified versions of the conductor elements 120A and 120B. This is a diagram showing modified versions of the conductor elements 120A and 120B. This is a diagram showing modified versions of the conductor elements 120A and 120B. This is a diagram showing modified versions of the conductor elements 120A and 120B.

[0009] The following describes embodiments to which the radio wave control body and the method for manufacturing the radio wave control body of this disclosure are applied. In the following, the same elements may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] The following describes the XYZ coordinate system. The directions parallel to the X-axis (X direction), the directions parallel to the Y-axis (Y direction), and the directions parallel to the Z-axis (Z direction) are mutually orthogonal. Plane view refers to viewing from the XY plane. In addition, in the following, the length, width, thickness, etc. of each part may be exaggerated to make the structure easier to understand. Furthermore, the terms parallel, right angle, orthogonal, horizontal, vertical, up and down, etc., should be used with a degree of deviation that does not impair the effect of the embodiment.

[0011] Furthermore, in the following explanation, "radio waves" refer to a type of electromagnetic wave, and generally, electromagnetic waves below 3 THz are called radio waves. Below, electromagnetic waves radiated from outdoor base stations or relay stations will be referred to as "radio waves," and when referring to electromagnetic waves in general, the term "electromagnetic wave" will be used. Also, below, when referring to "millimeter waves" or "millimeter wave band," it will include the quasi-millimeter wave band of 24 GHz to 30 GHz in addition to the frequency band of 30 GHz to 300 GHz.

[0012] The radio waves reflected, scattered, transmitted, or refracted by the radio wave control body of the embodiment are preferably in the millimeter wave band, such as fifth-generation mobile communication systems (5G), or in the frequency band of 1 GHz to 30 GHz, including Sub-6. Alternatively, the radio waves reflected, scattered, transmitted, or refracted by the radio wave control body of the embodiment may be LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), or UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband). Furthermore, the radio waves reflected by the radio wave control body of the embodiment may be IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi®), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX®), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-Wideband), Bluetooth®, or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), etc. As the frequency of radio waves increases, propagation loss due to reflection and diffraction increases, making dead zones more likely to occur. Therefore, the radio wave control unit of this embodiment is more suitable for communications that handle relatively high frequencies. In the following, unless otherwise specified, the explanation will use millimeter-wave and Sub-6 radio waves as examples.

[0013] <Embodiment> Figures 1A and 1B illustrate an example of the use of the radio wave control unit 100 of the embodiment. Figures 1A and 1B show a base station BS and a terminal UE. The base station BS and terminal UE can communicate at a predetermined frequency. As an example, the predetermined frequency is 4.7 GHz.

[0014] For example, as shown in Figure 1A, if a building BL exists between the base station BS and the terminal UE, radio waves may not be able to reach the terminal UE directly from the base station BS. In reality, there are walls of buildings and other structures (not shown) around the base station BS, terminal UE, and building BL, so there may be radio waves transmitted from the base station BS that are reflected by these buildings before reaching the terminal UE. However, the radio waves attenuate with repeated reflections, making it difficult to obtain good reception at the terminal UE.

[0015] In such cases, as shown in Figure 1B, if the radio wave control unit 100 is positioned to avoid the building BL, the radio waves incident on the radio wave control unit 100 from the base station BS are controlled to be emitted in the direction of the terminal UE, resulting in good radio wave reception at the terminal UE. The radio wave control unit 100 can, for example, reflect radio waves in a desired direction by specular reflection or non-specular reflection (anomalous reflection). Therefore, if a good communication path for radio waves is obtained between the base station BS and the radio wave control unit 100, and between the radio wave control unit 100 and the terminal UE, a good bidirectional communication environment can be obtained between the base station BS and the terminal UE.

[0016] <Configuration of the radio wave control unit 100> Figure 2A is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the radio wave control unit 100. Figure 2B is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the conductor elements 120A and 120B of the conductor layer 120. Figure 2C is a diagram showing an example of a unit region 111 (first unit region 111A, second unit region 111B) and a divided unit region 111C. Conductor element 120A is an example of a first conductor element, and conductor element 120B is an example of a second conductor element.

[0017] Figure 2B shows only the dielectric substrate 110, the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 on the +Z direction side, and the conductor layer 120, omitting other components. Figure 2B shows only the portions corresponding to four unit regions 111 of the radio wave control body 100. However, the radio wave control body 100 may have a configuration that includes many more unit regions 111 around the four unit regions 111 shown in Figure 2B.

[0018] In Figure 2C, the four unit regions 111 (first unit region 111A and three second unit regions 111B) shown in Figure 2B are slightly shifted in the X direction. Each unit region 111 is a square, as an example, and is shown by a dashed line. Each divided unit region 111C is a square, as an example, and is shown by a dashed line. The unit regions 111 (first unit region 111A, second unit region 111B) and divided unit regions 111C will be described later. Note that the shapes of the first unit region 111A, second unit region 111B, and divided unit regions 111C are not limited to squares, but may be polygons such as quadrilaterals, triangles, or regular hexagons that are adjacent without gaps.

[0019] The radio wave control unit 100 includes a dielectric substrate 110, a conductor layer 120, a radio wave reflection layer 130, an adhesive layer 140, adhesive layers 150A and 150B, and protective plates 160A and 160B. Protective plate 160A is an example of a first protective layer, and protective plate 160B is an example of a second protective layer. Figure 2A shows, as an example, a radio wave control unit 100 that includes one dielectric substrate 110 and one conductor layer 120, but the radio wave control unit 100 may be configured by stacking multiple dielectric substrates 110 and conductor layers 120 in the Z direction. Furthermore, the radio wave control unit 100 may be configured such that the conductor layer 120 is provided on both the surface 110A on the +Z direction side and the surface 110B on the -Z direction side of the dielectric substrate 110. Furthermore, the radio wave control unit 100 may include a plurality of dielectric substrates 110 on which a conductive layer 120 is provided, and a space (air layer) may be provided between the dielectric substrates 110.

[0020] In Figure 2A, the incident surface of radio waves on the radio wave control unit 100 is the main surface 161A on the +Z direction side of the protective plate 160A. The radio wave control unit 100 reflects radio waves of a predetermined frequency (for example, 4.7 GHz) incident from the main surface 161A in a desired direction.

[0021] As an example, the XZ plane is a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, as an example, a configuration in which the radio wave control unit 100 is used with the main surface 161A perpendicular to the horizontal plane will be described. The incident surface of the radio wave control unit 100 is parallel to the XY plane, and the radio waves arrive from the +Z direction. That is, with respect to the incident surface (main surface 161A) of the radio wave control unit 100, the radio waves arrive from the horizontal direction.

[0022] Here, unless otherwise specified, we will describe, as an example, a configuration in which the angle of incidence of radio waves (incident waves) to the incident surface is expressed as an angle in the XZ plane (horizontal plane), and the angle of reflection of reflected radio waves (reflected waves) is also expressed as an angle in the XZ plane. The X-axis, which is included in the XY plane parallel to the plane on which the conductor layer 120 is arranged, is an example of a first direction, and the Y-axis is an example of a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0023] The +Z direction is the direction of 0 degrees for the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection. The angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are expressed as angles made with the +Z direction in the XZ plane. For example, angles on the +X side of the +Z direction are expressed as positive angles (from 0 to 90 degrees), and angles on the -X side of the +Z direction are expressed as negative angles (from 0 to -90 degrees). Note that the usage of the radio wave control unit 100 is not limited to the configuration in which the main surface 161A is perpendicular to the horizontal plane as described above.

[0024] The radio wave control unit 100 preferably has a visible light transmittance of 50% or more and a haze value of 5% or less. If the visible light transmittance is 50% or more, the user can view the product or scenery through the radio wave control unit 100. The visible light transmittance is preferably 53% or more, and more preferably 55% or more. The visible light transmittance is measured in accordance with the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS R 3106:1998 and can be calculated using the calculation formula when a standard D65 light source is used. The haze value is determined in accordance with the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS K7136:2000.

[0025] The dielectric substrate 110, conductor layer 120, radio wave reflective layer 130, adhesive layer 140, adhesive layers 150A and 150B, and protective plates 160A and 160B are arranged in the following order from the +Z direction to the -Z direction: protective plate 160A, adhesive layer 150A, conductor layer 120, dielectric substrate 110, adhesive layer 140, radio wave reflective layer 130, adhesive layer 150B, and protective plate 160B.

[0026] As an example, the radio wave control unit 100 is manufactured by heat-pressing a protective plate 160A and a protective plate 160B with an adhesive layer 150A, a conductor layer 120, a dielectric substrate 110, an adhesive layer 140, a radio wave reflective layer 130, and an adhesive layer 150B sandwiched between them.

[0027] <Dielectric Substrate 110> The dielectric substrate 110 is a dielectric substrate having a surface 110A located on the incident side of the radio waves (+Z direction side) and a surface 110B on the opposite side of surface 110A (-Z direction side). Surface 110A is an example of a first surface, and surface 110B is an example of a second surface. A conductive layer 120 is formed on surface 110A, and a radio wave reflective layer 130 is bonded to surface 110B via an adhesive layer 140. By bonding the radio wave reflective layer 130 to surface 110B of the dielectric substrate 110 via the adhesive layer 140, a radio wave reflective layer 130 is provided on surface 110B of the dielectric substrate 110.

[0028] The dielectric substrate 110 is made of any material that is transparent to radio waves radiated from a base station BS or terminal UE and that can support the conductive layer 120. Transparent to radio waves means, for example, that the transmission loss is 10 dB or less. The dielectric substrate 110 being transparent to radio waves means that the transmission loss of the dielectric substrate 110 is 10 dB or less, preferably 6 dB or less, more preferably 3 dB or less, and even more preferably 1 dB or less.

[0029] Furthermore, the dielectric substrate 110 may be transparent to visible light. "Transparent" to visible light means that the visible light transmittance is at least 50%, preferably 60%, more preferably 70%, and even more preferably 80%.

[0030] As an example, a glass plate is used for the dielectric substrate 110. In this case, the dielectric substrate 110 is, for example, a glass plate on which a Low-E film or ITO film is provided as a conductive layer 120. Alternatively, a resin substrate may be used for the dielectric substrate 110. As resin materials that satisfy the above conditions, acrylic resins such as polymethyl methacrylate, cycloolefin resins, polycarbonate resins, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), etc. can be used.

[0031] In the radio wave control unit 100, a transparent conductive film such as a Low-E film or an ITO film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 is divided by laser processing to form conductive elements 120A and 120B. When dividing the transparent conductive film by laser processing, the laser is irradiated along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3, and the transparent conductive film is divided. The boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 includes the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B.

[0032] Here, the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 extends along the outer edges of the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3. Since the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 are all squares, for example, the boundaries between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 exist along the four sides (outer edges) of the squares. That is, the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 exists not only in the overlapping portion of the outer edges of adjacent squares, but also along the four sides (outer edges) of each square.

[0033] When a transparent conductive film is divided by laser processing, if there is variation in the line width of the parts where the transparent conductive film is removed (decoated) at the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3, the appearance will not be good when viewed from the +Z direction or the -Z direction.

[0034] For these reasons, in the radio wave control unit 100, the line width of the portion where the transparent conductive film is removed (decoated) (divided portion) at the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 is made uniform. The line width of the portion removed by laser processing is preferably 10 μm or more and 500 μm or less, more preferably 10 μm or more and 300 μm or less, and even more preferably 10 μm or more and 100 μm or less. Furthermore, the line width of the portion removed by laser processing may be 10 μm or more, 50 μm or more, or 90 μm or more. Furthermore, the line width of the portion removed by laser processing may be 500 μm or less, 300 μm or less, 120 μm or less, or 100 μm or less.

[0035] By aligning the line widths of the boundaries between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3, the width of the boundary between conductor element 120A and conductor element 120B becomes equal to the width of the boundary between adjacent conductor elements 120B. The width of the boundary between conductor element 120A and conductor element 120B and the width of the boundary between adjacent conductor elements 120B are the widths of the divisions formed in the transparent conductive film by a single laser scan.

[0036] In order to make the line widths of the portions where the transparent conductive film has been removed (decoated) at the boundaries between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 equal, in laser processing, the output and scanning speed of the laser irradiated along the boundary should be kept constant, and the number of times the laser is scanned along the boundary should be the same.

[0037] Here, as an example, we will describe a manufacturing process for the radio wave control unit 100 in which the output and scanning speed of the laser irradiated along the boundary are kept constant, and the laser is scanned along the boundary only once. Note that the number of laser scans is not limited to one; it may be two or more times, as long as the same number of scans is performed at all boundaries.

[0038] A conductive layer 120 having conductive elements 120A and 120B is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3. Conductive elements 120B include conductive elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3. Hereinafter, unless specifically distinguished, conductive elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 will simply be referred to as conductive elements 120B.

[0039] Furthermore, the boundaries between the first unit region 111A, the second unit region 111B, and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 are located on straight lines passing through the centers of the line widths of the grid-like linear regions from which the transparent conductive film has been removed by laser processing.

[0040] Furthermore, in Figure 2B, for clarity, the outer edges of one of the four, nine, and 144 divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3, respectively, are shown with dashed lines. Also for clarity, the outer edges of the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 are shown inside the outer edges of the second unit regions 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3, but in reality, the outer edges of the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3 overlap with the outer edges of the second unit regions 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3.

[0041] <Unit Region 111> Unit region 111 has a first unit region 111A and a second unit region 111B. More specifically, the multiple unit regions 111 have a first unit region 111A composed of undivided unit regions 111, and a second unit region 111B divided into N × M divided unit regions 111C. Here, N and M are integers of 2 or more, and as an example, the form N = M will be described.

[0042] Figure 2B shows, as an example, one first unit region 111A and three second unit regions 111B, but only one first unit region 111A and one second unit region 111B are required.

[0043] The plurality of unit regions 111 are arranged adjacent to each other in the X direction as an example, and the second unit region 111B is located adjacent to the first unit region 111A in the X direction. Also, in FIG. 2B, as an example, a plurality of second unit regions 111B are arranged in the X direction. Here, the three second unit regions 111B shown in FIG. 2B are referred to as second unit regions 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3. When the second unit regions 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3 are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the second unit region 111B.

[0044] The unit region 111 is, as an example, square in plan view, so the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B are square in plan view. Also, the N×M divided unit regions 111C included in the second unit region 111B are square in plan view. The conductor element 120A included in the first unit region 111A and the conductor elements 120B respectively included in the N×M divided unit regions 111C are square in plan view.

[0045] The radio wave control body 100 is used, as an example, in a state where the XY plane is set vertically, and performs non-specular reflection when reflecting radio waves incident from the +Z direction side. Non-specular reflection is reflection in which the incident angle and the reflection angle are different. The length of the conductor element 120A and the conductor element 120B in the X direction is set to a length for changing the phase of a horizontally polarized radio wave, and the length in the Y direction is set to a length for changing the phase of a vertically polarized radio wave having the same frequency as the horizontally polarized radio wave. Since it is assumed that the frequencies of the horizontally polarized radio wave and the vertically polarized radio wave are the same, the conductor element 120A and the conductor element 120B are square in plan view.

[0046] However, when the frequencies of the horizontally polarized radio wave and the vertically polarized radio wave are different, the lengths of the conductor element 120A and the conductor element 120B in the X direction and the Y direction may be different. In this case, the length of the conductor element 120A and the conductor element 120B in the X direction may be set to a length corresponding to the frequency of the horizontally polarized radio wave, and the length of the conductor element 120A and the conductor element 120B in the Y direction may be set to a length corresponding to the frequency of the vertically polarized radio wave.

[0047] <First unit area 111A>The first unit area 111A is an undivided unit area among a plurality of unit areas 111. One conductor element 120A is provided inside the first unit area 111A.

[0048] That the first unit area 111A is an undivided unit area 111 means that the first unit area 111A is a unit area 111 in which the transparent conductive film is not divided by laser irradiation within the area of the first unit area 111A. In contrast, the second unit area 111B is divided into divided unit areas 111C1, 111C2, or 111C3 by the transparent conductive film being divided by laser irradiation within the area of the second unit area 111B.

[0049] <Second unit area 111B>The second unit area 111B is a unit area 111 among a plurality of unit areas 111 that is equally divided into N×M divided unit areas. As an example, the second unit area 111B is divided into N×M by equally dividing one unit area 111 into N in the X direction and M in the Y direction. Here, as an example, N = M.

[0050] In FIG. 2B, as an example, three second unit areas 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3 are shown. The second unit area 111B1 is located adjacent to the +X direction side of the first unit area 111A. The second unit area 111B2 is located adjacent to the +X direction side of the second unit area 111B1, and the second unit area 111B3 is located adjacent to the +X direction side of the second unit area 111B2. The second unit areas 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3 are three of the four unit areas 111 shown in FIG. 2B. Hereinafter, when the second unit areas 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3 are not particularly distinguished, they are simply referred to as the second unit area 111B.

[0051] Here, as shown in Figure 2B, the second unit region 111B will be described as having a configuration in which one unit region 111 is divided equally in the X and Y directions, as an example. However, the second unit region 111B only needs to have a configuration in which one unit region 111 is divided equally in the X direction in which at least multiple unit regions 111 are arranged. It is optional that the second unit region 111B be divided equally in the Y direction which is orthogonal to the X direction in which multiple unit regions 111 are arranged. For example, if the radio wave control body 100 reflects only horizontally polarized radio waves, the second unit region 111B may be configured to be divided equally in the X direction.

[0052] <Divided Unit Region 111C1> Divided unit region 111C1 is a divided unit region obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B1 into two equal parts in the X direction and in the Y direction. That is, the second unit region 111B1 contains four divided unit regions 111C1 obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B1 into four equal parts.

[0053] <Divided Unit Region 111C2> The divided unit region 111C2 is obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B2 into three equal parts in the X direction and three equal parts in the Y direction. That is, the second unit region 111B2 contains nine divided unit regions 111C2 obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B2 into nine equal parts.

[0054] <Divided Unit Region 111C3> Divided unit region 111C3 is a divided unit region obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B3 into 12 equal parts in the X direction and 12 equal parts in the Y direction. That is, the second unit region 111B3 contains 144 divided unit regions 111C1 obtained by dividing the second unit region 111B3 into 144 equal parts.

[0055] <Conducting layer 120> The conducting layer 120 has conducting elements 120A and 120B. Conducting element 120B has conducting elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3. Conducting elements 120A and 120B are formed on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 on the +Z direction side. Here, the configuration of the conducting layer 120 will be described when the radio wave control body 100 has a configuration that includes many more unit regions 111 around the four unit regions 111 shown in Figure 2B.

[0056] The conductive layer 120 is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3. The conductive layer 120 has conductive elements 120A and conductive elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3.

[0057] In other words, the conductor elements 120A and 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are formed by laser cutting along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3. Therefore, the centers of each region (111A, 111C1, 111C2, and 111C3) coincide with the centers of the conductor elements 120A, 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3.

[0058] <Conducting element 120A> One conducting element 120A is provided in the first unit region 111A. The conducting element 120A is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the four sides of the first unit region 111A. For this reason, the length of the conducting element 120A in the X and Y directions is shorter than the length of the first unit region 111A in the X and Y directions by the line width of the portion removed by one laser scan. In other words, the conducting element 120A has an area approximately the same as the first unit region 111A.

[0059] <Conducting element 120B> Figure 2B shows multiple conducting elements 120B, including four conducting elements 120B1, nine conducting elements 120B2, and 144 conducting elements 120B3.

[0060] For example, the four conductive elements 120B1 are arranged in a 2x2 configuration with two in the X direction and two in the Y direction. Similarly, the nine conductive elements 120B2 are arranged in a 3x3 configuration with three in the X direction and three in the Y direction. Furthermore, the 144 conductive elements 120B3 are arranged in a 12x12 configuration with twelve in the X direction and twelve in the Y direction.

[0061] Each row extends in the X direction, and each column extends in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction within the surface 110A. For example, rows are referred to as rows 1 through 9, starting from the +Y direction to the -Y direction. For example, columns are referred to as columns 1 through 9, starting from the -X direction to the +X direction. This also applies when there are more rows or columns.

[0062] Here, as an example, we will describe a configuration in which multiple conductor elements 120B include 4 conductor elements 120B1, 9 conductor elements 120B2, and 144 conductor elements 120B3. The number of conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 is determined by the number N that divides the second unit region 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3 equally in the X direction and the number M that divides it equally in the Y direction.

[0063] Conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are similar in shape to conductor element 120A because they are manufactured by dividing a transparent conductive film of the same size and shape as conductor element 120A equally in the X and Y directions. In addition, although conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are different in size from conductor element 120A, they have the same shape.

[0064] The radio wave control unit 100 is assumed, for example, to perform non-specular reflection in the XZ plane. Therefore, the number of divisions N for adjacent second unit regions 111 only needs to be in order of magnitude in the X direction. The number N for divisions in the X direction is not limited to the number shown here as an example. The reason for ordering the number N for dividing adjacent second unit regions 111 in order of magnitude in the X direction is the same as the reason for arranging multiple conductor elements 120B in order of magnitude in the X direction, and the details will be described later.

[0065] <Conducting element 120B1> One conducting element 120B1 is provided in each divided unit region 111C1. For example, the second unit region 111B1 has four divided unit regions 111C1 arranged in a 2x2 grid, so four conducting elements 120B1 are provided within the second unit region 111B1.

[0066] The conductive element 120B1 is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the four sides of the divided unit region 111C1. Therefore, the length of the conductive element 120B1 in the X and Y directions is shorter than the length of the divided unit region 111C1 in the X and Y directions by the line width of the portion removed by a single laser scan. In other words, the conductive element 120B1 has an area approximately equal to that of the divided unit region 111C1.

[0067] For example, the four conductive elements 120B1 are arranged at equal pitches in the X direction and at equal pitches in the Y direction. Pitch refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent conductive elements 120B1.

[0068] <Conducting element 120B2> One conducting element 120B2 is provided in each divided unit region 111C2. For example, the second unit region 111B2 has nine divided unit regions 111C2 arranged in a 3x3 grid, so nine conducting elements 120B2 are provided within the second unit region 111B2.

[0069] The conductive element 120B2 is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the four sides of the divided unit region 111C2. Therefore, the length of the conductive element 120B2 in the X and Y directions is shorter than the length of the divided unit region 111C2 in the X and Y directions by the line width of the portion removed by a single laser scan. In other words, the conductive element 120B2 has an area approximately equal to that of the divided unit region 111C2.

[0070] The nine conductive elements 120B2 are arranged, for example, at equal pitches in the X direction and at equal pitches in the Y direction. Pitch refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent conductive elements 120B2.

[0071] <Conducting element 120B3> One conducting element 120B3 is provided in each divided unit region 111C3. For example, the second unit region 111B3 has 144 divided unit regions 111C3 arranged in a 12x12 grid, so 144 conducting elements 120B3 are provided within the second unit region 111B3.

[0072] The conductive element 120B3 is formed by laser cutting a transparent conductive film provided on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 along the four sides of the divided unit region 111C3. Therefore, the length of the conductive element 120B3 in the X and Y directions is shorter than the length of the divided unit region 111C3 in the X and Y directions by the line width of the portion removed by a single laser scan. In other words, the conductive element 120B3 has an area approximately equal to that of the divided unit region 111C3.

[0073] The 144 conductive elements 120B3 are arranged, for example, at equal pitches in both the X and Y directions. Pitch refers to the distance between the centers of adjacent conductive elements 120B3.

[0074] <Arrangement order of conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 in the X direction> Conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are arranged, for example, from the -X direction to the +X direction in the order of conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3. Among the conductor elements 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3, conductor element 120B1 is the largest and conductor element 120B3 is the smallest. Also, next to conductor element 120B1 on the -X direction side, there is a conductor element 120A which is larger than conductor element 120B1.

[0075] In other words, within the first unit region 111A and the second unit regions 111B1, 111B2, and 111B3, which are four unit regions 111 arranged continuously in the X direction, the conductive elements 120A, 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are arranged in order from the -X direction to the +X direction, decreasing in size.

[0076] Thus, the conductor elements 120A and 120B are arranged in order of size in a plan view in the X direction. Although the centers of the conductor elements 120A, 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are offset in the Y direction, within the four unit regions 111 that are continuous along the same row in the X direction, the conductor elements 120A, 120B1, 120B2, and 120B3 are arranged in order of size in a plan view in the X direction. When we say that the conductor elements 120A and 120B are arranged in order of size in a plan view in the X direction, it means that they are arranged in order of size in a plan view in the X direction within the four unit regions 111 that are continuous along the same row in the X direction. Note that the order of the sizes of the conductor elements 120A and 120B in the X direction may be reversed. Furthermore, the arrangement of the conductive elements 120A and 120B in order of size in a plan view in the X direction means that they are arranged in order of size in a certain section in the X direction, and the arrangement in order of size may be repeated at a fixed or indeterminate period.

[0077] The conductive elements 120A and 120B are insulated from each other by being separated by laser processing, and are composed of transparent conductive films such as ITO (indium tin oxide) films or Low-E (low-emissivity) films, as an example. The term "transparent" in transparent conductive films means that they are transparent to visible light, and "transparent" to visible light means that the visible light transmittance is at least 40%, preferably 60%, more preferably 70%, and even more preferably 80%.

[0078] The sheet resistance of the conductor elements 120A and 120B is, for example, 3 Ω / sq. or less, and more preferably 1 Ω / sq. or less. Although not particularly limited, the sheet resistance of the conductor elements 120A and 120B may be 0.001 Ω / sq. or more, or 0.01 Ω / sq. or more.

[0079] The thickness of the conductive elements 120A and 120B is not particularly limited, but for example, if the conductive elements 120A and 120B are Low-E films, the thickness is 50 nm to 300 nm.

[0080] When radio waves reach the conductor elements 120A and 120B, the free electrons within conductor elements 120A and 120B move in the opposite direction to the electric field of the radio waves, causing current to flow in conductor elements 120A and 120B. At the same time, energy is periodically accumulated and released in the gap between conductor elements 120A and 120B due to the generated electric field. As a result, a propagation delay occurs in the radio waves that pass through conductor elements 120A and 120B. A delay time occurs between the incidence of radio waves on conductor elements 120A and 120B and their re-radiation. That is, with respect to the phase of the radio waves incident on the conductor layer 120, the phase of the radio waves passing through the conductor layer 120 and the phase of the radio waves reflected by the conductor layer 120 both change. The radio waves that have passed through the conductor layer 120 are reflected in the +Z direction by the radio wave reflection layer 130.

[0081] As described above, the conductor elements 120A and 120B are of different sizes and are arranged in order of size in one direction. Since the conductor elements 120A and 120B are arranged in order of size in the X direction, the phase imparted to the reflected wave by the conductor elements 120A and 120B when they reflect the incident wave is different in the XZ plane.

[0082] The reflected waves reflected by the conductor elements 120A and 120B are reflected in a predetermined angular direction determined by the size of the conductor elements 120A and 120B. The predetermined angular direction corresponds to a desired reflection angle selected by the designer of the radio wave control unit 100.

[0083] The X direction, as a single direction, defines the direction in which radio waves incident on the radio wave control body 100 are reflected by the radio wave control body 100. In the XZ plane, which includes a straight line extending in the X direction (the first straight line) and the normal to the surface 110A (a straight line extending in the Z direction), the angle that the incident path of the radio waves incident on the radio wave control body 100 makes with respect to the normal is the angle of incidence, and the angle that the reflected path of the incident radio waves reflected by the radio wave control body 100 makes with respect to the normal is the angle of reflection.

[0084] The conductive layer 120 may be made of the following conductive materials instead of the transparent conductive film described above. Examples of conductive materials include Au (gold), Ag (silver), Cu (copper), Al (aluminum), Cr (chromium), Pd (lead), Zn (zinc), Ni (nickel), or Pt (platinum). The conductive material may also be an alloy, such as a copper-zinc alloy (brass), a silver-copper alloy, or a silver-aluminum alloy. The conductive material may also be fluorinated tin oxide (FTO).

[0085] <Radio Wave Reflection Layer 130> The radio wave reflection layer 130 is provided on the surface 110B of the dielectric substrate 110 by being bonded to the surface 110B of the dielectric substrate 110 by an adhesive layer 140. Here, the radio wave control body 100 including the radio wave reflection layer 130 is a reflective type radio wave control body, and here, as an example, a configuration in which the radio wave control body 100 includes the radio wave reflection layer 130 will be described. However, the radio wave control body 100 may have a transmissive type configuration that does not include the radio wave reflection layer 130. For example, the radio wave control body 100 may have a configuration that does not include the radio wave reflection layer 130 and transmits and refracts incident radio waves.

[0086] The radio wave reflective layer 130 reflects radio waves that have passed through the conductor elements 120A and 120B. The radio wave reflective layer 130 is conductive. The sheet resistance of the radio wave reflective layer 130 is, for example, 3 Ω / sq. or less, preferably 1 Ω / sq. or less, and more preferably 0.1 Ω / sq. or less. Although not particularly limited, the sheet resistance of the radio wave reflective layer 130 may be 0.0001 Ω / sq. or more, or 0.001 Ω / sq. or more.

[0087] The radio wave reflective layer 130 is, for example, composed of a metal mesh. Since the metal mesh has openings, it can achieve a higher visible light transmittance compared to a metal film. From the viewpoint of suppressing the reflection of visible light, it is preferable that the metal mesh is oxidized and blackened. Stainless steel is commonly used as the metal mesh. If the mesh wire diameter is 0.01 mm or more, it is easy to handle when manufacturing the radio wave control body 100. If the mesh wire diameter is 0.1 mm or less, the radio wave reflection characteristics are good. From the viewpoint of ensuring transparency and achieving good reflection characteristics for the radio wave control body 100, the mesh wire diameter is particularly preferably 0.01 mm to 0.08 mm, and more preferably 0.02 mm to 0.06 mm.

[0088] Furthermore, the radio wave reflective layer 130 may be made of a transparent conductive film. The meaning of "transparent" in "transparent conductive film" is the same as that of the conductor elements 120A and 120B. Examples of transparent conductive films include ITO films and Low-E films. The thickness of the radio wave reflective layer 130 is not particularly limited, but when a transparent conductive film such as a Low-E film is used for the radio wave reflective layer 130, it is, for example, 100 nm to 500 nm.

[0089] Radio waves that pass through the conductor layer 120 are reflected by the radio wave reflection layer 130. The radio waves reflected by the conductor elements 120A and 120B of the conductor layer 120 and the radio waves reflected by the radio wave reflection layer 130 interfere with each other and, as a result of their combination, the radio waves are reflected with a phase different from that of specular reflection. As a result, the radio wave controller 100 reflects the radio waves in a direction with a reflection angle different from the incident angle.

[0090] In the radio wave control body 100 configured to perform non-specular reflection, the direction in which the radio waves reflected by the conductor elements 120A and 120B and the radio waves reflected by the radio wave reflection layer 130 reinforce each other is at an angle that is not equal to the angle of incidence of the incident wave of the radio wave control body 100.

[0091] The radio wave reflective layer 130 may also have an insulating substrate that supports the transparent conductive film. The insulating substrate is, for example, a resin film. For example, the transparent conductive film may be formed on the surface of the insulating substrate by vapor deposition or sputtering. The transparent conductive film may also be formed by printing using conductive ink.

[0092] <Adhesive layers 140, 150A, and 150B> Adhesive layer 140 adheres the dielectric substrate 110 and the radio wave reflective layer 130. Adhesive layer 150A adheres the dielectric substrate 110 and the protective plate 160A. Adhesive layer 150B adheres the radio wave reflective layer 130 and the protective plate 160B. Adhesive layers 140, 150A, and 150B may, for example, be transparent to visible light. The meaning of being transparent to visible light is the same as for the conductor elements 120A, 120B and the radio wave reflective layer 130.

[0093] The adhesive layer 140 is an adhesive layer formed from a thermoplastic adhesive. Adhesive layers formed from thermoplastic adhesives have high moisture resistance and high durability. The adhesive layer 140 is, for example, one of the following: polyvinyl butyral (PVB) resin, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resin, cycloolefin polymer (COP) resin, and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) resin. The same applies to adhesive layers 150A and 150B.

[0094] The water absorption rate of the adhesive layer 140 is, for example, 3% by mass or less. The water absorption rate of the adhesive layer 140 is measured in accordance with the Japanese Industrial Standard JIS K 7209:2000. If the water absorption rate of the adhesive layer 140 is 3% by mass or less, it is less likely to deteriorate even in high temperature and high humidity usage environments. PVB resin, EVA resin, COP resin, and TPU resin may all have a water absorption rate of 3% by mass or less. The water absorption rate of the adhesive layer 140 is preferably 1% by mass or less. Furthermore, the water absorption rate of the adhesive layer 140 is 0.01% by mass or more. The same water absorption rates apply to adhesive layers 150A and 150B.

[0095] Furthermore, the thickness of the adhesive layer 140 is less than or equal to 1 / (10√εr) of the wavelength of the radio waves reflected by the radio wave control body 100 at a predetermined frequency, where εr is the relative permittivity of the adhesive layer 140. The predetermined frequency is, for example, 4.7 GHz. The same thickness applies to adhesive layers 150A and 150B.

[0096] <Protective Plate 160A> The protective plate 160A has main surfaces 161A and 162A. Main surface 161A is located on the side where the radio waves are incident. Main surface 161A is the incident surface of the radio waves in the radio wave control body 100. Main surface 162A is located on the opposite side of main surface 161A. The protective plate 160A may, for example, be transparent to visible light. The meaning of being transparent to visible light is the same as that of the conductor elements 120A, 120B and the radio wave reflective layer 130.

[0097] The protective plate 160A protects the conductive layer 120. The protective plate 160A can be made of glass, ceramics, or resin. From the viewpoint of weight reduction, resin is preferred. Specific examples of resin include polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin, polycarbonate (PC) resin, or acrylic resin. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of scratch resistance, glass or ceramics are preferred.

[0098] Furthermore, a resin film may be provided on the surface of the protective plate 160A on the +Z direction side to prevent cracking.

[0099] <Protective Plate 160B> The protective plate 160B has main surfaces 161B and 162B. Main surface 161B is located on the side of the radio wave reflection layer 130. Main surface 162B is located on the opposite side of main surface 161B. An adhesive layer 150B is bonded to main surface 161B. The protective plate 160B may, for example, be transparent to visible light. The meaning of being transparent to visible light is the same as for the conductor elements 120A, 120B and the radio wave reflection layer 130. However, since the protective plate 160B is located on the -Z side of the radio wave reflection layer 130, it does not have to be transparent to visible light.

[0100] The protective plate 160B protects the radio wave reflective layer 130. Instead of glass, ceramics or resin may be used for the protective plate 160B. The material of the protective plate 160B can be selected from the same materials as those described above for the protective plate 160A. The material and thickness of the protective plate 160B may be the same as or different from those of the protective plate 160A.

[0101] <Simulation> Figure 3A shows an example of the configuration of the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120A. Here, if the lengths of the first unit region 111A in the X and Y directions are P, and the line width of the portion removed by laser processing is G, then the lengths of the conductor element 120A in the X and Y directions are P - G. The line width G corresponds to the line width of the portion removed by laser processing. As an example, the length P is 5 mm when reflecting 4.7 GHz radio waves.

[0102] The ratio of the area of ​​the conductor element 120A to the area of ​​the first unit region 111A (area ratio of the conductor element 120A) is determined by the ratio of the square of length P to the square of length P-G. Figure 3A shows the configuration of the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120A, but the same applies to the configuration of the second unit region 111B and the conductor element 120B. The area ratio of the conductor elements 120A and 120B is preferably 50% or more and less than 100%, more preferably 70% or more and less than 100%, and even more preferably 90% or more and less than 100%. Setting the area ratio of the conductor elements 120A and 120B to such a value improves the appearance of the radio wave control unit 100.

[0103] Figure 3B shows an example of the phase characteristics of the S11 parameter with respect to length P. In Figure 3B, the horizontal axis represents length P (mm), and the vertical axis represents the phase of the S11 parameter.

[0104] In the simulation, the line width G of the portion where the transparent conductive film formed on the surface 110A of a dielectric substrate 110 (glass plate) with a length of 30 mm in the X and Y directions was removed by laser processing was set to 100 μm and 40 μm. Figure 3B shows the characteristics when the line width G is 100 μm with a solid line, and the characteristics when the line width G is 40 μm with a dashed line.

[0105] As shown in Figure 3B, when the line width G was both 100 μm and 40 μm, and the length P was varied within the range of 0.2 mm to 6 mm, the phase of the S11 parameter changed between approximately 90 degrees and -180 degrees.

[0106] Here, when the line width G is 100 μm, selecting the length P of the first unit region 111A to be 6.2 mm and the lengths P of the divided unit regions 111C1 to 111C3 to be 3.1 mm, 2.1 mm, and 0.7 mm allows for configurations in which the first unit region 111A is divided into two, three, and nine equal parts in the X direction. Furthermore, in configurations in which the first unit region 111A is divided into two, three, and nine equal parts in the X direction by setting the length P of the first unit region 111A to be 6.2 mm and the lengths P of the divided unit regions 111C1 to 111C3 to be 3.1 mm, 2.1 mm, and 0.7 mm, the phases of the reflected waves when the phase of the incident wave is 0 degrees are -185 degrees, -98 degrees, -10 degrees, and 85 degrees, confirming that the phase of the reflected wave can be set to four values.

[0107] In this case, the area ratio of conductor element 120A was 97%, the area ratio of conductor element 120B1 was 94%, the area ratio of conductor element 120B1 was 91%, and the area ratio of conductor element 120B1 was 85%.

[0108] <Radio Wave Reflection Characteristics (Part 1)> Figure 4A shows an example of the measured results (Part 1) of the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100. The radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100 are shown, as an example, when the reflection angle at which the radio wave control unit 100 reflects radio waves incident at a predetermined angle by non-specular reflection is set to 45 degrees, and the intensity (dBm) of the reflected radio waves with respect to the azimuth angle is shown.

[0109] The azimuth angle shown on the horizontal axis of Figure 4A is defined as follows: in the XZ plane, the +Z direction is 0 degrees, angles on the -X side of the +Z direction are represented as negative angles, and angles on the +X side of the +Z direction are represented as positive angles. The reflected wave intensity (dBm) shown on the vertical axis of Figure 4A represents the intensity (dBm) of the radio waves at a predetermined distance from the radio wave control unit 100 at each azimuth angle.

[0110] In the actual measurement results for the radio wave control unit 100, the line width of the portion where the transparent conductive film formed on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 (glass plate), which has a length of 300 mm in the X and Y directions, is removed by laser processing was set to 100 μm. In addition, the length P of the first unit region 111A was set to 6.2 mm, and the frequency of the radio waves was set to 4.7 GHz.

[0111] Furthermore, the radio wave reflection characteristics of a comparative radio wave control body were measured. The comparative radio wave control body does not include the divided unit regions 111C1 to 111C3 obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N and M equal parts in the X and Y directions, respectively, and is optimized to reflect radio waves incident at the same predetermined angle as the incident angle set for the radio wave control body 100 in a 45-degree direction by non-specular reflection. In the comparative radio wave control body, the line width of the portion where the transparent conductive film was removed by laser processing is not constant.

[0112] As shown in Figure 4A, in the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100 and the comparative radio wave control unit, the intensity of the reflected radio waves was maximum in the direction of an azimuth angle of 45 degrees. The radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100 were in close agreement with those of the comparative radio wave control unit. Therefore, it was confirmed that the radio wave control unit 100 was able to secure radio wave reflection characteristics similar to those of the comparative radio wave control unit.

[0113] <Radio Wave Reflection Characteristics (Part 2)> Figure 4B shows an example of the measured results (Part 2) of the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100. Similar to Figure 4A, the radio wave reflection characteristics of the radio wave control unit 100 are shown as an example, with respect to the azimuth angle, when the reflection angle at which the radio wave control unit 100 reflects radio waves incident at a predetermined angle by non-specular reflection is set to 45 degrees. The azimuth angle is as explained in Figure 4A. The horizontal and vertical axes of Figure 4B are the same as in Figure 4A.

[0114] In the measurements of the radio wave control unit 100, the line width (G) of the portion where the transparent conductive film formed on the surface 110A of the dielectric substrate 110 (glass plate), which has a length of 300 mm in the X and Y directions, was removed by laser processing was set to three different widths: 98 μm, 95 μm, and 115 μm. In addition, the length P of the first unit region 111A was set to 6.2 mm, and the frequency of the radio waves was set to 4.7 GHz.

[0115] As shown in Figure 4B, in the radio wave control body 100, regardless of whether the line width (G) of the portion to be removed by laser processing was set to 98 μm, 95 μm, or 115 μm, the radio wave reflection characteristics showed that the intensity of the reflected radio waves was maximum in the direction of an azimuth angle of 45 degrees. Furthermore, the radio wave reflection characteristics of the three types of radio wave control bodies 100 with line widths (G) set to 98 μm, 95 μm, and 115 μm were almost identical. Therefore, it was confirmed that the influence of line width (G) on the reflection characteristics of the radio wave control body 100 is small.

[0116] <Appearance of the radio wave control unit 100> Figure 5A is an image showing an example of the appearance of the actual radio wave control unit 100. In Figure 5A, the appearance of a radio wave control unit for comparison is shown on the left, and the appearance of the radio wave control unit 100 is shown on the right.

[0117] The comparative radio wave control body does not include the divided unit regions 111C1 to 111C3 obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N and M equal parts in the X and Y directions, and is optimized to reflect radio waves by non-specular reflection. The incident angle and reflection angle of radio waves in the comparative radio wave control body are the same as the incident angle and reflection angle set for the radio wave control body 100. In addition, in the comparative radio wave control body, the line width (G) of the portion where the transparent conductive film has been removed by laser processing is not constant.

[0118] As shown in Figure 5A, the comparison radio wave control body on the left clearly shows the grid-like lines of the area removed by laser processing, whereas the grid-like lines of the area removed by laser processing are less noticeable in the radio wave control body 100. This effect is achieved by including divided unit regions 111C1 to 111C3 obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N and M equal parts in the X and Y directions, respectively, and by having a constant line width (G) in the area where the transparent conductive film was removed by laser processing. Thus, it was confirmed that the radio wave control body 100 has a better appearance than the comparison radio wave control body. From these results, it was confirmed that the radio wave control body 100 has a better appearance than the comparison radio wave control body while maintaining the same radio wave reflection characteristics as the comparison radio wave control body.

[0119] In the comparative radio wave control unit, the number of times the laser is scanned to remove the transparent conductive film between adjacent conductive elements varies depending on the location. This is because, unlike the radio wave control unit 100, the unit region 111 is not divided into N and M equal parts in the X and Y directions, but rather the size of the conductive elements is set by controlling the number of times the laser is scanned. More specifically, the smaller the size of the conductive element, the more times the laser is scanned around that conductive element.

[0120] Therefore, in the comparative radio wave control body, the line width of the area where the transparent conductive film was removed by laser processing is not constant, and the number of times the laser is scanned is greater than in the radio wave control body 100. If the number of times the laser is scanned increases, the time required for laser processing will increase.

[0121] The laser processing time required to produce all the conductive elements 120A and 120B in the radio wave control body 100 was reduced by approximately 78% compared to the laser processing time required to produce all the conductive elements in the comparative radio wave control body. This result was obtained when the X and Y lengths of the radio wave control body 100 and the comparative radio wave control body were 300 mm, but a similar reduction in laser processing time was obtained even when the X and Y lengths were 600 mm.

[0122] Figure 5B is a magnified image showing the portion of the radio wave control unit 100 where the first unit region 111A and the conductive elements 120A are arranged in the X and Y directions. As shown in Figure 5B, it was confirmed that the line width (G) of the portion where the transparent conductive film was removed by laser processing between the conductive elements 120A is constant.

[0123] <Modified Examples of Conductor Elements 120A and 120B> Figures 6A to 6D show modified examples of conductor elements 120A and 120B. Figures 6A and 6C show only the first unit region 111A, the divided unit region 111C, the conductor element 120A, and the conductor element 120B. Figures 6B and 6D show only the first unit region 111A, the conductor element 120A, and the conductor element 120B, and the divided unit region 111C is omitted.

[0124] <Figure 6A> In Figure 6A, the divided unit region 111C is a region obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into two equal parts in the X and Y directions. The first unit region 111A is provided with a conductor element 120A, and each of the four divided unit regions 111C is provided with a conductor element 120B that is approximately 1 / 4 the size of the conductor element 120A. A radio wave control body 100 may be constructed by arranging conductor elements 120A and 120B of different sizes in a cross shape in the X direction in order of size, as shown in Figure 6A.

[0125] Furthermore, to fabricate the cross-shaped conductor elements 120A and 120B, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing is larger compared to the square conductor elements 120A and 120B (see Figure 2B), thus increasing the number of laser scans required. However, compared to a radio wave control body that does not include divided unit regions 111C obtained by equally dividing the unit region 111 in the X and Y directions, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing can be reduced, resulting in a better appearance.

[0126] <Figure 6B> The conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6B have a configuration in which the transparent conductive film is removed by laser processing in order to manufacture the conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6A, leaving a portion where the transparent conductive film was left as the conductor elements 120A and 120B in Figure 6A. Therefore, the conductor elements 120A and 120B have a configuration in which the central portion of the square transparent conductive film is removed in a cross shape. The conductor elements 120A and 120B are divided along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the four divided unit regions 111C.

[0127] A radio wave control unit 100 may be constructed by arranging conductive elements 120A and 120B of different sizes, as shown in Figure 6B, in order of size in the X direction.

[0128] Furthermore, to fabricate the conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6B, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing is larger compared to the square conductor elements 120A and 120B (see Figure 2B), thus increasing the number of laser scans required. However, compared to a radio wave control body that does not include divided unit regions 111C obtained by equally dividing the unit region 111 in the X and Y directions, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing can be reduced, resulting in a better appearance.

[0129] <Figure 6C> In Figure 6C, the divided unit region 111C is a region obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into two equal parts in the X and Y directions. The first unit region 111A is provided with a conductor element 120A, and each of the four divided unit regions 111C is provided with a conductor element 120B that is approximately 1 / 4 the size of the conductor element 120A. As shown in Figure 6C, a radio wave control body 100 may be constructed by arranging rectangular ring-shaped conductor elements 120A and 120B of different sizes in order of size in the X direction.

[0130] Furthermore, to fabricate rectangular annular conductor elements 120A and 120B, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing is larger compared to square conductor elements 120A and 120B (see Figure 2B), thus increasing the number of laser scans. However, compared to a radio wave control body that does not include divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 equally in the X and Y directions, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing can be reduced, resulting in a better appearance.

[0131] <Figure 6D> The conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6D have a configuration in which the transparent conductive film is removed by laser processing in order to produce the conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6C, leaving a portion where the transparent conductive film remains as the conductor elements 120A and 120B in Figure 6C. Therefore, the conductor elements 120A and 120B have a configuration in which the inside of the outer edge of the square transparent conductive film is removed in a rectangular ring shape. The conductor elements 120A and 120B are divided along the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the four divided unit regions 111C.

[0132] A radio wave control unit 100 may be constructed by arranging conductive elements 120A and 120B of different sizes, as shown in Figure 6D, in order of size in the X direction.

[0133] Furthermore, to fabricate the conductor elements 120A and 120B shown in Figure 6D, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing is larger compared to the square conductor elements 120A and 120B (see Figure 2B), thus increasing the number of laser scans required. However, compared to a radio wave control body that does not include divided unit regions 111C obtained by equally dividing the unit region 111 in the X and Y directions, the area of ​​the transparent conductive film to be removed by laser processing can be reduced, resulting in a better appearance.

[0134] <Effects> The radio wave control body 100 includes a dielectric substrate 110 having a surface 110A located on the radio wave incident side, a surface 110B, and a plurality of unit regions 111 arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction (X direction) on surface 110A and having equal sizes in a plan view, and a plurality of conductor elements 120A, 120B arranged on surface 110A, wherein the plurality of unit regions 111 has an undivided first unit region 111A and a second unit region 111B that includes N divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N equal parts (N is an integer of 2 or more) in the first direction (X direction), and one of the plurality of conductor elements 120A, 120B is provided in each of the first unit region 111A and the N divided unit regions 111C of the second unit region 111B. Since the second unit region 111B includes N divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N equal parts (where N is an integer of 2 or more) in the first direction (X direction), it is possible to make the width of the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B the same.

[0135] Therefore, an aesthetically pleasing radio wave control unit 100 can be provided.

[0136] Furthermore, among the multiple conductor elements 120A and 120B, the conductor element 120A provided in the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120B provided in the second unit region 111B may have similar shapes. This makes it easier to manufacture the conductor elements 120A and 120B, and the similar shapes result in a better appearance.

[0137] Furthermore, the width of the boundary between conductor element 120A and conductor element 120B, and the width of the boundary between adjacent conductor elements 120B, may be equal. Having equal boundary widths results in a better appearance.

[0138] Furthermore, the conductive elements 120A and 120B are formed by scanning a conductive film provided on the surface 110A with a laser to divide it. The width of the boundary between conductive elements 120A and 120B, and the width of the boundary between adjacent conductive elements 120B, may be the width of the divided portion formed in the conductive film by a single laser scan. The boundary width becomes the width of the portion divided by a single laser scan, and the boundary width can be made narrower, resulting in a better appearance.

[0139] Furthermore, the second unit region 111B may include N × M divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N equal parts in the first direction (X direction) and into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in the second direction (Y direction) which is orthogonal to the first direction (X direction). Since the second unit region 111B is also divided into equal parts in the second direction (Y direction), it is possible to make the width of the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B the same in both the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction). Therefore, a radio wave control body 100 with a better appearance can be provided.

[0140] Furthermore, N and M may be equal. Since the second unit region 111B is divided equally into the same number of parts in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction), a radio wave control body 100 can be provided in which the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B have a better appearance in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction).

[0141] Furthermore, the first unit region 111A and the divided unit region 111C may be squares. Since the second unit region 111B is divided equally into the same number of squares in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction), a radio wave control body 100 with a better appearance of the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B can be provided in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction). In addition, the amount of phase change between horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves can be matched, making it easier to adjust the reflection direction of horizontally polarized and vertically polarized radio waves.

[0142] Furthermore, the second unit region 111B divides the unit region 111 into N equal parts in the first direction (X direction) and includes N × M divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in the second direction orthogonal to the first direction (X direction), where N and M are equal, the first unit region 111A and the divided unit regions 111C are squares, and the conductor elements 120A and 120B may also be squares. Since the second unit region 111B is divided into the same number of equal parts in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction), and both are squares, a radio wave control body 100 with a better appearance of the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B can be provided in the first direction (X direction) and the second direction (Y direction). In addition, the amount of phase change between horizontally polarized radio waves and vertically polarized radio waves can be matched, and the reflection direction of horizontally polarized and vertically polarized radio waves can be easily adjusted.

[0143] Furthermore, the multiple unit regions 111 may be arranged adjacent to each other on the surface 110A in a first direction (X direction) and adjacent to each other in a second direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the first direction (X direction) on the surface 110A, and may have equal sizes when viewed from above. This makes it easier to make the sizes of the conductor elements 120A and 120B the same, and also makes it easier to arrange the conductor elements 120A and 120B at equal intervals in the second direction (Y direction) perpendicular to the first direction (X direction), resulting in a better appearance.

[0144] Furthermore, the material may further include a radio wave reflective layer 130 provided on the surface 110B and on the surface located opposite to surface 110A relative to surface 110B. Including the radio wave reflective layer 130 allows for more efficient reflection of radio waves. The surface located opposite to surface 110A relative to surface 110B is, for example, the surface of the dielectric substrate 110 located on the -Z side of the dielectric substrate 110 shown in Figure 2A.

[0145] Furthermore, the sheet resistance of the multiple conductor elements 120A and 120B may be 3Ω / sq. or less. By setting the sheet resistance of the conductor elements 120A and 120B to an appropriate value, a radio wave control unit 100 with good radio wave reflection characteristics can be provided.

[0146] Furthermore, the sheet resistance of the radio wave reflective layer 130 may be 3 Ω / sq. or less. By setting the sheet resistance of the radio wave reflective layer 130 to an appropriate value, a radio wave control unit 100 with good radio wave reflection characteristics can be provided.

[0147] The multiple conductive elements 120A and 120B may be formed from a transparent conductive film. The transparency of the multiple conductive elements 120A and 120B provides a radio wave control body 100 with good visibility.

[0148] The transparent conductive film may be a Low-E film. By using a Low-E film, multiple conductive elements 120A and 120B can be realized, providing a radio wave control unit 100 with good visibility.

[0149] Furthermore, the visible light transmittance may be 50% or more and the haze value may be 5% or less. This allows for the provision of a radio wave control body 100 with good visibility.

[0150] Furthermore, among the multiple conductor elements 120A and 120B, the conductor element 120A provided in the first unit region 111A and the conductor element 120B provided in the divided unit region 111C may be arranged in order of size in the first direction (X direction). By arranging the conductor elements 120A and 120B in order of size in the first direction (X direction), the amount of phase change when reflecting radio waves in the first direction changes continuously, and non-specular reflection can be achieved.

[0151] The method for manufacturing a radio wave control body according to the present disclosure comprises a dielectric substrate 110 having a surface 110A located on the radio wave incident side, a surface 110B, and a plurality of unit regions 111 arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction (X direction) on surface 110A and having equal size to each other in a plan view, and a plurality of conductors (Frequency Selective) arranged on surface 110A. A method for manufacturing a radio wave control body 100, which includes a Surface element, wherein a plurality of unit regions 111 have an undivided first unit region 111A and a second unit region 111B which includes N divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N equal parts (N is an integer of 2 or more) in a first direction (X direction), and a conductive film provided on the surface 110A is divided by scanning a laser along the outer edges of the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B to form a conductive element 120A provided in the first unit region 111A and a conductive element 120B provided in the divided unit region 111C among the plurality of conductive elements 120A and 120B. Since the second unit region 111B includes N divided unit regions 111C obtained by dividing the unit region 111 into N equal parts (where N is an integer of 2 or more) in the first direction (X direction), it is possible to make the width of the boundary between the first unit region 111A and the second unit region 111B the same.

[0152] Therefore, a manufacturing method for a visually appealing radio wave control unit 100 can be provided.

[0153] Although exemplary radio wave control bodies and methods for manufacturing radio wave control bodies have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the specifically disclosed embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0154] The following additional information is disclosed regarding the above embodiments. (Addendum 1) A radio wave control body comprising: a dielectric substrate having a first surface located on the incident side of radio waves, a second surface, and a plurality of unit regions arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface and having equal sizes in a plan view; and a plurality of conductor elements disposed on the first surface, wherein the plurality of unit regions comprises: an undivided first unit region and a second unit region containing N divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N (N is an integer of 2 or more) equal parts in the first direction; and one of the plurality of conductor elements is provided in each of the first unit region and the N divided unit regions of the second unit region. (Addendum 2) The radio wave control body according to Addendum 1, wherein, among the plurality of conductor elements, the first conductor element provided in the first unit region and the second conductor element provided in the divided unit region are similar in shape. (Note 3) The radio wave control body according to Note 2, wherein the width of the boundary between the first conductor element and the second conductor element is equal to the width of the boundary between adjacent second conductor elements. (Note 4) The radio wave control body according to Note 3, wherein the first conductor element and the second conductor element are formed by scanning a conductive film provided on the first surface with a laser to divide it, and the width of the boundary between the first conductor element and the second conductor element is equal to the width of the divided portion formed in the conductive film by one scan of the laser. (Note 5) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 4, wherein the second unit region includes N × M divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N equal parts in the first direction and by dividing the unit region into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. (Note 6) The radio wave control body according to Note 5, wherein N and M are equal. (Note 7) The radio wave control body as described in Note 6, wherein the first unit region and the divided unit region are square.(Note 8) The radio wave control body according to Note 3, wherein the second unit region comprises N divided units obtained by dividing the unit region into N equal parts in the first direction and M divided units obtained by dividing the unit region into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein N and M are equal, the first unit region and the divided unit regions are square, and the first conductor element and the second conductor element are square. (Note 9) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of unit regions are arranged adjacent to each other in the first direction on the first surface and are arranged adjacent to each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction on the first surface, and have equal sizes in plan view. (Note 10) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 9, further comprising a radio wave reflective layer provided on the second surface or on a surface located opposite to the first surface relative to the second surface. (Note 11) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 10, wherein the sheet resistance of the plurality of conductor elements is 3 Ω / sq. or less. (Note 12) The radio wave control body according to Note 10, wherein the sheet resistance of the radio wave reflecting layer is 3 Ω / sq. or less. (Note 13) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 12, wherein the plurality of conductor elements are formed of a transparent conductive film. (Note 14) The radio wave control body according to Note 13, wherein the transparent conductive film is a Low-E film. (Note 15) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 14, wherein the visible light transmittance is 50% or more and the haze value is 5% or less. (Note 16) The radio wave control body according to Note 2, wherein the first conductor element and the second conductor element are arranged in order of size in the first direction. (Note 17) The radio wave control body according to any one of Notes 1 to 16, wherein the area of ​​the conductive element is 50% or more and less than 100% of the area of ​​the first unit region or divided unit region.(Note 18) A method for manufacturing a radio wave control body, comprising: a dielectric substrate having a first surface located on the incident side of radio waves, a second surface, and a plurality of unit regions arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface and having equal sizes in a plan view; and a plurality of conductor elements disposed on the first surface, wherein the plurality of unit regions include an undivided first unit region and a second unit region containing N divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) equal parts in the first direction; and forming a first conductor element provided in the first unit region and a second conductor element provided in the divided unit region of the plurality of conductor elements by scanning a laser along the outer edges of the first unit region and the second unit region in a conductive film provided on the first surface.

[0155] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an aesthetically pleasing radio wave control body and a method for manufacturing a radio wave control body.

[0156] 100 Radio wave control unit 110 Dielectric substrate 110A Surface (example of the first surface) 110B Surface (example of the second surface) 111 Unit region 111A First unit region 111B Second unit region 111C1, 111C2, 111C3 Divided unit regions 120 Conductor layer 120A Conductor element (example of the first conductor element) 120B Conductor element (example of the second conductor element) 130 Radio wave reflection layer 140 Adhesive layer 150A, 150B Adhesive layer 160A Protective plate (example of the first protective layer) 160B Protective plate (example of the second protective layer)

Claims

1. A radio wave control body comprising: a dielectric substrate having a first surface located on the incident side of radio waves, a second surface, and a plurality of unit regions arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface and having equal sizes in a plan view; and a plurality of conductor elements disposed on the first surface, wherein the plurality of unit regions comprises an undivided first unit region and a second unit region containing N divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) equal parts in the first direction, and one of the plurality of conductor elements is provided in each of the first unit region and the N divided unit regions of the second unit region.

2. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein, among the plurality of conductor elements, the first conductor element provided in the first unit region and the second conductor element provided in the divided unit region are similar in shape.

3. The radio wave control body according to claim 2, wherein the width of the boundary between the first conductor element and the second conductor element is equal to the width of the boundary between adjacent second conductor elements.

4. The radio wave control body according to claim 3, wherein the first conductor element and the second conductor element are formed by scanning a conductive film provided on the first surface with a laser to divide it, and the width of the boundary between the first conductor element and the second conductor element and the width of the boundary between adjacent second conductor elements are the width of the divided portion formed in the conductive film by one scan of the laser.

5. The radio wave control body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second unit region includes N × M divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N equal parts in the first direction and by dividing the unit region into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

6. The radio wave control body according to claim 5, wherein N and M are equal.

7. The radio wave control body according to claim 6, wherein the first unit region and the divided unit region are squares.

8. The radio wave control body according to claim 3, wherein the second unit region includes N × M divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N equal parts in the first direction and by dividing the unit region into M equal parts (M is an integer of 2 or more) in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, wherein N and M are equal, the first unit region and the divided unit regions are squares, and the first conductor element and the second conductor element are squares.

9. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of unit regions are arranged adjacent to each other on the first surface in a first direction and adjacent to each other on the first surface in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and have equal size to each other in a plan view.

10. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, further comprising a radio wave reflecting layer provided on the second surface, or on a surface located opposite to the first surface relative to the second surface.

11. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein the sheet resistance of the plurality of conductor elements is 3 Ω / sq. or less.

12. The radio wave control body according to claim 10, wherein the sheet resistance of the radio wave reflecting layer is 3 Ω / sq. or less.

13. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of conductive elements are formed of a transparent conductive film.

14. The radio wave control body according to claim 13, wherein the transparent conductive film is a Low-E film.

15. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein the visible light transmittance is 50% or more and the haze value is 5% or less.

16. The radio wave control body according to claim 2, wherein the first conductor element and the second conductor element are arranged in order of size in the first direction.

17. The radio wave control body according to claim 1, wherein the ratio of the area of ​​the conductive element to the area of ​​the first unit region or divided unit region is 50% or more and less than 100%.

18. A method for manufacturing a radio wave control body, comprising: a dielectric substrate having a first surface located on the incident side of radio waves, a second surface, and a plurality of unit regions arranged adjacent to each other in a first direction on the first surface and having equal sizes in a plan view; and a plurality of conductor elements disposed on the first surface, wherein the plurality of unit regions include an undivided first unit region and a second unit region containing N divided unit regions obtained by dividing the unit region into N (where N is an integer of 2 or more) equal parts in the first direction; and forming a first conductor element provided in the first unit region and a second conductor element provided in the divided unit region of the plurality of conductor elements by scanning a laser along the outer edges of the first unit region and the second unit region in a conductive film provided on the first surface.

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