Liquid Crystal Antenna Cell Thickness Optical Measurement
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of liquid crystal antennas faces challenges in achieving high yield and performance stability due to difficulties in controlling cell thickness and pressure, leading to significant variations in signal radiation and low commercial viability.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of a novel liquid crystal antenna design that includes transparent substrates with light transmission areas for optical measurement of cell thickness, allowing for precise adjustment of the pressure head and improved manufacturing processes to enhance yield and performance consistency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If traditional liquid crystal antenna manufacturing processes are used, then production can proceed with conventional methods, but cell thickness control is poor and production yield is low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical measurement methods with optical measurement. A light transmission area is created on the substrate, allowing optical instruments to measure cell thickness non-contactly and with high precision. This substitution enables accurate measurement without mechanical interference and improves both measurement precision and production efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a light transmission area as an intermediary measurement zone. This special area on the substrate serves as a mediator that allows optical instruments to access and measure the cell thickness indirectly through light transmission, avoiding direct contact with the liquid crystal material while achieving precise measurement.
2Reliability
If pressure head is not precisely adjusted, then manufacturing process is simple, but performance variation among products is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control by measuring cell thickness through the light transmission area and using this measurement to adjust the pressure head. The measured thickness data provides feedback to the manufacturing process, enabling real-time adjustments to ensure consistent cell thickness and thus consistent antenna performance across production batches.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces subjective mechanical pressure adjustment with objective optical measurement-based control. Instead of relying on operator experience to adjust pressure head, the system uses optical measurement of cell thickness to determine and adjust pressure, making the process more precise and repeatable.
3Measurement precision
If no optical measurement area is provided, then substrate structure is simple, but cell thickness measurement is inaccurate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts a specific light transmission area from the substrate structure. This dedicated measurement zone is separated from the main antenna functional areas, allowing optical measurement without interfering with antenna performance. The extraction of this specific area enables precise measurement while keeping the rest of the substrate structure relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating a specific light transmission area with different optical properties than the rest of the substrate. This localized modification provides the necessary measurement capability in a specific region without changing the overall substrate structure or affecting other areas of the antenna.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables more reliable measurement and adjustment of cell thickness, resulting in improved production yield and performance consistency of liquid crystal antennas, making them more viable for commercial use.
Implementation Method 1
A liquid crystal antenna is a kind of antenna using the dielectric anisotropy of the liquid crystal to change magnitude of a phase shift of a phase shifter by controlling a deflection direction of the liquid crystal
Implementation Method 2
transparent substrates with light transmission areas for optical measurement of cell thickness
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a liquid crystal antenna, a manufacturing method thereof and a communication device having the liquid crystal antenna. The liquid crystal antenna includes a first metal electrode, a second metal electrode, a third metal electrode, at least two oppositely arranged substrates, and a liquid crystal layer located between the two oppositely arranged substrates. The two oppositely arranged substrates each include a light transmission area. The first metal electrode, the second metal electrode and the third metal electrode within the light transmission area each are a hollowed-out structure, and the light transmission area can be used to test a cell thickness of the liquid crystal cell. Since the cell thickness can be measured, other process parameters can be matched and adjusted, so that a mass production yield of the liquid crystal antennas is improved.