CN114696058B - Liquid crystal antenna and communication device - Google Patents
Liquid crystal antenna and communication device Download PDFInfo
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- CN114696058B CN114696058B CN202210224286.6A CN202210224286A CN114696058B CN 114696058 B CN114696058 B CN 114696058B CN 202210224286 A CN202210224286 A CN 202210224286A CN 114696058 B CN114696058 B CN 114696058B
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Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/002—Protection against seismic waves, thermal radiation or other disturbances, e.g. nuclear explosion; Arrangements for improving the power handling capability of an antenna
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
- H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
- H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
- H01Q1/2258—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles used with computer equipment
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—Supports; Mounting means
- H01Q1/22—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles
- H01Q1/24—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set
- H01Q1/241—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM
- H01Q1/242—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM specially adapted for hand-held use
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/27—Adaptation for use in or on movable bodies
- H01Q1/273—Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
- H01Q1/364—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith using a particular conducting material, e.g. superconductor
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/50—Structural association of antennas with earthing switches, lead-in devices or lightning protectors
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q3/00—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system
- H01Q3/26—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture
- H01Q3/30—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array
- H01Q3/34—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means
- H01Q3/36—Arrangements for changing or varying the orientation or the shape of the directional pattern of the waves radiated from an antenna or antenna system varying the relative phase or relative amplitude of energisation between two or more active radiating elements; varying the distribution of energy across a radiating aperture varying the relative phase between the radiating elements of an array by electrical means with variable phase-shifters
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Variable-Direction Aerials And Aerial Arrays (AREA)
Abstract
The application provides a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device, wherein the liquid crystal antenna comprises: the phase shifter array layer is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, the substrate integrated waveguide is positioned at one side of the first substrate far away from the second substrate, and the radiator bonding layer is positioned at one side of the second substrate far away from the first substrate. The substrate integrated waveguide is used for receiving the first radio frequency signal, the phase shifter array layer is used for adjusting the first radio frequency signal to obtain the second radio frequency signal, and the radiator attaching layer is used for radiating the second radio frequency signal to the outside. According to the liquid crystal antenna provided by the application, the substrate integrated waveguide feed is attached to the outside of the phase shifter array, so that the loss of the first radio frequency signal can be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna can be improved.
Description
Technical Field
The application relates to the field of microwave and millimeter wave communication components, in particular to a liquid crystal antenna and communication equipment.
Background
Along with the high-speed development of modern microwave millimeter wave circuit systems, the functions of the circuit systems are more and more complex, the electrical performance indexes are higher and higher, and meanwhile, the circuit systems are smaller and lighter in size and weight; the whole system rapidly develops toward miniaturization, light weight, high reliability, multifunction and low cost. The microwave and millimeter wave technology with low cost, high performance and high yield is very critical for developing a commercialized low-cost microwave and millimeter wave broadband system.
The liquid crystal antenna is a type of antenna which uses dielectric anisotropy of liquid crystal molecules to change the dielectric constant of the liquid crystal molecules by controlling the deflection direction of the liquid crystal, thereby changing the phase shift of the phase shifter and adjusting the radiation signal of the liquid crystal antenna. The existing liquid crystal antenna structure adopts an integrated microstrip line form, the microstrip line applies a voltage signal to drive liquid crystal molecules to deflect, and meanwhile, the microstrip line is also used for transmitting radio frequency signals, so that insertion loss is large when the microstrip line transmits signals.
Disclosure of Invention
The embodiment of the application provides a novel liquid crystal antenna and communication equipment, which aim to reduce the insertion loss of the liquid crystal antenna and improve the gain of the liquid crystal antenna.
An embodiment of a first aspect of the present application provides a liquid crystal antenna, including: the phase shifter array layer is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate, the substrate integrated waveguide is positioned on one side of the first substrate far away from the second substrate, and the radiator bonding layer is positioned on one side of the second substrate far away from the first substrate. The substrate integrated waveguide is used for receiving the first radio frequency signal, the phase shifter array layer is used for adjusting the first radio frequency signal to obtain the second radio frequency signal, and the radiator attaching layer is used for radiating the second radio frequency signal to the outside.
The liquid crystal material has dielectric anisotropy, when the distance between the liquid crystal molecules and the electrode is kept unchanged, the deflection angle of the liquid crystal molecules is not large under low voltage, and the deflection angle reaches the maximum under high voltage; when the voltage is kept unchanged, the liquid crystal molecule deflection angle increases with the distance between the liquid crystal molecules and the electrode. The phase shifter array layer realizes phase control by utilizing the electric regulation and control characteristic of the liquid crystal to replace the traditional semiconductor switch, thereby modulating macroscopic optical properties and electric properties of the liquid crystal.
Embodiments of the second aspect of the present application also provide a communication device, which includes the liquid crystal antenna of any of the embodiments of the first aspect.
In the liquid crystal antenna provided by the application, in the process that the first radio frequency signal is finally transmitted to the radiator attaching layer through the substrate integrated waveguide, the phase shifter array layer, the first radio frequency signal is transmitted and phase-shifted in the phase shifter array layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, so that the second radio frequency signal is obtained, and the radiator attaching layer radiates the second radio frequency signal outwards. According to the liquid crystal antenna provided by the application, the substrate integrated waveguide feed is attached to the outside of the phase shifter array, so that compared with a conventional microstrip feed network, the insertion loss of the feed network of the substrate integrated waveguide is lower, the loss in the transmission process of the first radio frequency signal can be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna is improved.
Drawings
In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solution of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings that are needed to be used in the embodiments of the present application will be briefly described, and it is possible for a person skilled in the art to obtain other drawings according to these drawings without inventive effort. Other features, objects and advantages of the present application will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like or similar reference characters designate the same or similar features.
Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
Fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
Fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
Fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the present application;
Fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application.
Reference numerals illustrate:
1.A first substrate; 11. frame glue;
2.a second substrate;
3. A phase shifter array layer; 31. a grounded metal layer; 31a, a ground electrode; 31b, a first hollowed-out part; 32. a transmission metal layer; 32a, a transmission electrode; 33. a liquid crystal layer;
4. A substrate integrated waveguide; 41. a third substrate; 41a, metallized holes; 411. a first metal layer; 412. a second metal layer; 412a, a metalized hollowed-out part;
5. a radiator attaching layer; 51. a radiation electrode;
100. a communication device.
Detailed Description
Features and exemplary embodiments of various aspects of the present invention will be described in detail below, and in order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and the detailed embodiments. It should be understood that the particular embodiments described herein are meant to be illustrative of the invention only and not limiting. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. The following description of the embodiments is merely intended to provide a better understanding of the invention by showing examples of the invention.
It should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first," "second," "third," and the like are used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. Moreover, the terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising … …" does not exclude the presence of other like elements in a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
In order to better understand the present application, a detailed description of a liquid crystal antenna and a communication device provided by embodiments of the present application is provided below with reference to fig. 1 to 7.
Referring to fig. 1, fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of a liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. The embodiment of the first aspect of the application provides a liquid crystal antenna, which comprises a first substrate 1, a second substrate 2, a phase shifter array layer 3, a substrate integrated waveguide 4 and a radiator attaching layer 5, wherein the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are oppositely arranged, the phase shifter array layer 3 is positioned between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, the substrate integrated waveguide 4 is positioned at one side of the first substrate 1 far away from the second substrate 2, and the radiator attaching layer 5 is positioned at one side of the second substrate 2 far away from the first substrate 1; the substrate integrated waveguide 4 is used for receiving the first radio frequency signal, the phase shifter array layer 3 is used for adjusting the first radio frequency signal to obtain the second radio frequency signal, and the radiator attaching layer 5 is used for radiating the second radio frequency signal to the outside.
In these alternative embodiments, the material of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 of the liquid crystal antenna may be one of hard materials such as glass and ceramic, or the material of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 may be one of flexible materials such as Polyimide (PI) substrate and liquid crystal polymer (Liquid Crystal Polymer, LCP). The material can not absorb radio frequency signals, namely has small insertion loss in a radio frequency band, so that the insertion loss of the signals is reduced, and the loss of the first radio frequency signals in the transmission process can be greatly reduced.
Optionally, a printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board, PCB) may be used as the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 of the liquid crystal antenna, where the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the printed circuit board are lower than those of a glass substrate commonly used for the liquid crystal antenna, and the smaller the dielectric loss, the better the performance of the liquid crystal antenna in the ultra-high frequency band application. In the embodiment of the present application, the materials of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 are not particularly limited, and in the specific implementation, the manufacturing materials of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 may be selected according to actual requirements.
According to the liquid crystal antenna provided by the embodiment of the application, the phase shifter array layer 3 is arranged between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, the phase shifter array layer 3 is a core component of the liquid crystal antenna, the phase shifter array layer 3 is connected with an external circuit, and the external circuit inputs bias voltage to the phase shifter array layer 3 to control deflection of liquid crystal molecules in the phase shifter array layer 3, so that the adjustment of the phase of a first radio frequency signal is realized. The first radio frequency signal refers to a signal externally transmitted to the substrate integrated waveguide 4, and the second radio frequency signal refers to a signal output from the first radio frequency signal through the phase shifter array layer 3. And whether the second radio frequency signal is the same as the first radio frequency signal is related to the bias voltage input by the phase shifter array layer 3. Namely, a bias voltage is input to the phase shifter array layer 3, the bias voltage forms an electric field for controlling the deflection of liquid crystal molecules, the phase of a first radio frequency signal is changed due to the deflection effect of the liquid crystal molecules in the transmission process, the first radio frequency signal is correspondingly converted into a second radio frequency signal, and at the moment, the first radio frequency signal and the second radio frequency signal are different signals; if no bias voltage is input to the phase shifter array layer 3, the first radio frequency signal is not phase shifted after passing through the phase shifter array layer 3, so the second radio frequency signal is still the first radio frequency signal at this time. The present application is not limited herein, and may be determined according to a bias voltage provided later.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the phase shifter array layer 3 may further include a circuit structure for controlling the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules, an alignment film (not shown in the figure) for assisting the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules, etc., and the circuit structure may form an electric field for controlling the deflection of the liquid crystal molecules to change the equivalent dielectric constant of the liquid crystal molecules, thereby adjusting the first rf signal received by the substrate integrated waveguide 4 and outputting the second rf signal. Alternatively, an alignment film may be disposed on a side surface of the first substrate 1 facing the second substrate 2 and a side surface of the second substrate 2 facing the first substrate 1 to assist the normal deflection of the liquid crystal molecules.
The substrate integrated waveguide 4 (Substrate Integrated Waveguide, SIW) is a closed structure, and after the substrate integrated waveguide 4 receives the first radio frequency signal, leakage of the first radio frequency signal can be effectively inhibited, so that surface wave loss and electromagnetic stray are inhibited, and interference is reduced. The substrate integrated waveguide 4 has advantages of easy integration, small volume, easy processing, light weight, etc., compared with the conventional metal waveguide. The substrate integrated waveguide 4 is adopted to feed the liquid crystal antenna, so that the first radio frequency signal can be bound in the cavity, signal leakage is prevented, transmission loss is reduced, gain is improved, and bandwidth of the liquid crystal antenna is improved.
With continued reference to fig. 1, when the liquid crystal antenna provided in the embodiment of the application transmits signals, the first radio frequency signal is transmitted to the phase shifter array layer 3 along the substrate integrated waveguide 4, and when the first radio frequency signal is transmitted through the phase shifter array layer 3, the liquid crystal molecules in the phase shifter array layer 3 deflect, so as to shift the phase of the first radio frequency signal, thereby adjusting the phase of the first radio frequency signal to obtain a second radio frequency signal, the phase shifter array layer 3 radiates the second radio frequency signal to the radiator attaching layer 5, and the radiator attaching layer 5 transmits the second radio frequency signal outwards.
Optionally, the first radio frequency signal received by the liquid crystal antenna may be a high frequency signal, for example, the frequency of the high frequency signal is greater than or equal to 1GHz, so that the liquid crystal antenna may be applied to electronic devices that remotely propagate at high speed, such as vehicles, satellites, base stations, etc., and the liquid crystal antenna provided by the application has a smaller volume, so that the liquid crystal antenna is beneficial to miniaturization of the electronic devices when applied to the electronic devices.
In the liquid crystal antenna provided by the application, the substrate integrated waveguide 4 is attached to the outside of the phase shifter array 3 to realize the change of the feed network, and compared with a conventional microstrip feed network, the feed network insertion loss of the substrate integrated waveguide 4 is lower, so that the loss in the transmission process of the first radio frequency signal can be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna is improved.
In some alternative embodiments, the phase shifter array layer 3 includes a ground metal layer 31 and a transmission metal layer 32, and a liquid crystal layer 33 disposed between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, one of the ground metal layer 31 and the transmission metal layer 32 being disposed on a side of the first substrate 1 adjacent to the second substrate 2, and the other being disposed on a side of the second substrate 2 adjacent to the first substrate 1.
In these alternative embodiments, a plurality of liquid crystal molecules are distributed in the liquid crystal layer 33, and the ground metal layer 31 and the transmission metal layer 32 are connected to an external circuit to form an electric field for controlling deflection of the liquid crystal molecules, so that electrode materials for preparing the ground metal layer 31 and the transmission metal layer 32 need to have good conductivity and meet certain thickness requirements, and the electrode materials for the ground metal layer 31 and the transmission metal layer 32 may be one of molybdenum, gold, silver, copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, or an alloy. The alloy may be copper nickel, nickel copper titanium or indium zinc oxide.
Optionally, the phase shifter array layer 3 further includes a ground signal terminal electrically connected to the ground metal layer 31 and a transmission signal terminal, and the ground signal terminal provides a ground signal to the ground metal layer 31. The transmission signal terminal is electrically connected to the transmission metal layer 32, and the transmission signal terminal provides a transmission signal to the transmission metal layer 32. The electric field intensity between the grounding metal layer 31 and the transmission metal layer 32 can be regulated and controlled by controlling the voltage of the grounding signal end and the transmission signal end, so that the deflection angle of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer 33 between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 is regulated, the liquid crystal layer 33 has different dielectric constants, the phase shifter array layer 3 shifts the phase of the first radio frequency signal, and the second radio frequency signal is obtained after the phase of the first radio frequency signal is changed.
Alternatively, the ground signal terminal and the transmission signal terminal may be fixed by connectors, or fixed by binding (bonding), or may be fixed to the phase shifter array layer 3 by a flexible printed circuit board. And the ground signal terminal and the transmission signal terminal are fixed at the side of the phase shifter array layer 3.
Referring to fig. 2, fig. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. In some alternative embodiments, the grounding metal layer 31 includes a plurality of grounding electrodes 31a disposed on the first substrate 1 and a first hollowed-out portion 31b formed between two adjacent grounding electrodes 31a, and the transmission metal layer 32 includes a plurality of transmission electrodes 32a disposed on the second substrate 2; the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the second substrate 2 at least partially overlaps the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2.
Alternatively, the ground electrode 31a may be connected to an external circuit through a signal line, the ground electrode 31a may have the same potential, and the plurality of transmission electrodes 32a may be connected to the external circuit through different signal lines, and the different signal lines may independently control the respective transmission electrodes 32a so that the respective transmission electrodes 32a have different potentials. The grounding electrode 31a and the transmission electrode 32a are electrified to form an electric field for controlling liquid crystal molecules, and the first radio frequency signals are subjected to phase shifting to different degrees under the action of different electric field intensities, so that a plurality of second radio frequency signals with different phases are radiated, the main lobe direction of a wave beam of the liquid crystal antenna is further adjusted, and the performance requirement of the liquid crystal antenna is met.
In these alternative embodiments, the adjacent ground electrodes 31a are insulated and spaced by the first hollow portion 31b, and the projection of the first hollow portion 31b on the second substrate 2 overlaps with the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2, so that the first radio frequency signal transmitted by the substrate integrated waveguide 4 passes through the first hollow portion 31b and then is transmitted to the transmission electrode 32a, the first radio frequency signal is phase-shifted to obtain the second radio frequency signal, the transmission electrode 32a couples the second radio frequency signal to the radiation electrode 51, and the radiation electrode 51 radiates the second radio frequency signal outwards.
Optionally, the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the second substrate 2 and the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2 are completely overlapped, so that the loss of the first radio frequency signal in the transmission process can be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna can be improved.
In some alternative embodiments, the radiator lamination layer 5 includes a plurality of radiation electrodes 51 disposed at intervals, and the projection of the radiation electrodes 51 on the second substrate 2 at least partially overlaps the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2.
In these alternative embodiments, a plurality of radiation electrodes 51 arranged at an insulating interval function as independent radiators to radiate the second radio frequency signal individually. The projection of the radiation electrode 51 on the second substrate 2 overlaps the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2; so that the second radio frequency signal transmitted on the transmission electrode 32a is coupled to the radiation electrode 51, and the radiation electrode 51 radiates the second radio frequency signal outward.
Referring to fig. 3, fig. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. Alternatively, the projection of the radiation electrode 51 on the second substrate 2 and the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the second substrate 2 may be completely overlapped, and the second radio frequency signal may be completely coupled to the radiation electrode 51, so that the loss of the second radio frequency signal in the outward radiation process may be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna may be improved.
In some alternative embodiments, the substrate integrated waveguide 4 includes a third substrate 41, a plurality of metallized holes 41a disposed on the third substrate 41, and a first metal layer 411 and a second metal layer 412 disposed on two sides of the third substrate 41, where the first metal layer 411, the second metal layer 412, and the plurality of metallized holes 41a form a plurality of feeding areas, and a projection of the feeding area on the first substrate 1 at least partially overlaps a projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the first substrate 1.
In these alternative embodiments, the integrated waveguide 4 further includes a radio frequency signal terminal (not shown in the drawings), a third substrate 41, and a first metal layer 411 and a second metal layer 412 disposed on two sides of the third substrate 41. The first metal layer 411 and the second metal layer 412 respectively form the upper and lower waveguide walls of the integrated waveguide 4, and the third substrate 41 is provided with a plurality of metallized holes 41a, and the plurality of metallized holes 41a form the side walls of the feeding region of the integrated waveguide 4. Specifically, when the liquid crystal antenna transmits a beam, the radio frequency signal end transmits a first radio frequency signal to the substrate integrated waveguide 4, after the feed area receives the first radio frequency signal, the first radio frequency signal is limited in the feed area formed by the two metallized holes 41a, the first metal layer 411 and the second metal layer 412 together, the metallized holes 41a isolate the first radio frequency signals in adjacent feed areas, and the first radio frequency signals in a plurality of feed areas cannot affect each other, so that damage and benefit are reduced.
The projection of the feeding area on the first substrate 1 is overlapped with the projection part of the first hollowed-out part 31b on the first substrate 1; the first rf signal transmitted by the feeding area is coupled to the transmission electrode 32a through the first hollowed-out portion 31 b.
Optionally, the projection of the feeding area on the first substrate 1 and the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the first substrate 1 may be completely overlapped, so that the transmission path of the first radio frequency signal may be optimized, and thus, the signal loss in the transmission process of the first radio frequency signal may be reduced.
Referring to fig. 4, fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. In other alternative embodiments, the transmission metal layer 32 includes a plurality of transmission electrodes 32a disposed on the first substrate 1; the grounding metal layer 31 includes a plurality of grounding electrodes 31a disposed on the second substrate 2 and a first hollowed-out portion 31b formed between two adjacent grounding electrodes 31a, where a projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the first substrate 1 at least partially overlaps a projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1.
Unlike the liquid crystal antenna shown in fig. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, the mounting positions of the transmission metal layer 32 and the ground metal layer 31 in the liquid crystal antenna are different. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that in this embodiment, the phase shifter array layer 3 may also include a ground signal terminal and a transmission signal terminal, and the ground signal terminal and the transmission signal terminal function in accordance with those of the foregoing embodiment, and will not be described herein.
In these alternative embodiments, adjacent ground electrodes 31a are insulated by the first hollowed-out portion 31b, and the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the first substrate 1 overlaps with the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1, so that the first radio frequency signal is transmitted from the transmission electrode 32a to the first hollowed-out portion 31b.
Optionally, the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the first substrate 1 and the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1 are completely overlapped, so that the loss of the first radio frequency signal in the transmission process can be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna can be improved.
Referring to fig. 5, fig. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. In some alternative embodiments, the radiator attaching layer 5 includes a plurality of radiation electrodes 51 disposed at intervals, and a projection of the radiation electrodes 51 on the second substrate 2 at least partially overlaps a projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the second substrate 2.
In these alternative embodiments, a plurality of radiation electrodes 51 arranged at intervals are provided as mutually independent radiators for radiating the second radio frequency signal outwards.
The projection of the radiation electrode 51 on the second substrate 2 and the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the second substrate 2 may be partially overlapped; so that the second radio frequency signal is coupled to the radiation electrode 51 through the first hollow portion 31b, and the radiation electrode 51 radiates the second radio frequency signal outwards.
Alternatively, the projection of the radiation electrode 51 on the second substrate 2 and the projection of the first hollowed-out portion 31b on the second substrate 2 may be completely overlapped, and the second radio frequency signal may be completely coupled to the radiation electrode 51, so that the loss of the second radio frequency signal in the outward radiation process may be reduced, and the gain of the liquid crystal antenna may be improved.
In some alternative embodiments, the substrate integrated waveguide 4 includes a third substrate 41, a plurality of metallized holes 41a disposed on the third substrate 41, and a first metal layer 411 and a second metal layer 412 disposed on two sides of the third substrate 41, where the first metal layer 411, the second metal layer 412, and the plurality of metallized holes 41a form a plurality of feeding regions, and a projection of the feeding regions on the first substrate 1 at least partially overlaps a projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1.
In these alternative embodiments, the integrated waveguide 4 also includes a radio frequency signal terminal (not shown in the figures), and the first metal layer 411 and the second metal layer 412 of the integrated waveguide 4 respectively form the upper and lower waveguide walls of the integrated waveguide 4. The third substrate 41 is provided with a plurality of metallized holes 41a, and the metallized holes 41a constitute the side walls of the feeding area of the substrate integrated waveguide 4. Specifically, when the liquid crystal antenna transmits a beam, the radio frequency signal end transmits a first radio frequency signal to the substrate integrated waveguide 4, after the feed area receives the first radio frequency signal, the first radio frequency signal is limited in the feed area formed by the two metallized holes 41a, the first metal layer 411 and the second metal layer 412 together, the metallized holes 41a isolate the first radio frequency signals in adjacent feed areas, and the first radio frequency signals in a plurality of feed areas cannot affect each other, so that damage and benefit are reduced. The first rf signal is fed into the first hollow portion 31b and then transmitted to the transmission electrode 32 a.
The projection of the feeding region on the first substrate 1 overlaps with the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1; so that the first radio frequency signal transmitted on the feeding area is coupled to the first hollowed-out portion 31b through the transmission electrode 32 a.
Alternatively, the projection of the feeding area on the first substrate 1 and the projection of the transmission electrode 32a on the first substrate 1 may be completely overlapped, and the transmission path of the first radio frequency signal may be optimized, so that the signal loss in the transmission process of the first radio frequency signal may be reduced.
In some alternative embodiments, the feed region is formed by a plurality of spaced apart metallized holes 41 a.
In these alternative embodiments, the metallized holes 41a form the side walls of the feeding areas, and the first radio frequency signals are limited in each feeding area by the metallized holes 41a, so that leakage of the first radio frequency signals can be effectively restrained, thereby restraining surface wave loss and electromagnetic stray, improving loss and reducing interference.
Alternatively, the plurality of metallized holes 41a may be arranged on the third substrate 41 in a shape of "one", "two" or "ten" or in an H shape, and may be distributed in other forms, which is not limited in the present application.
In some alternative embodiments, a plurality of metallized hollowed-out portions 412a are disposed on the second metal layer 412 at intervals.
In these alternative embodiments, the second metal layer 412 of the substrate integrated waveguide 4 may be etched by using a mask process to form a plurality of metallized hollow portions 412a, where the metallized hollow portions 412a divide the second metal layer 412 into a plurality of mutually insulated resonant pieces, and the first rf signal couples the first rf signal to the second metal layer 412 through a plurality of feeding areas of the third substrate 41.
Referring to fig. 6, fig. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional structure of another liquid crystal antenna according to an embodiment of the application. In some alternative embodiments, a frame glue 11 is disposed between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, for encapsulating the liquid crystal between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2.
In these alternative embodiments, a frame glue 11 is correspondingly disposed between the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, where the frame glue 11 is used to encapsulate the liquid crystal layer 33 and support the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2.
Optionally, a whole layer of liquid crystal layer 33 is arranged in the liquid crystal antenna, and the liquid crystal antenna is only required to be provided with the frame sealing adhesive 11 once at the periphery of the liquid crystal layer 33, so that the processing technology is simpler.
Optionally, a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark (not shown in the figure) may be provided on the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, respectively, and when the frame sealing adhesive 11 is attached to the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2, the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark may be adopted to perform alignment, so that the attachment of the first substrate 1 and the second substrate 2 is facilitated, and the alignment accuracy is improved.
Referring to fig. 7, fig. 7 is a schematic structural diagram of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present application. Based on the same inventive concept, the second aspect of the present application provides a communication device 100, where the communication device 100 includes the liquid crystal antenna provided by any of the embodiments of the first aspect.
Alternatively, the communication device 100 provided in the embodiment of the second aspect of the present application may be a wearable product, a computer, a vehicle-mounted electronic device, a mobile phone, or the like, which is not particularly limited in the present application.
The communication device 100 provided in the second embodiment of the present application has the beneficial effects of the liquid crystal antenna provided in the first embodiment of the present application, and the specific description of the antenna in each of the above embodiments may be referred to, which is not repeated herein.
It is noted that while the invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, various modifications can be made and equivalents can be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the invention. In particular, the technical features mentioned in the respective embodiments may be combined in any manner as long as there is no structural conflict. The present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but encompasses all technical solutions falling within the scope of the claims.
Claims (9)
1. A liquid crystal antenna, comprising:
A first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to each other;
A phase shifter array layer between the first substrate and the second substrate;
the substrate integrated waveguide is positioned at one side of the first substrate far away from the second substrate;
the radiator attaching layer is positioned at one side of the second substrate far away from the first substrate; the substrate integrated waveguide is used for receiving a first radio frequency signal, the phase shifter array layer is used for adjusting the first radio frequency signal to obtain a second radio frequency signal, and the radiator attaching layer is used for radiating the second radio frequency signal to the outside;
the phase shifter array layer comprises a grounding metal layer, a transmission metal layer and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein one of the grounding metal layer and the transmission metal layer is arranged on one side of the first substrate close to the second substrate, and the other is arranged on one side of the second substrate close to the first substrate;
The grounding metal layer comprises a plurality of grounding electrodes arranged on the first substrate and a first hollowed-out part formed between two adjacent grounding electrodes, and the transmission metal layer comprises a plurality of transmission electrodes arranged on the second substrate; the projection of the first hollowed-out part on the second substrate is at least partially overlapped with the projection of the transmission electrode on the second substrate.
2. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 1, wherein the radiator-attaching layer includes a plurality of radiation electrodes disposed at intervals, and wherein a projection of the radiation electrodes onto the second substrate at least partially overlaps a projection of the transmission electrodes onto the second substrate.
3. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 2, wherein the substrate integrated waveguide comprises a third substrate, a plurality of metallized holes formed in the third substrate, and a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged on two sides of the third substrate, the first metal layer, the second metal layer and the metallized holes form a plurality of feeding areas, and the projection of the feeding areas on the first substrate at least partially overlaps the projection of the first hollowed-out portion on the first substrate.
4. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 1, wherein the transmission metal layer comprises a plurality of transmission electrodes disposed on the first substrate; the grounding metal layer comprises a plurality of grounding electrodes arranged on the second substrate and first hollowed-out parts formed between two adjacent grounding electrodes, and the projection of the first hollowed-out parts on the first substrate is at least partially overlapped with the projection of the transmission electrode on the first substrate.
5. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 4, wherein the radiator attaching layer comprises a plurality of radiation electrodes arranged at intervals, and the projection of the radiation electrodes on the second substrate is at least partially overlapped with the projection of the first hollowed-out portion on the second substrate.
6. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 5, wherein the substrate integrated waveguide comprises a third substrate, a plurality of metallized holes disposed on the third substrate, and a first metal layer and a second metal layer disposed on two sides of the third substrate, the first metal layer, the second metal layer and the metallized holes form a plurality of feeding areas, and a projection of the feeding areas on the first substrate at least partially overlaps a projection of the transmission electrode on the first substrate.
7. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 3 or 6, wherein a plurality of metallized hollowed-out portions are arranged on the second metal layer at intervals.
8. The liquid crystal antenna of claim 1, wherein a frame glue is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate for encapsulating the liquid crystal between the first substrate and the second substrate.
9. A communication device comprising the liquid crystal antenna of any one of claims 1 to 8.
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| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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| CN202210224286.6A CN114696058B (en) | 2022-03-07 | 2022-03-07 | Liquid crystal antenna and communication device |
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| CN202210224286.6A CN114696058B (en) | 2022-03-07 | 2022-03-07 | Liquid crystal antenna and communication device |
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| CN114696058B true CN114696058B (en) | 2024-06-07 |
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| CN109687165A (en) * | 2018-12-29 | 2019-04-26 | 瑞声科技（南京）有限公司 | Millimeter wave array antenna mould group and mobile terminal |
| CN111293425A (en) * | 2020-03-24 | 2020-06-16 | 北京华镁钛科技有限公司 | Liquid crystal active phased array antenna |
| CN113219688A (en) * | 2020-02-05 | 2021-08-06 | 群创光电股份有限公司 | Electronic device |
| CN113451718A (en) * | 2021-06-30 | 2021-09-28 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Phase shifter and antenna |
| CN113675551A (en) * | 2021-09-03 | 2021-11-19 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Liquid crystal phase shifter and liquid crystal antenna |
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Patent Citations (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN109687165A (en) * | 2018-12-29 | 2019-04-26 | 瑞声科技（南京）有限公司 | Millimeter wave array antenna mould group and mobile terminal |
| CN113219688A (en) * | 2020-02-05 | 2021-08-06 | 群创光电股份有限公司 | Electronic device |
| CN111293425A (en) * | 2020-03-24 | 2020-06-16 | 北京华镁钛科技有限公司 | Liquid crystal active phased array antenna |
| CN113451718A (en) * | 2021-06-30 | 2021-09-28 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Phase shifter and antenna |
| CN113675551A (en) * | 2021-09-03 | 2021-11-19 | 上海天马微电子有限公司 | Liquid crystal phase shifter and liquid crystal antenna |
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