CN113675551A - Liquid crystal phase shifter and liquid crystal antenna - Google Patents
Liquid crystal phase shifter and liquid crystal antenna Download PDFInfo
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- CN113675551A CN113675551A CN202111032904.9A CN202111032904A CN113675551A CN 113675551 A CN113675551 A CN 113675551A CN 202111032904 A CN202111032904 A CN 202111032904A CN 113675551 A CN113675551 A CN 113675551A
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
- H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
- H01P1/18—Phase-shifters
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01P—WAVEGUIDES; RESONATORS, LINES, OR OTHER DEVICES OF THE WAVEGUIDE TYPE
- H01P1/00—Auxiliary devices
- H01P1/18—Phase-shifters
- H01P1/184—Strip line phase-shifters
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—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
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/12—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
- H01Q1/246—Supports; Mounting means by structural association with other equipment or articles with receiving set used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM specially adapted for base stations
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01Q—ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS
- H01Q1/00—Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas
- H01Q1/36—Structural form of radiating elements, e.g. cone, spiral, umbrella; Particular materials used therewith
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- 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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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02D—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE
- Y02D30/00—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks
- Y02D30/70—Reducing energy consumption in communication networks in wireless communication networks
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- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Waveguide Switches, Polarizers, And Phase Shifters (AREA)
Abstract
The invention discloses a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna, wherein the liquid crystal phase shifter comprises a first substrate, a second substrate, liquid crystals between the first substrate and the second substrate which are oppositely arranged, at least one microstrip line positioned on the first substrate, at least one first external port and at least one second external port; the first external port is used for receiving a first microwave signal and inputting the first microwave signal to the microstrip line; the microstrip line receives a first microwave signal input by the first external port, adjusts the phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal and transmits the second microwave signal to the second external port; the second external port receives and outputs a second microwave signal; the microstrip line structure further comprises a first metal layer located on the second substrate, and the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the plane where the first substrate is located is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the plane where the first substrate is located. The liquid crystal phase shifter is used for being connected with the radio frequency transmitters and the radiators in different forms, so that the flexibility of the application scene of the liquid crystal phase shifter is improved.
Description
Technical Field
The invention relates to the technical field of wireless communication, in particular to a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna.
Background
The liquid crystal antenna utilizes the electric signal to control the arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules based on the characteristic of the anisotropy of the liquid crystal molecules, thereby changing the microwave dielectric parameters of each phase shifter unit, controlling the phase of the microwave signal in each unit and finally realizing the control of the radiation beam pointing direction of the antenna. The method can be applied to the scenes of satellite communication, 5G millimeter wave base stations and the like.
In the design of the existing liquid crystal antenna, an "integrated" design is generally adopted, that is, a radiator and a phase shifter are integrally designed, and the radiator is usually in the form of a microstrip patch antenna or a slot antenna. However, for practical applications, the types of radiators are various, and the integrated design limits the types of radiators that can be selected, and the design flexibility is poor.
Disclosure of Invention
In view of this, the present invention provides a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna, and the liquid crystal phase shifter is arranged for being connected to different forms of radio frequency transmitters and radiators, so as to improve the flexibility of the application scenario of the liquid crystal phase shifter.
In one aspect, the present invention provides a liquid crystal phase shifter, including a first substrate and a second substrate which are oppositely disposed, and a liquid crystal sandwiched between the first substrate and the second substrate;
the microstrip line structure also comprises at least one microstrip line, at least one first external port and at least one second external port which are positioned on the first substrate;
the first external port is used for receiving a first microwave signal and inputting the first microwave signal to the microstrip line;
the microstrip line is coupled with the first external port and the second external port respectively and used for receiving a first microwave signal input by the first external port, adjusting the phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal and transmitting the second microwave signal to the second external port;
the second external port is used for receiving a second microwave signal and outputting the second microwave signal;
the microstrip line structure further comprises a first metal layer located on the second substrate, and the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the plane where the first substrate is located is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the plane where the first substrate is located.
On the other hand, the invention also provides a liquid crystal antenna, which comprises the liquid crystal phase shifter, a radio frequency transmitter and a radiator;
the radio frequency transmitter is connected with the first external port and used for providing a first microwave signal to the first external port;
the radiator is connected with the second external port and used for receiving a second microwave signal sent by the second external port and radiating the second microwave signal out of the liquid crystal antenna.
Compared with the prior art, the invention provides a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna, which comprise at least one first external port and at least one second external port; the first external port is used for receiving a first microwave signal and inputting the first microwave signal to the microstrip line; the microstrip line is coupled with the first external port and the second external port respectively and used for receiving a first microwave signal input by the first external port, adjusting the phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal and transmitting the second microwave signal to the second external port; the first external port and the second external port are universal devices, the first external port can be connected with radio frequency transmitters with different models and specifications in a matching mode, and the second external port can be connected with radiators with different models and specifications in a matching mode. Therefore, the liquid crystal phase shifter provided by the invention is used for being connected with different forms of radio frequency transmitters and radiators to improve the flexibility of application scenes of the liquid crystal phase shifter.
Of course, it is not necessary for any product in which the present invention is practiced to specifically achieve all of the above technical effects simultaneously.
Other features of the present invention and advantages thereof will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Drawings
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a prior art liquid crystal antenna;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line N-N' of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line Q-Q' of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line W-W' of FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of R in FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a schematic view of another structure of R in FIG. 8;
FIG. 11 is a schematic view of another structure of R in FIG. 8;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter according to the present application;
FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B' of FIG. 15;
FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A' of FIG. 6;
fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal antenna according to the present invention.
Detailed Description
Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that: the relative arrangement of the components and steps, the numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention unless specifically stated otherwise.
The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.
Techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those of ordinary skill in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but are intended to be part of the specification where appropriate.
In all examples shown and discussed herein, any particular value should be construed as merely illustrative, and not limiting. Thus, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.
It should be noted that: like reference numbers and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and thus, once an item is defined in one figure, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent figures.
Referring to fig. 1 and 2, fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal antenna in the prior art, and fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view along the direction N-N' in fig. 1. A liquid crystal antenna 100 provided in the prior art includes a first substrate 01 and a second substrate 02 that are disposed opposite to each other, and a dielectric layer 03 interposed between the first substrate 01 and the second substrate 02; the liquid crystal antenna 100 further includes a feeding network 012, a radiator 013 and a phase shifter 021, the feeding network 012 and the radiator 013 are located on a side of the first substrate 01 away from the second substrate 02, the phase shifter 021 is located on a side of the second substrate 02 close to the first substrate 01, an orthographic projection of the feeding network 012 on a plane where the first substrate 01 is located at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the first via L1 on a plane where the first substrate 01 is located, an orthographic projection of the radiator 013 on a plane where the first substrate 01 is located at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the second via L2 on a plane where the first substrate 01 is located, an orthographic projection of the phase shifter 021 on a plane where the second substrate 02 is located at least partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the first via L1 and the second via L2 on a plane where the second substrate 02 is located, a high frequency transmitter (not shown in the figure) transmits a microwave signal to the feeding network 012, the microwave signal is coupled to the phase shifter 021 through the first via L1, the microwave signal is phase-modulated by the dielectric layer 03, and then is coupled to the radiator 013 from the phase shifter 021 through the second via hole L2, and the radiator 013 radiates the microwave signal to the outside, that is, the liquid crystal antenna 100 can output microwaves, but the phase shifter 021 and the radiator 013 in the liquid crystal antenna 100 provided in the prior art generally adopt an integrated design, and the radiator 013 usually adopts a microstrip patch antenna or a slot antenna, etc. However, for practical applications, the types of the radiators 013 are various, and the "integrated" design makes the types of radiators 013 available and limited, and the design flexibility is poor.
In order to solve the technical problems, the invention provides a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna. The following detailed description will be directed to embodiments of a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna provided in the present invention.
In this embodiment, referring to fig. 3 and fig. 4, fig. 3 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal phase shifter provided by the present application, and fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view along direction Q-Q' in fig. 3. The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided by the present embodiment includes a first substrate 10 and a second substrate 20 disposed opposite to each other, and a liquid crystal 30 sandwiched between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20; the microstrip line structure further comprises at least one microstrip line 11, at least one first external port D1 and at least one second external port D2, which are positioned on the first substrate 10; the first external port D1 is configured to receive a first microwave signal and input the first microwave signal to the microstrip line 11; the microstrip line 11 is coupled to the first external port D1 and the second external port D2, and configured to receive a first microwave signal input by the first external port D1, adjust a phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal, and transmit the second microwave signal to the second external port D2; the second external port D2 is used for receiving the second microwave signal and outputting the second microwave signal; the microstrip line structure further comprises a first metal layer M1 located on the second substrate 20, and an orthographic projection of the first metal layer M1 on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps with an orthographic projection of the microstrip line 11 on the plane of the first substrate 10.
Wherein, the second microwave signal refers to a microwave signal coupled to the microstrip line 11 through the first microwave signal and coupled to the second external port D2 through the microstrip line 11, and whether the second microwave signal is the same signal as the first microwave signal or not can be related to whether a bias voltage is input to the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 or not, that is, if a bias voltage is input to the liquid crystal phase shifter 200, an electric field is formed between the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11, the liquid crystal 30 deflects under the action of the electric field force, during the transmission process of the first microwave signal, the phase is changed due to the deflection of the liquid crystal 30, and is correspondingly converted into the second microwave signal, at this time, the first microwave signal and the second microwave signal are different signals, and if a bias voltage is not input to the liquid crystal phase shifter 200, the first microwave signal is not moved after being coupled to the microstrip line 11, so the second microwave signal at this time is still the first microwave signal, specifically, whether the first microwave signal and the second microwave signal are the same or not is not limited herein, and may be determined according to a subsequently provided bias voltage.
It can be understood that the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment may include a first external port D1 and a second external port D2, where the first external port D1 is configured to receive a first microwave signal, the microstrip line 11 receives the first microwave signal input by the first external port D1, adjusts a phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal, and transmits the second microwave signal to the second external port D2, and the second external port D2 receives the second microwave signal and outputs the second microwave signal to the second external port D2. Because the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is manufactured separately, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 can be used for shifting the phase of the microwave signal, and when the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is formed into a liquid crystal antenna subsequently, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 does not need to be integrally designed with a radiator (not shown in the figure), so that the manufacturing process of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is simplified; meanwhile, since the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 includes a universal external port, the first external port D1 and the second external port D2 are universal devices, that is, radiators of different models and specifications can be connected in a matching manner through the second external port D2, and radio frequency transmitters (not shown in the drawings) of different models and specifications are connected through the first external port. Therefore, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided by the invention can be coupled and connected with radio frequency transmitters with different specifications through the first external port and connected with radiators with different specifications through the second external port, so that the flexibility of the application scene of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is improved.
The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment includes at least one first external port D1 and at least one second external port D2, and fig. 2 only exemplifies that the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 includes four first external ports D1 and four second external ports D2, and one microstrip line 11 is disposed between the first external port D1 and the second external port which are oppositely disposed, and since each microstrip line 11 is independently disposed, when a liquid crystal antenna is subsequently formed, microwave signals entering different microstrip lines 11 can be flexibly adjusted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention may also include a first external port D1 corresponding to a plurality of second external ports D2, or the first external port D1 and the second external port D2 both include only one, that is, one first external port D1 corresponding to one second external port D2, that is, one minimum repeating unit in fig. 3 is a liquid crystal phase shifter, and the number of the minimum repeating units may be specifically set according to actual requirements, and will not be described again below.
Optionally, the structures of the first external port D1 and the second external port D2 may be the same or different, and the specific conditions of the structures are set according to actual requirements, so long as it is ensured that the first external port D1 can be coupled with the radio frequency transmitter and receive the microwave signal provided by the radio frequency transmitter, and the second external port D2 may be connected with the radiator and send the microwave signal to the radiator.
It should be noted that the coupling connection between the microstrip line 11 and the first external port D1 may be a contact connection between the microstrip line 11 and the first external port D1, or a non-contact connection with a gap between the microstrip line 11 and the first external port D1, as long as the microwave signal can be coupled from the first external port D1 to the microstrip line 11. Similarly, the coupling connection mentioned in the present application is as described above, and will not be described in detail below.
Optionally, only the microstrip line 11 is illustrated in fig. 3 as a serpentine winding shape, but is not limited thereto, and may also be a spiral winding shape, only one microstrip line 11 is illustrated in fig. 3 as corresponding to one metal block in one first metal layer M1, but is not limited thereto, a plurality of microstrip lines 11 may also be provided as corresponding to one metal block in one first metal layer M1, and the shape of the specific microstrip line 11 and the corresponding relationship with the first metal layer M1 may be set according to actual requirements, and will not be described in detail below.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 5 and fig. 6, fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in the present application, and fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in the present application. The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment includes a plurality of microstrip lines 11; the power divider 12 is further included, a first end of the power divider 12 is connected to the first external port D1, and a second end of the power divider 12 is coupled to the plurality of microstrip lines 11.
It can be understood that, when the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment includes a plurality of microstrip lines 11, and only includes one first external port D1, and the plurality of microstrip lines 11, the power divider 12 may be provided, and since the power divider 12 includes one input end and a plurality of output ends, the power divider 12 is a device that divides one path of input signal energy into two or more paths of output equal or unequal energy, where the input signal energy may be power of a microwave signal, the input end of the power divider 12 is a first end, and the output end of the power divider 12 is a second end, when the first end of the power divider 12 is connected to the first external port D1, and the second end of the power divider 12 is coupled to the plurality of microstrip lines 11, the first microwave signal sent from the first external port D1 to the power divider 12 may be coupled to each microstrip line 11 to provide the first microwave signal.
Fig. 5 only illustrates that the power divider 12 is a four-power divider, but is not limited thereto, and the power divider 12 may also be a two-power divider, a six-power divider, or an eight-power divider, and specifically, the specification of the power divider 12 may be set according to the number of the microstrip lines 11. Fig. 5 only illustrates that the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 are coupled, and a bias voltage may be subsequently applied to the microstrip line 11 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 5 to adjust an electric field formed between the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11, and adjust a deflection condition of the liquid crystal 30 under the action of the electric field, so as to change a phase of the microwave signal, but not limited thereto, as shown in fig. 6, the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 may be further configured to be in contact connection, as shown in fig. 6, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 may subsequently apply a bias voltage to the first metal layer M1 to adjust an electric field formed between the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11, and adjust a deflection condition of the liquid crystal 30 under the action of the electric field, so as to change a phase of the microwave signal, and in particular, how the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 applies the bias voltage will be described in detail in the following embodiments.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line W-W' of FIG. 5. In the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, a gap is formed between the second end of the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11; the second substrate 20 further includes a plurality of coupling structures O, the coupling structures O are on the same layer as the first metal layer M1, and a gap is included between the coupling structures O and the first metal layer M1; the orthographic projection of each coupling structure O on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the power divider 12 on the plane of the first substrate 10 and the orthographic projection of the microstrip line 11 on the plane of the first substrate 10.
It can be understood that, in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, when a gap exists between the second end of the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11, the power divider 12 is coupled to the microstrip line 11, that is, a signal coupling transmission between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 is required, and a coupling structure O is further disposed on the second substrate 20, an orthogonal projection of the coupling structure O on the plane where the first substrate 10 is located is at least partially overlapped with an orthogonal projection of the power divider 12 on the plane where the first substrate 10 is located, and an orthogonal projection of the coupling structure O on the plane where the first substrate 10 is located is at least partially overlapped with an orthogonal projection of the microstrip line 11 on the plane where the first substrate 10 is located, so that the first microwave signal sent to the power divider 12 by the first external port D1 can be coupled to the coupling structure O on the second substrate 20, and then coupled to the microstrip line 11 toward the first substrate 10 by the coupling structure O, the transmission of the microwave signal from the power divider 12 to the microstrip line 11 is realized. Since the coupling structure O is different from the microwave signal between the first metal layer M1 in the subsequent transmission of the microwave signal, when the coupling structure O is disposed on the same layer as the first metal layer M1, a gap between the coupling structure O and the first metal layer M1 needs to be limited, thereby effectively preventing the coupling structure O from generating crosstalk to the microwave of the first metal layer M1 after receiving the first microwave signal, and affecting the working performance of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 8 and fig. 9, fig. 8 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in the present application, and fig. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of R in fig. 8. In the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, along the direction X perpendicular to the extension of the microstrip line 11, the second end of the power divider 12 at least partially overlaps with one end of the microstrip line 11 close to the power divider 12, and a gap is formed between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11.
It can be understood that the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment may be configured to perform coupling connection by adjusting the positions of the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11, and set along the direction X perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, where the second end of the power divider 12 is at least partially overlapped with one end of the microstrip line 11 close to the power divider 12, and the microstrip line 11 of the power divider 12 may perform coupling transmission of microwave signals through the overlapped portion, so that a coupling structure does not need to be separately disposed on the second substrate 20, and a process of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 may be simplified. Optionally, a coupling structure is disposed on the second substrate 20, the coupling structure may be a hole digging structure penetrating through the second substrate 20, the hole digging structure is overlapped with both the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 in a direction perpendicular to the first substrate 10, and the hole digging structure may implement coupling transmission of the microwave signal from the power divider 12 to the microstrip line 11. As described with reference to fig. 8 and 9, the region R in fig. 8 is a coupling connection position of the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12, fig. 9 illustrates a structure at the coupling connection position of the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12, the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 may include an expanded portion I, the expanded portion I is located at a position closest to the overlapping position, the expanded portion I is set to improve the microwave coupling efficiency, and the area of the expanded portion I may be set according to an actual situation, so long as the microwave signal coupling efficiency can be improved, which belongs to the protection scope of the present invention.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 8, 10 and 11, fig. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of R in fig. 8, and fig. 11 is a schematic structural diagram of R in fig. 8, in a liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 includes an auxiliary structure T1, in the liquid crystal phase shifter shown in fig. 10, an auxiliary structure T1 is disposed between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 in a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the microstrip line 11, and in the direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, the auxiliary structure T1 is at least partially overlapped with the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11, so that after the power divider 12 couples the first microwave signal to the auxiliary structure T1, the auxiliary structure T1 couples the first microwave signal to the corresponding microstrip line, and implements microwave signal transmission of the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11. Alternatively, the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 may have no overlap in a direction extending perpendicular to the microstrip line 11. The liquid crystal phase shifter shown in fig. 11 also includes an auxiliary structure T2, the auxiliary structure T2 is different from the auxiliary structure T1 shown in fig. 10, the orthogonal projection of the auxiliary structure T2 on the plane of the first substrate 10 is U-shaped, and one side of the power divider 12 close to the microstrip line 11 includes a protruding portion, one side of the microstrip line 11 close to the power divider 12 also includes a protruding portion, and the protruding portion of the power divider 12 and the protruding portion of the microstrip line 11 have a gap, the auxiliary structure T2 semi-surrounds the protruding portion of the power divider 12 and the protruding portion of the microstrip line 11, and then the power divider 12 can couple a portion of the first microwave signal to the auxiliary structure T2, and the auxiliary structure T2 couples the portion of the first microwave signal to the corresponding microstrip line 11, meanwhile, the power divider 12 may also directly couple a portion of the first microwave signal to the corresponding microstrip line 11, so as to implement microwave signal transmission between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11. The auxiliary structure T1 and the auxiliary structure T2 may be both in the same layer as the power divider 12 and/or the microstrip line 11, and optionally, the auxiliary structure T1 and the auxiliary structure T2 may be made of the same material as the power divider 12 and/or the microstrip line 11, and may be formed by a single photolithography process, which is beneficial to simplifying the process.
Alternatively, as shown in fig. 9 to 11, the length of the overlapped area between the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12 in the direction from the second end of the power divider 12 to the microstrip line 11 in fig. 9 is equal to
Multiple of the wavelength of the first microwave signal. The length of the overlapping region of the auxiliary structure T1 and the microstrip line 11 in fig. 10 in the direction from the second end of the power divider 12 to the microstrip line 11 is equal to
Multiple wavelength of the first microwave signal, and the length of the overlapped part of the auxiliary branch T1 and the power divider 12 along the direction from the second end of the power divider 12 to the microstrip line 11 is equal to
Multiple of the wavelength of the first microwave signal. In fig. 11, the auxiliary structure T2 and the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12 have an overlapping region in a direction in which the second end of the power divider 12 points toward the microstrip line 11, and the length of the overlapping region in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11 is equal to
Multiple of the wavelength of the first microwave signal. The length of the overlapping area between the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12 or between the microstrip line 11 and the power divider 12 and the auxiliary structure is limited, so that the microwave signal can be ensured to be coupled and transmitted between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11.
In some optional embodiments, referring to fig. 12, fig. 12 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in this application, in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the power divider 12 includes a plurality of transmission lines S, the transmission lines S are located at the second end of the power divider 12, the plurality of transmission lines S are correspondingly coupled to the plurality of microstrip lines 11, and lengths of the transmission lines S are the same.
It can be understood that, in conjunction with the power divider 12 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 5, the distance between the first end and the second end of the power divider 12 is not equidistant, that is, the transmission lines in the power divider 12 are different in length, and the transmission lines at the edge positions of the upper side and the lower side in fig. 5 are obviously longer than the two transmission lines at the middle position, so when microwave signals are coupled to the microstrip lines 11 through the power divider 12, because the transmission power losses of the microwave signals on the transmission lines with different lengths are different, the powers of the microwave signals coupled to the microstrip lines 11 are different. In order to solve the above problem, as shown in fig. 12, the power divider 12 includes a plurality of transmission lines S, the transmission line S is located at the second end of the power divider 12, the plurality of transmission lines S are correspondingly coupled to the plurality of microstrip lines 11, the transmission line S and the microstrip line 11 can be connected by a coupling structure O, the length of each transmission line S is the same, and since the length of each transmission line S is equal, the transmission power loss of the microwave signal on the transmission line S is also the same, and the microwave signals on the microstrip lines 11 tend to be the same. Fig. 12 only takes five power dividers as an example, but not limited to this, and the model specification of the power divider 12 may be set according to actual requirements. And the transmission of the microwave signal between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 corresponding to this embodiment is the same as the transmission of the microwave signal between the power divider 12 and the microstrip line 11 in the liquid crystal phase shifter in the embodiment shown in fig. 5, and is not described herein again.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 3, the first external port D1 includes a first rf connector D11, and the second external port D2 includes a second rf connector D21 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
It can be understood that the first external port D1 includes a first rf connector D11, the second external port D2 includes a second rf connector D21, and the first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 are both a universal external port, and can be connected to different types of rf transmitters and radiators, so as to improve the flexibility of the application scenario of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200. The first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 may be SMA (Sub-Miniature-a) connectors or soldering-free connectors, but are not limited thereto, as long as the rf connectors output signals such as microwaves, and the specific structural models of the first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 are not limited in the present invention, as long as they can be matched with universal ports of various types of rf transmitters and radiators, and all of them fall within the protection scope of the present invention.
In some alternative embodiments, and as shown in fig. 3 and 13, fig. 13 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in the present application. In the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the first external port D1 further includes a first adapting structure Z1, and the first adapting structure Z1 is connected to an output end of the first rf connector D11; the second external port D2 further includes a second adapting structure Z2, and the second adapting structure Z2 is connected to the input terminal of the second rf connector D21.
It can be understood that the first external connection port D1 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment further includes a first adapting structure Z1, and the first adapting structure Z1 is connected to the output end of the first rf connector D11; the second external port D2 further includes a second adapting structure Z2, the second adapting structure Z2 is connected to the input end of the second rf connector D21, that is, the first adapting structure Z1 is located between the output end of the first rf connector D11 and the microstrip line 11, and the second adapting structure Z2 is located between the microstrip line 11 and the input end of the second rf connector D21. Because the first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 are two independent universal external ports, in order to connect the first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 with the microstrip line 11, a switch structure may be further provided, and the first rf connector D11 and the second rf connector D21 are respectively connected with the microstrip line 11 through the first switch structure Z1 and the second switch structure Z2, so that the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 may perform transmission of microwave signals. Further, the output end of the first rf connector D11 may be soldered to the first adapting structure Z1, and the input end of the second rf connector D21 may be soldered to the second adapting structure Z2, so as to connect the adapting structure and the rf connector. As shown in fig. 13, the first switching structure Z1 and the second switching structure Z2 may also be disposed on the same layer as the microstrip line 11, and the first switching structure Z1, the second switching structure Z2 and the microstrip line 11 may be made of the same material, and may be formed by a photolithography process, which is beneficial to simplifying the process of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
In some alternative embodiments, and continuing with fig. 3, the present embodiment provides a liquid crystal phase shifter 200: the first transition structure Z1 is a first coplanar waveguide transition structure Z11, the first coplanar waveguide transition structure Z11 includes a first output end a1 and two second output ends b1, along the direction X perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, the first input end a1 is located between the two second input ends b1, the first output end a1 is connected with the first end of the microstrip line 11, and the orthogonal projection of the second output end b1 on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps the orthogonal projection of the first metal layer M1 on the plane of the first substrate 10; the second transition structure Z2 is a second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21, the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21 includes a first input end a2 and two second input ends b2, in the direction X perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, the first input end a2 is located between the two second input ends b2, the first input end a2 is connected to the second end of the microstrip line 11, and an orthogonal projection of the second input end b2 on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps an orthogonal projection of the first metal layer M1 on the plane of the first substrate 10.
It can be understood that, in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the first adapting structure Z1 is a first coplanar waveguide adapting structure Z11, the second adapting structure Z2 is a second coplanar waveguide adapting structure Z21, the coplanar waveguide adapting structure includes three terminal pins, the first coplanar waveguide adapting structure Z11 includes a first output terminal a1 and two second output terminals b1, and the first coplanar waveguide adapting structure Z11 further includes three corresponding input terminals for connecting with the first rf connector D11, for receiving the microwave signal emitted by the first rf connector D11, since the first output terminal a1 is connected with the first end of the microstrip line 11, the microwave signal can be transmitted into the microstrip line 11, and since the orthogonal projection of the second output terminal b1 on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps the orthogonal projection of the first metal layer M1 on the plane of the first substrate 10, i.e. simultaneously sending the microwave signal coupling to the first metal layer M1; meanwhile, the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21 includes a first input end a2 and two second input ends b2, and the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21 further includes three corresponding output pins for connecting with the second rf connector D21, because the orthographic projection of the second input end b2 of the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21 on the plane of the first substrate 10 at least partially overlaps with the orthographic projection of the first metal layer M1 on the plane of the first substrate 10, that is, the microwave signal on the first metal layer M1 can be coupled to the second input end b2 of the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21, and because the first input end a2 of the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21 is connected with the second end of the microstrip line 11, the microstrip line 11 can transmit the microwave signal to the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21, and the microwave signal is input to the second rf connector D21 through the output pin of the second coplanar waveguide transition structure Z21, and then out of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
The microwave signals include high-potential signals and low-potential signals, the first output terminal a1 and the second output terminal a2 receive the high-potential signals and the low-potential signals transmitted by the first radio frequency connector D11, that is, when the first output terminal a1 receives the high-potential signals, the second output terminal b1 receives the low-potential signals, the first output terminal a2 receives the high-potential signals, and the second input terminal b2 receives the low-potential signals, or vice versa.
In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 14, fig. 14 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided in the present application. In the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the first substrate 10 further includes a conductor K, the conductor K is on the same layer as the microstrip line 11, and the microstrip line 11 is located between the conductors K; a first end of the microstrip line 11 is connected with a first voltage end f1 of the first radio frequency connector D11, and a second end of the microstrip line 11 is connected with a first voltage end e1 of the second radio frequency connector D21; the first end of the conductor K is connected to the second voltage terminal f2 of the first rf connector D11, and the second end of the conductor K is connected to the second voltage terminal e2 of the second rf connector D21.
It can be understood that the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment includes the first metal layer M1 located on the second substrate 20, and further includes the conductor K and the microstrip line 11 located on the first substrate 10, and the microstrip line 11 is located between the conductor K, that is, the first metal layer M1, the conductor K and the microstrip line 11 may form a CPWG (Coplanar Waveguide with Ground) structure, further, a first end of the microstrip line 11 is connected to a first voltage end of the first rf connector D11, and a second end of the microstrip line 11 is connected to a second voltage end of the second rf connector D21; the first end of the conductor K is connected to the second voltage end of the first rf connector D11, and the second end of the conductor K is connected to the second voltage end of the second rf connector D21, so that signals are respectively transmitted in the gap formed between the conductor K and the microstrip line 11 along the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, and are also transmitted between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20 along the extension direction of the microstrip line 11, thereby realizing the microwave signal transmission of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200. As shown in fig. 13, the conductive body K and the microstrip line 11 are on the same layer, and the conductive body K and the microstrip line 11 are made of the same material and can be formed by a photolithography process, which is beneficial to reducing the process steps of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
In some alternative embodiments, and with continued reference to fig. 3 and 5, the present embodiment provides a liquid crystal phase shifter 200 including a first external port D1 and a plurality of second external ports D2; alternatively, a plurality of first external ports D1 and a plurality of second external ports D2 are included.
It can be understood that, in fig. 3, only the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 includes a plurality of first external ports D1 and a plurality of second external ports D2 as an example, and fig. 5 only the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 includes one first external port D1 and a plurality of second external ports D2, the number of the first external ports D1 and the second external ports D2 is not limited in the present invention, and the corresponding external ports may be set according to the number of the radio frequency transmitters and the number of the radiators, so as to improve the flexibility of the application scenario of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
In some alternative embodiments, with continuing reference to fig. 15 and 16, fig. 15 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided herein, and fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view along direction B-B' of fig. 15. The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 of the present embodiment: the first substrate 10 further includes a plurality of bias voltage lines U, the bias voltage lines U are located on a side of the microstrip lines 11 away from the second substrate 20, and the bias voltage lines U are correspondingly connected to the microstrip lines 11.
In fig. 16, only the bias voltage line U and the microstrip line 11 may be connected by a via, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and other electrical connection methods may be adopted.
It can be understood that, when the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is not in operation, no voltage signal exists on the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11, the liquid crystal 30 is in an initial state, and when the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is in operation, a voltage signal may be provided to the first metal layer M1 or the microstrip line 11 through the bias voltage line U, only the voltage of the microstrip line 11 is illustrated in fig. 15, the bias voltage line U is set to be correspondingly connected to the microstrip line 11, so that an electric field is formed between the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11, the liquid crystal 30 deflects under the action of the electric field force, and when the first microwave signal is sent to the microstrip line 11, during the transmission process of the first microwave signal, the phase may be changed due to the deflection of the liquid crystal 30, and accordingly converted into the second microwave signal, and finally coupled to the outside of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 through the second external port D2. The magnitude of the electric field between the first metal layer M1 and the microstrip line 11 can be changed by adjusting the value of the voltage signal sent by the bias voltage line U, so as to adjust the magnitude of the phase change of the first microwave signal.
The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 12 and 14 is also suitable for the above-mentioned offset voltage line U, and as the microstrip lines 11 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 15, 12 and 14 are all independent structures, for example, the microstrip lines 11 in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 12 and 15 are all coupled with the power divider 12 and are not in direct contact, that is, when the offset voltage line U sends a voltage signal to the microstrip lines 11, the microwave signal in the power divider 12 is not affected, and the bias voltage is effectively prevented from crosstalk with the microwave signal in the power divider 12. And the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 14 is of a CPWG structure, and a power divider is not required to be provided, that is, when the bias voltage on the microstrip line 11 is adjusted in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200, the microwave signals on other components are not subjected to crosstalk, so the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 15, 12, and 14 is suitable for the bias voltage line U.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 6 and 17, fig. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of another liquid crystal phase shifter provided by the present application, and fig. 17 is a cross-sectional view along a-a' direction in fig. 6. The liquid crystal phase shifter 200 of the present embodiment: the first metal layer M1 includes metal blocks M extending along the first direction X and arranged in the second direction Y; the orthographic projection of the metal block M on the plane of the first substrate 10 is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the microstrip line 11 on the plane of the first substrate 10; the second substrate 20 further includes a plurality of bias voltage lines U, the bias voltage lines U are located on a side of the second substrate 20 away from the first substrate 10, and the bias voltage lines U are correspondingly connected to the metal blocks M; the first direction X is an extending direction of the microstrip line 11, and the first direction X and the second direction Y overlap. Wherein the extension direction of the microstrip line 11 refers to the extension direction of the microstrip line 11 structure as a whole.
It can be understood that, in the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided in this embodiment, the first metal layer M1 is divided into a plurality of metal blocks M extending along the first direction X and arranged in the second direction Y, the bias voltage line U is further disposed on a side of the second substrate 20 away from the first substrate 10, and the bias voltage line U is correspondingly connected to the metal blocks M, so that when the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is in operation, the bias voltage can be provided to the metal blocks through the bias voltage line U, because the metal blocks M in the first metal layer M1 are independent of each other, and the first metal layer M1 has no other structure, the voltage signal on the metal block M does not cause signal crosstalk to other structures, that is, the problem of microwave signal crosstalk cannot be sent when the bias voltage is applied to the liquid crystal phase shifter 200.
Alternatively, the microstrip line 11 in the present invention is only exemplified by a meandering line, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured as a Composite Right/Left Handed (CRLH) structure, a stripline or a slotline structure, or the like.
Optionally, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 provided by the present invention may further include a retaining wall sandwiched between the first substrate 10 and the second substrate 20, where the retaining wall may play a role in encapsulating the liquid crystal 30 when filling the liquid crystal.
In some alternative embodiments, referring to fig. 18, fig. 18 is a schematic structural diagram of a liquid crystal antenna provided in the present invention. The liquid crystal antenna 300 provided in this embodiment includes the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 according to any of the above embodiments, the liquid crystal antenna 300 further includes a radio frequency transmitter C1 and a radiator C2, the radio frequency transmitter C1 is connected to the first external port D1 and is configured to provide a first microwave signal to the first external port D1, and the radiator C2 is connected to the second external port D2 and is configured to receive a second microwave signal sent by the second external port D2 and radiate the second microwave signal out of the liquid crystal antenna 300. By adopting the liquid crystal antenna 300, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 can be connected with different forms of radio frequency transmitters C1 and radiators C2, for example, the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 can be connected with signal radiators such as a horn antenna, a dipole antenna, a monopole antenna and a yagi antenna, so that the flexibility of the application scene of the liquid crystal phase shifter 200 is improved.
According to the embodiments, the liquid crystal phase shifter and the liquid crystal antenna provided by the invention at least realize the following beneficial effects:
compared with the prior art, the invention provides a liquid crystal phase shifter and a liquid crystal antenna, which comprise at least one first external port and at least one second external port; the first external port is used for receiving a first microwave signal and inputting the first microwave signal to the microstrip line; the microstrip line is coupled with the first external port and the second external port respectively and used for receiving a first microwave signal input by the first external port, adjusting the phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal and transmitting the second microwave signal to the second external port; the first external port and the second external port are universal devices and can be matched and connected with radio frequency transmitters and radiators with different models and specifications. Therefore, the liquid crystal phase shifter and the liquid crystal antenna provided by the invention are used for being connected with different forms of radio frequency transmitters and radiators, and the flexibility of application scenes of the liquid crystal phase shifter is improved.
Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
Claims (13)
1. The liquid crystal phase shifter is characterized by comprising a first substrate, a second substrate and liquid crystal, wherein the first substrate and the second substrate are arranged oppositely, and the liquid crystal is clamped between the first substrate and the second substrate;
the microstrip line structure also comprises at least one microstrip line, at least one first external port and at least one second external port which are positioned on the first substrate;
the first external port is used for receiving a first microwave signal and inputting the first microwave signal to the microstrip line;
the microstrip line is coupled with the first external port and the second external port respectively, and is used for receiving the first microwave signal input by the first external port, adjusting the phase of the first microwave signal to obtain a second microwave signal, and transmitting the second microwave signal to the second external port;
the second external port is used for receiving the second microwave signal and outputting the second microwave signal;
the microstrip line structure further comprises a first metal layer located on the second substrate, and the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the plane where the first substrate is located is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the plane where the first substrate is located.
2. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 1, comprising a plurality of microstrip lines;
the power divider is characterized by further comprising a power divider, wherein the first end of the power divider is connected with the first external port, and the second end of the power divider is coupled with the microstrip lines.
3. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 2, wherein a gap is provided between the second end of the power divider and the microstrip line;
the second substrate further comprises a plurality of coupling structures, the coupling structures are on the same layer as the first metal layer, and gaps are formed between the coupling structures and the first metal layer;
the orthographic projection of each coupling structure on the plane of the first substrate is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the power divider on the plane of the first substrate and the orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the plane of the first substrate.
4. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 2, wherein the second end of the power divider at least partially overlaps with an end of the microstrip line close to the power divider in a direction perpendicular to the extension of the microstrip line, and a gap is provided between the power divider and the microstrip line.
5. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 2, wherein the power divider comprises a plurality of transmission lines, the transmission lines are located at the second end of the power divider, the plurality of transmission lines are correspondingly coupled with a plurality of microstrip lines, and each of the transmission lines has the same length.
6. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the first external port comprises a first radio frequency connector and the second external port comprises a second radio frequency connector.
7. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 6, wherein the first external port further comprises a first switch structure, the first switch structure being connected to an output of the first RF connector;
the second external port further comprises a second switching structure, and the second switching structure is connected with the input end of the second radio frequency connector.
8. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 7, wherein the first via structure is a first coplanar waveguide via structure, the first coplanar waveguide via structure includes a first output end and two second output ends, the first output end is located between the two second output ends along a direction perpendicular to an extension direction of the microstrip line, the first output end is connected to the first end of the microstrip line, and an orthogonal projection of the second output end on a plane of the first substrate at least partially overlaps an orthogonal projection of the first metal layer on a plane of the first substrate;
the second switching structure is a second coplanar waveguide switching structure, the second coplanar waveguide switching structure comprises a first input end and two first output ends, the first input end is located between the two second input ends along a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the microstrip line, the first input end is connected with the second end of the microstrip line, and the orthographic projection of the second input end on the plane of the first substrate is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the first metal layer on the plane of the first substrate.
9. The liquid crystal phase shifter as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first substrate further comprises an electrical conductor, the electrical conductor is on the same layer as the microstrip line, and the microstrip line is located between the electrical conductors;
the first end of the microstrip line is connected with the first voltage end of the first radio frequency connector, and the second end of the microstrip line is connected with the second voltage end of the second radio frequency connector;
the first end of the conductor is connected with the first voltage end of the first radio frequency connector, and the second end of the conductor is connected with the second voltage end of the second radio frequency connector.
10. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 1, comprising one of the first external ports and a plurality of the second external ports;
or, a plurality of the first external ports and a plurality of the second external ports are included.
11. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the first substrate further comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, the bias voltage lines are located on a side of the microstrip lines away from the second substrate, and the bias voltage lines are correspondingly connected to the microstrip lines.
12. The liquid crystal phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer comprises metal blocks extending in a first direction and arranged in a second direction;
the orthographic projection of the metal block on the plane of the first substrate is at least partially overlapped with the orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the plane of the first substrate;
the second substrate further comprises a plurality of bias voltage lines, the bias voltage lines are positioned on one side of the second substrate far away from the first substrate, and the bias voltage lines are correspondingly connected with the metal blocks;
the first direction is an extending direction of the microstrip line, and the first direction and the second direction are overlapped.
13. A liquid crystal antenna comprising the liquid crystal phase shifter according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a radio frequency transmitter and the radiator;
the radio frequency transmitter is connected with the first external port and used for providing the first microwave signal to the first external port;
the radiator is connected with the second external port and used for receiving the second microwave signal sent by the second external port and radiating the second microwave signal out of the liquid crystal antenna.
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