CN116169446A

CN116169446A - Phase shifter and preparation method thereof

Info

Publication number: CN116169446A
Application number: CN202310179497.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 丁屹; 贾皓程; 马文学; 陆岩; 郭昊; 曲峰; 王静; 李勇; 刘鹤; 车春城; 张志锋
Original assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd; Beijing BOE Sensor Technology Co Ltd
Current assignee: BOE Technology Group Co Ltd; Beijing BOE Sensor Technology Co Ltd
Priority date: 2023-02-16
Filing date: 2023-02-16
Publication date: 2023-05-26

Abstract

A phase shifter and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The phase shifter includes: a printed circuit board, a flexible film and at least one liquid crystal cell; the liquid crystal box is positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, the liquid crystal box comprises a first transmission line, the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, a connecting wire is arranged on one side, close to the printed circuit board, of the flexible film, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line. The electric connection between the first transmission line and the second transmission line is realized by using the connecting line, and the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, so that the first transmission line is connected to the second transmission line in a bridging way through the flexible connection, the deformation and cracking of the glass substrate caused by rigid connection adopting soldering tin are avoided, and the stress release of the phase shifter during working at high temperature or low temperature is facilitated.

Description

Phase shifter and preparation method thereof

Technical Field

The embodiment of the disclosure relates to a phase shifter, in particular to a phase shifter and a preparation method thereof.

Background

The phase shifter is a device capable of adjusting the phase of waves, and has wide application in the fields of radars, missile attitude control, accelerators, communication, instruments and meters and the like. The principle of the liquid crystal phase shifter is that the dielectric constant change of liquid crystal is controlled by changing the electric field intensity, so that the phase shift adjustment is realized, and the liquid crystal phase shifter has wide application prospect in microwave and millimeter wave bands.

Current liquid crystal phase shifters typically use glass substrates to make the cell and connect the cell to a printed circuit board (Printed Circuit Board, PCB). The inventors of the present application have found that the glass substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter is easily cracked.

Disclosure of Invention

The embodiment of the disclosure provides a phase shifter and a preparation method thereof, which can solve the problem that a glass substrate of a liquid crystal phase shifter is easy to crack.

In a first aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a phase shifter, comprising: a printed circuit board, a flexible film and at least one liquid crystal cell; the liquid crystal box is positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, the liquid crystal box comprises a first transmission line, the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, a connecting wire is arranged on one side, close to the printed circuit board, of the flexible film, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer; the upper substrate and the lower substrate are oppositely arranged, the liquid crystal layer is sealed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the printed circuit board is positioned on one side of the lower substrate away from the upper substrate; the first transmission line is arranged on the surface of one side of the lower substrate far away from the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board is within a range of the front projection of the lower substrate on the printed circuit board, and the front projection of the first transmission line on the printed circuit board overlaps with the front projection portion of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the second transmission line on the printed circuit board does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the lower substrate on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board overlaps with the orthographic projection portion of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible film includes a first sub-flexible film and a second sub-flexible film; the connecting wire comprises a first sub-connecting wire, a second sub-connecting wire, a third sub-connecting wire and a fourth sub-connecting wire; the first sub-connection line and the second sub-connection line are located in the first sub-flexible film, and the third sub-connection line and the fourth sub-connection line are located in the second sub-flexible film.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board does not overlap with the front projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board, and the front projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board overlaps with the front projection portions of the first transmission line and the second transmission line on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible film includes a third sub flexible film, a fourth sub flexible film, a fifth sub flexible film, and a sixth sub flexible film; the connecting wire comprises a first sub-connecting wire, a second sub-connecting wire, a third sub-connecting wire and a fourth sub-connecting wire; the first sub-connecting line is located in the third sub-flexible film, the second sub-connecting line is located in the fourth sub-flexible film, the third sub-connecting line is located in the fifth sub-flexible film, and the fourth sub-connecting line is located in the sixth sub-flexible film.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line includes a first sub transmission line, a second sub transmission line, a third sub transmission line, and a fourth sub transmission line, the first sub transmission line and the second sub transmission line being located at one side of the lower substrate, the third sub transmission line and the fourth sub transmission line being located at the other side opposite to the lower substrate; the second transmission line comprises a fifth sub transmission line, a sixth sub transmission line, a seventh sub transmission line and an eighth sub transmission line, wherein the fifth sub transmission line and the sixth sub transmission line are positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, and the seventh sub transmission line and the eighth sub transmission line are positioned on the other opposite side of the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first sub-connection line is configured to connect the first sub-transmission line and the fifth sub-transmission line, the second sub-connection line is configured to connect the second sub-transmission line and the sixth sub-transmission line, the third sub-connection line is configured to connect the third sub-transmission line and the seventh sub-transmission line, and the fourth sub-connection line is configured to connect the fourth sub-transmission line and the eighth sub-transmission line.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board covers the orthographic projections of the upper substrate and the lower substrate on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the phase shifter includes two or more of the liquid crystal cells; two or more of the liquid crystal cells are arranged in a straight line on the printed circuit board, or a plurality of the liquid crystal cells are arranged in an array on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connection line is fixed with the first transmission line by using a first adhesive, and the connection line is fixed with the second transmission line by using the first adhesive; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board by a second adhesive.

In an exemplary embodiment, the lower substrate is adhered and fixed to the printed circuit board through a third adhesive.

In a second aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for manufacturing a phase shifter, the method including: providing at least one liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal cell comprising a first transmission line; providing a printed circuit board, and placing the printed circuit board on one side of the liquid crystal box; the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; providing a flexible film, attaching the flexible film to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, wherein a connecting wire is arranged on one side of the flexible film, which is close to the printed circuit board, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

According to the phase shifter provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the first transmission line and the second transmission line are electrically connected through the connecting line, and the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, so that the first transmission line is connected to the second transmission line in a bridging manner through the flexible connection, and deformation and cracking of the glass substrate caused by rigid connection adopting soldering tin are avoided. And the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, so that the stress release is facilitated when the phase shifter works at high temperature or low temperature, the deformation degree of the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board which are made of glass materials can be reduced, and the service life of the phase shifter can be prolonged. The problem that the glass substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter is easy to crack is solved.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosed embodiments and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the disclosure and together with the description serve to explain, without limitation, the disclosed embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional block diagram of a phase shifter;

FIG. 2 is a front view of the phase shifter of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a first transmission line and a second transmission line connected by soldering;

fig. 4 is a front view of a phase shifter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5 is a front view of a phase shifter in yet another exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the phase shifter of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top view of a phase shifter in yet another exemplary embodiment;

fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of two liquid crystal cells disposed on a single printed circuit board.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that embodiments may be implemented in a number of different forms. One of ordinary skill in the art can readily appreciate the fact that the manner and content may be varied into a wide variety of forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the following description of the embodiments. Embodiments of the present disclosure and features of embodiments may be combined with each other arbitrarily without conflict.

In the drawings, the size of each constituent element, the thickness of a layer, or a region may be exaggerated for clarity. Accordingly, one aspect of the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to this dimension, and the shapes and sizes of the various components in the drawings do not reflect actual proportions. Further, the drawings schematically show ideal examples, and one mode of the present disclosure is not limited to the shapes or numerical values shown in the drawings, and the like.

The ordinal numbers of "first", "second", "third", etc. in the present specification are provided to avoid mixing of constituent elements, and are not intended to be limited in number.

In the present specification, for convenience, words such as "middle", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", and the like, which indicate an azimuth or a positional relationship, are used to describe positional relationships of constituent elements with reference to the drawings, only for convenience of description and simplification of the description, and do not indicate or imply that the apparatus or elements referred to must have a specific azimuth, be configured and operated in a specific azimuth, and thus are not to be construed as limiting the present disclosure. The positional relationship of the constituent elements is appropriately changed according to the direction in which the respective constituent elements are described. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the words described in the specification, and may be appropriately replaced according to circumstances.

In this specification, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, unless explicitly stated or limited otherwise. For example, it may be a fixed connection, a removable connection, or an integral connection; may be a mechanical connection, or an electrical connection; may be directly connected, or indirectly connected through intermediate members, or may be in communication with the interior of two elements. The specific meaning of the terms in this disclosure will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art in the specific context.

In this specification, "electrically connected" includes a case where constituent elements are connected together by an element having some electric action. The "element having a certain electric action" is not particularly limited as long as it can transmit an electric signal between the connected constituent elements. Examples of the "element having some electric action" include not only an electrode and a wiring but also a switching element such as a transistor, a resistor, an inductor, a capacitor, other elements having various functions, and the like.

In the present specification, "parallel" means a state in which two straight lines form an angle of-10 ° or more and 10 ° or less, and therefore, a state in which the angle is-5 ° or more and 5 ° or less is also included. The term "perpendicular" refers to a state in which the angle formed by two straight lines is 80 ° or more and 100 ° or less, and thus includes a state in which the angle is 85 ° or more and 95 ° or less.

The triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, pentagon or hexagon, etc. in this specification are not strictly defined, but may be approximated to triangle, rectangle, trapezoid, pentagon or hexagon, etc., and there may be some small deformation due to tolerance, and there may be lead angles, arc edges, deformation, etc.

Fig. 1 is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a phase shifter. Fig. 2 is a front view of the phase shifter of fig. 1. As shown in fig. 1 and 2, in some technologies, the phase shifter includes a liquid crystal cell and a printed circuit board, the liquid crystal cell is a double-glass sandwich structure, a liquid crystal layer is disposed between two glass layers, the double-glass sandwich structure includes an upper substrate 4 and a lower substrate 3, the liquid crystal layer 6 is sealed between the upper substrate 4 and the lower substrate 3, a first transmission line 5 may be disposed on a surface of the lower substrate 3 facing the side of the substrate 4, and the first transmission line 5 may receive a signal from the outside to control the liquid crystal phase shifter to operate. The printed circuit board 1 is located on a side of the lower substrate 3 away from the upper substrate 4, and a surface of the printed circuit board 1 facing the upper substrate 4 is provided with a second transmission line 2, and the second transmission line 2 may be electrically connected with the first transmission line 5 to transmit signals to the liquid crystal phase shifter. In a direction perpendicular to the upper substrate 4, the front projection of the upper substrate 4 onto the printed circuit board 1 may be located within a range of the front projection of the lower substrate 3 onto the printed circuit board 1, the front projection of at least part of the first transmission line 5 onto the printed circuit board 1 may be located outside a range of the front projection of the upper substrate 4 onto the printed circuit board 1, the front projection of the lower substrate 3 may be located within a range of the printed circuit board 1, and the front projection of the second transmission line 2 onto the printed circuit board 1 may be located outside a range of the front projection of the lower substrate 3 onto the printed circuit board 1.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a connection between a first transmission line and a second transmission line by means of soldering, and fig. 3 only illustrates a connection on a single side of a phase shifter. As shown in fig. 3, the first transmission line 5 may include a plurality of sub-transmission lines, which may be respectively located at opposite sides of the lower substrate 3, and the first transmission line 5 and the corresponding second transmission line 2 are connected by using solder 9, so as to realize transmission of radio frequency signals. The present inventors have found through studies that the position where the glass substrate of the liquid crystal phase shifter breaks is usually near the solder joint, because the thermal expansion coefficients of glass, solder and printed circuit board are different, and when the phase shifter is operated in a high-temperature or low-temperature environment, the expansion or contraction degrees of the upper substrate 4, the lower substrate 3, the solder 9 and the printed circuit board 1 are different, and the glass substrate breaks due to stress accumulation.

The disclosed embodiments provide a phase shifter including: a printed circuit board, a flexible film and at least one liquid crystal cell; the liquid crystal box is positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, the liquid crystal box comprises a first transmission line, the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, a connecting wire is arranged on one side, close to the printed circuit board, of the flexible film, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

According to the phase shifter provided by the embodiment of the disclosure, the first transmission line and the second transmission line are electrically connected through the connecting line, and the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, so that the first transmission line is connected to the second transmission line in a bridging manner through the flexible connection, and deformation and cracking of the glass substrate caused by rigid connection adopting soldering tin are avoided. And the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, so that the stress release is facilitated when the phase shifter works at high temperature or low temperature, the deformation degree of the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board which are made of glass materials can be reduced, and the service life of the phase shifter can be prolonged.

In an exemplary embodiment, the liquid crystal cell includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed opposite to the upper substrate, the liquid crystal layer sealed between the upper and lower substrates, and the printed circuit board is disposed at a side of the lower substrate away from the upper substrate; the first transmission line is arranged on the surface of one side of the lower substrate far away from the printed circuit board, and the flexible film is at least attached on the lower substrate and the printed circuit board.

In other embodiments, the first transmission line may be disposed on the upper substrate, and a position of the first transmission line may be set as needed, which is not limited in the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board is within a range of the orthographic projection of the lower substrate on the printed circuit board, and the orthographic projection of the first transmission line on the printed circuit board overlaps with the orthographic projection portion of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line includes a first sub transmission line, a second sub transmission line, a third sub transmission line, and a fourth sub transmission line, the first sub transmission line and the second sub transmission line being located at one side of the lower substrate, the third sub transmission line and the fourth sub transmission line being located at the opposite side of the lower substrate.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second transmission line includes a fifth sub transmission line, a sixth sub transmission line, a seventh sub transmission line, and an eighth sub transmission line, the fifth sub transmission line and the sixth sub transmission line being located at one side of the printed circuit board, the seventh sub transmission line and the eighth sub transmission line being located at the opposite side of the printed circuit board.

Fig. 4 is a front view of a phase shifter provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, illustrating the case of containing a single liquid crystal cell. As shown in fig. 4, the phase shifter includes: a liquid crystal cell, a printed circuit board 1, and a flexible film 7; the liquid crystal box comprises an upper substrate 4, a lower substrate 3 and a liquid crystal layer 6, wherein the upper substrate 4 and the lower substrate 3 are oppositely arranged, the liquid crystal layer 6 is sealed between the upper substrate 4 and the lower substrate 3, and the printed circuit board 1 is positioned on one side of the lower substrate 3 far away from the upper substrate 4; a first transmission line 5 is arranged on the surface of the lower substrate 3, which is far away from the side of the printed circuit board 1, a second transmission line 2 is arranged on the printed circuit board 1, the first transmission line 5 and the second transmission line 2 are arranged to transmit radio frequency signals, and the radio frequency signals can enter the liquid crystal box from the second transmission line 2 of the printed circuit board 1 through the first transmission line 5; the flexible film 7 is attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board 1, and a connecting wire 8 is provided on a side of the flexible film 7 close to the printed circuit board 1, and the connecting wire 8 is provided to electrically connect the first transmission line 5 and the second transmission line 2.

In the exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the upper substrate 4 onto the printed circuit board 1 is within the range of the front projection of the lower substrate 3 onto the printed circuit board 1, and the front projection of the first transmission line 5 onto the printed circuit board 1 overlaps with the front projection portion of the upper substrate 4 onto the printed circuit board 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the second transmission line 2 on the printed circuit board 1 does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the lower substrate 3 on the printed circuit board 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, the extending direction of the second transmission line 2 and the extending direction of the first transmission line 5 may be substantially parallel, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projections of the second transmission line 2 and the first transmission line 5 on the printed circuit board 1 may be rectangular, and in other embodiments, the orthographic projections of the second transmission line 2 and the first transmission line 5 on the printed circuit board 1 may be triangular, circular, elliptical, trapezoidal, polygonal or irregular in other shapes, etc., which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the connection line 8 onto the printed circuit board 1 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the first transmission line 5 onto the printed circuit board 1, and the front projection of the connection line 8 onto the printed circuit board 1 at least partially overlaps with the front projection of the second transmission line 2 onto the printed circuit board 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connection line 8 and the first transmission line 5 may be fixed by using a first adhesive, and the connection line 8 and the second transmission line 2 may be fixed by using a first adhesive. Through setting up first viscose, can increase the stability of being connected between connecting wire and first transmission line, the second transmission line, ensure the reliability of phase shifter work. The first adhesive may be, for example, a conductive adhesive, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board 1 may cover the front projection of the upper substrate 4 and the lower substrate 3 on the printed circuit board 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible film 7 may be attached to the printed circuit board 1, the lower substrate 3, and the upper substrate 4 by a second adhesive. By providing the second adhesive, the stability of the connection of the flexible film 7 with the printed circuit board 1 and the liquid crystal cell can be increased. The second adhesive may be an adhesive material of the flexible film 7 itself, i.e. the flexible film 7 itself is adhesive; alternatively, the second adhesive may be coated on the surface of the flexible film 7 facing the side of the printed circuit board 1, and the material of the second adhesive may be selected as needed, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the lower substrate 3 may be attached and fixed to the printed circuit board 1 by a third adhesive. By providing the third adhesive, the stability of the connection of the lower substrate 3 with the printed circuit board 1 can be increased. The material of the third adhesive may be selected as desired, which is not limiting to the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 is a front view of a phase shifter in yet another exemplary embodiment. Fig. 6 is a top view of the phase shifter of fig. 5. Fig. 5 differs from fig. 4 in that the structure of the flexible film 7 is different, and the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board in fig. 5 overlaps with the front projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board, and other structures may be described with reference to fig. 4, and will not be repeated here.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the flexible film 7 may include a first sub-flexible film 71 and a second sub-flexible film 72, and the first sub-flexible film 71 and the second sub-flexible film 72 may be located at opposite sides of the upper substrate 4, respectively. In this embodiment, the flexible film 7 is only attached to the connection part between the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board 1, so that materials and cost can be saved on the premise of ensuring the connection stability between the flexible film and the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 5 may include a first sub transmission line 51, a second sub transmission line 52, a third sub transmission line 53, and a fourth sub transmission line 54, and the first sub transmission line 51 and the second sub transmission line 52 may be located at one side of the lower substrate 3 and the third sub transmission line 53 and the fourth sub transmission line 54 may be located at the opposite side of the lower substrate 3. In other embodiments, the first transmission line 5 may be provided to include any number of sub-transmission lines, as desired, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

In an exemplary embodiment, the second transmission line 2 may include a fifth sub transmission line 21, a sixth sub transmission line 22, a seventh sub transmission line 23, and an eighth sub transmission line 24, the fifth sub transmission line 21 and the sixth sub transmission line 22 being located at one side of the printed circuit board 1, and the seventh sub transmission line 23 and the eighth sub transmission line 24 being located at the opposite side of the printed circuit board 1. In other embodiments, the second transmission line 2 may be provided to include any number of sub-transmission lines, as desired, and the number of second transmission lines 2 may correspond to the number of sub-transmission lines of the first transmission line 5, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connection line 8 may include a first sub-connection line 81, a second sub-connection line 82, a third sub-connection line 83, and a fourth sub-connection line 84; the first sub-connection line 81 and the second sub-connection line 82 may be located at the first sub-flexible film 71, and the third sub-connection line 83 and the fourth sub-connection line 84 may be located at the second sub-flexible film 72. The first sub connection line 81 may be configured to connect the first sub transmission line 51 and the fifth sub transmission line 21, the second sub connection line 82 may be configured to connect the second sub transmission line 52 and the sixth sub transmission line 22, the third sub connection line 83 may be configured to connect the third sub transmission line 53 and the seventh sub transmission line 23, and the fourth sub connection line 84 may be configured to connect the fourth sub transmission line 54 and the eighth sub transmission line 24.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line may include a plurality of sub transmission lines, the second transmission line may include a plurality of sub transmission lines, and the connection line may include a plurality of sub connection lines to enable corresponding connection of different sub lines between the first transmission line and the second transmission line. In practical applications, the shapes, sizes, numbers and matching relations of the first transmission lines, the second transmission lines and the connection lines may be set as required, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 is a top view of a phase shifter in yet another exemplary embodiment. Fig. 7 differs from fig. 5 in that the structure of the flexible film 7 is different, and the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board in fig. 7 does not overlap with the front projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board, and other structures may be described with reference to fig. 5, and will not be repeated here.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board 1 does not overlap with the front projection of the upper substrate 4 on the printed circuit board 1, and the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board overlaps with the front projection portions of the first transmission line 5 and the second transmission line 2 on the printed circuit board. By arranging the flexible film 7 to cover only the connection point positions of the first transmission line 5 and the second transmission line 2, the flexible film 7 can be attached to the liquid crystal box more flexibly and conveniently, materials are saved more, and the flexible films attached to different connection point positions can be designed in a targeted manner.

In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, the flexible film 7 may include a third sub-flexible film 73, a fourth sub-flexible film 74, a fifth sub-flexible film 75, and a sixth sub-flexible film 76, and the third sub-flexible film 73 and the fourth sub-flexible film 74 may be positioned at one side of the lower substrate 3 and the fifth sub-flexible film 75 and the sixth sub-flexible film 76 may be positioned at the opposite side of the lower substrate 3.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first sub-link 81 may be located at the third sub-flexible film 73, the second sub-link 82 may be located at the fourth sub-flexible film 74, the third sub-link 83 may be located at the fifth sub-flexible film 75, and the fourth sub-link 84 may be located at the sixth sub-flexible film 76.

In an exemplary embodiment, the orthographic projection of the third sub-flexible film 73 on the printed circuit board 1 may overlap with the orthographic projection portions of the first and fifth

sub-transmission lines

51 and 21 on the printed circuit board 1, the orthographic projection of the fourth sub-flexible film 74 on the printed circuit board 1 may overlap with the orthographic projection portions of the second and sixth

sub-transmission lines

52 and 22 on the printed circuit board 1, the orthographic projection of the fifth sub-flexible film 75 on the printed circuit board 1 may overlap with the orthographic projection portions of the third and seventh

sub-transmission lines

53 and 23 on the printed circuit board 1, and the orthographic projection of the sixth sub-flexible film 76 on the printed circuit board 1 may overlap with the orthographic projection portions of the fourth and eighth

sub-transmission lines

54 and 24 on the printed circuit board 1.

In other embodiments, the number, size, and position of the sub-transmission lines included in the first transmission line may be set as needed, the number, size, and position of the sub-transmission lines included in the second transmission line may be set as needed, the number, size, and position of the sub-connection lines included in the connection lines may be set as needed, the number, size, and position of the sub-flexible films included in the flexible film may be set as needed, and the number, size, and position of the sub-connection lines included in the single sub-flexible film may be set as needed, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of two liquid crystal cells disposed on a single printed circuit board. The structure of the single liquid crystal cell in fig. 8, and the connection between the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board are the same as those in fig. 7, and the details thereof will not be repeated, and reference numerals illustrating the components are omitted in fig. 8. In other embodiments, the connection of the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board in fig. 8 may be the same as that in fig. 4 or 5, or the connection of the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board in fig. 8 may include those in fig. 4, 5 and 7, and may be set as needed, which is not limited by the present disclosure.

As shown in fig. 8, in the case where two liquid crystal cells are provided on a single printed circuit board, the two liquid crystal cells may be disposed parallel to each other. In other embodiments, a plurality of liquid crystal cells may be disposed on a single printed circuit board, may be disposed to be aligned along a line, or may be disposed to be arranged in an array, which is not limited in this disclosure.

As shown in fig. 8, in the case where at least two liquid crystal cells are provided on a single printed circuit board, a flexible film may be provided for each liquid crystal cell individually; alternatively, a single flexible membrane may be provided for any number of liquid crystal cells; alternatively, all of the liquid crystal cells on the printed circuit board may share a flexible film, which is not limiting to the present disclosure.

The phase shifter provided by the embodiment of the disclosure utilizes the connecting wires to realize the electrical connection between different components, the flexible film at least covers the connecting points between the connecting wires and the components, and realizes the flexible connection between the different components, and the design concept can be applied to other devices with similar structures, such as: other glass-based radio frequency devices, to which the present disclosure is not limited.

The following describes a process for manufacturing the phase shifter in the embodiment of the present disclosure, taking the phase shifter shown in fig. 4 as an example.

(1) The liquid crystal cell is attached to a printed circuit board. In an exemplary embodiment, attaching a liquid crystal cell to a printed circuit board includes:

a liquid crystal cell is provided, which may include an upper substrate 3, a lower substrate 4, and a liquid crystal layer 6, the upper substrate 3 and the lower substrate 4 being disposed opposite to each other, the liquid crystal layer 6 being sealed between the upper substrate 3 and the lower substrate 4. The liquid crystal cell comprises a first transmission line 5, the first transmission line 5 being arranged to transmit radio frequency signals.

A printed circuit board 1 is provided, the printed circuit board 1 comprising a second transmission line 2, the second transmission line 2 being arranged to transmit radio frequency signals.

The printed circuit board 1 is placed on one side of the lower substrate 3 away from the upper substrate 4, and the lower substrate 3 and the printed circuit board 1 can be attached and fixed through the third adhesive.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the upper substrate 4 on the printed circuit board 1 is within the range of the front projection of the lower substrate 3 on the printed circuit board 1, the front projection of the first transmission line 5 on the printed circuit board 1 overlaps with the front projection portion of the upper substrate 4 on the printed circuit board 1, and the first transmission line 5 may be disposed on the surface of the lower substrate 3 on the side away from the printed circuit board 1.

In an exemplary embodiment, the first transmission line 5 may include a first sub transmission line 51, a second sub transmission line 52, a third sub transmission line 53, and a fourth sub transmission line 54, the first sub transmission line 51 and the second sub transmission line 52 being located at one side of the lower substrate 3, and the third sub transmission line 53 and the fourth sub transmission line 54 being located at the other side opposite to the lower substrate 3. The second transmission line 2 includes a fifth sub transmission line 21, a sixth sub transmission line 22, a seventh sub transmission line 23, and an eighth sub transmission line 24, the fifth sub transmission line 21 and the sixth sub transmission line 22 being located at one side of the printed circuit board 1, and the seventh sub transmission line 23 and the eighth sub transmission line 24 being located at the opposite side of the printed circuit board 1.

(2) The flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board. In an exemplary embodiment, attaching a flexible film to a liquid crystal cell and a printed circuit board includes:

a flexible film 7 is provided, the flexible film 7 is attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board, a connection line 8 is provided on a side of the flexible film 7 close to the printed circuit board 1, and the connection line 8 is provided to electrically connect the first transmission line 5 and the second transmission line 2.

In an exemplary embodiment, the flexible film 7 may be attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board 1 by a second adhesive.

In an exemplary embodiment, the connection line 8 and the first transmission line 5 may be fixed with a first adhesive, and the connection line 8 and the second transmission line 2 may be fixed with a first adhesive.

In an exemplary embodiment, the front projection of the flexible film 7 on the printed circuit board 1 covers the front projection of the upper substrate 4 and the lower substrate 3 on the printed circuit board 1.

In the exemplary embodiment, the connection line 8 includes a first sub-connection line 81, a second sub-connection line 82, a third sub-connection line 83, and a fourth sub-connection line 84; the first sub-connection line 81 is provided to connect the first sub-transmission line 51 and the fifth sub-transmission line 21, the second sub-connection line 82 is provided to connect the second sub-transmission line 52 and the sixth sub-transmission line 22, the third sub-connection line 83 is provided to connect the third sub-transmission line 53 and the seventh sub-transmission line 23, and the fourth sub-connection line 84 is provided to connect the fourth sub-transmission line 54 and the eighth sub-transmission line 24.

Thus, a phase shifter as shown in fig. 4 is formed.

The embodiment of the disclosure also provides a preparation method of the phase shifter, which comprises the following steps: providing at least one liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal cell comprising a first transmission line; providing a printed circuit board, and placing the printed circuit board on one side of the liquid crystal box; the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; providing a flexible film, attaching the flexible film to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, wherein a connecting wire is arranged on one side of the flexible film, which is close to the printed circuit board, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are described above, the embodiments are only used for facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make any modification and variation in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, but the scope of the present disclosure is to be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, comprising: a printed circuit board, a flexible film and at least one liquid crystal cell; the liquid crystal box is positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, the liquid crystal box comprises a first transmission line, the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, a connecting wire is arranged on one side, close to the printed circuit board, of the flexible film, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.

2. The phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystal cell comprises an upper substrate, a lower substrate, and a liquid crystal layer; the upper substrate and the lower substrate are oppositely arranged, the liquid crystal layer is sealed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the printed circuit board is positioned on one side of the lower substrate away from the upper substrate; the first transmission line is arranged on the surface of one side of the lower substrate far away from the printed circuit board.

3. The phase shifter of claim 2, wherein the orthographic projection of the upper substrate onto the printed circuit board is within the range of the orthographic projection of the lower substrate onto the printed circuit board, the orthographic projection of the first transmission line onto the printed circuit board overlapping with the orthographic projection portion of the upper substrate onto the printed circuit board.

4. A phase shifter according to claim 3, wherein the orthographic projection of the second transmission line on the printed circuit board does not overlap with the orthographic projection of the lower substrate on the printed circuit board.

5. A phase shifter according to claim 3, wherein the orthographic projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board overlaps with the orthographic projection portion of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board.

6. The phase shifter of claim 5, wherein the flexible film comprises a first sub-flexible film and a second sub-flexible film;

the connecting wire comprises a first sub-connecting wire, a second sub-connecting wire, a third sub-connecting wire and a fourth sub-connecting wire; the first sub-connection line and the second sub-connection line are located in the first sub-flexible film, and the third sub-connection line and the fourth sub-connection line are located in the second sub-flexible film.

7. The phase shifter of claim 3, wherein the front projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board does not overlap with the front projection of the upper substrate on the printed circuit board, the front projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board overlapping with the front projection of the first transmission line and the second transmission line on the printed circuit board.

8. The phase shifter of claim 7, wherein the flexible film comprises a third sub-flexible film, a fourth sub-flexible film, a fifth sub-flexible film, and a sixth sub-flexible film;

the connecting wire comprises a first sub-connecting wire, a second sub-connecting wire, a third sub-connecting wire and a fourth sub-connecting wire; the first sub-connecting line is located in the third sub-flexible film, the second sub-connecting line is located in the fourth sub-flexible film, the third sub-connecting line is located in the fifth sub-flexible film, and the fourth sub-connecting line is located in the sixth sub-flexible film.

9. The phase shifter of claim 6 or 8, wherein the first transmission line comprises a first sub-transmission line, a second sub-transmission line, a third sub-transmission line, and a fourth sub-transmission line, the first sub-transmission line and the second sub-transmission line being located on one side of the lower substrate, the third sub-transmission line and the fourth sub-transmission line being located on the other side opposite to the lower substrate;

the second transmission line comprises a fifth sub transmission line, a sixth sub transmission line, a seventh sub transmission line and an eighth sub transmission line, wherein the fifth sub transmission line and the sixth sub transmission line are positioned on one side of the printed circuit board, and the seventh sub transmission line and the eighth sub transmission line are positioned on the other opposite side of the printed circuit board.

10. The phase shifter of claim 9, wherein the first sub-connection line is configured to connect the first sub-transmission line and the fifth sub-transmission line, the second sub-connection line is configured to connect the second sub-transmission line and the sixth sub-transmission line, the third sub-connection line is configured to connect the third sub-transmission line and the seventh sub-transmission line, and the fourth sub-connection line is configured to connect the fourth sub-transmission line and the eighth sub-transmission line.

11. The phase shifter of claim 3, wherein the orthographic projection of the flexible film on the printed circuit board covers the orthographic projection of the upper substrate and the lower substrate on the printed circuit board.

12. The phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the phase shifter comprises two or more of the liquid crystal cells;

two or more of the liquid crystal cells are arranged in a straight line on the printed circuit board, or a plurality of the liquid crystal cells are arranged in an array on the printed circuit board.

13. The phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the connection line is secured to the first transmission line with a first adhesive, and the connection line is secured to the second transmission line with the first adhesive; the flexible film is attached to the liquid crystal cell and the printed circuit board by a second adhesive.

14. The phase shifter of claim 2, wherein the lower substrate is attached to the printed circuit board by a third adhesive.

15. A method of manufacturing a phase shifter, the method comprising:

providing at least one liquid crystal cell, the liquid crystal cell comprising a first transmission line;

providing a printed circuit board, and placing the printed circuit board on one side of the liquid crystal box; the printed circuit board comprises a second transmission line, and the first transmission line and the second transmission line are used for transmitting radio frequency signals;

providing a flexible film, attaching the flexible film to the liquid crystal box and the printed circuit board, wherein a connecting wire is arranged on one side of the flexible film, which is close to the printed circuit board, and the connecting wire is electrically connected with the first transmission line and the second transmission line.