CN215834678U

CN215834678U - Phase shifter and base station antenna

Info

Publication number: CN215834678U
Application number: CN202122282495.XU
Authority: CN
Inventors: 王燕; 张讯; 闻杭生; 单龙
Original assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
Current assignee: Commscope Technologies LLC
Priority date: 2021-09-22
Filing date: 2021-09-22
Publication date: 2022-02-15
Anticipated expiration: 2031-09-22

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a phase shifter and a base station antenna. A phase shifter, comprising: a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric substrate; and a conductive trace on the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive trace is configured to transmit a signal, wherein the dielectric substrate comprises a first portion covered by the conductive trace, a second portion not covered by the conductive trace, and the second portion comprises at least one hollowed-out region located near the conductive trace.

Description

Phase shifter and base station antenna

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to the field of communications, and more particularly, to a phase shifter and a base station antenna.

Background

A phase shifter is a device that can adjust the phase of a radio signal. Phase shifts can be introduced into Radio Frequency (RF) signals by transmitting the RF signals in a medium. A phase shifter is a device that uses this principle to change the phase of a radio frequency signal.

SUMMERY OF THE UTILITY MODEL

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a phase shifter, including:

a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric substrate; and

conductive traces on the dielectric substrate, wherein the conductive traces are configured to transmit signals,

the dielectric substrate comprises a first part covered by the conducting circuit and a second part uncovered by the conducting circuit, and the second part comprises at least one hollowed-out area located near the conducting circuit.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive lines are disposed on the first surface and the second surface, and the conductive lines on the first surface are electrically connected to the conductive lines on the second surface through vias.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the second portion further comprises:

a frame located at an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the frame is substantially rectangular.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the frame comprises opposing first and second sides, the second portion further comprising:

and the two ends of the supporting bar are respectively connected with the first edge and the second edge of the frame.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the frame further comprises:

a third side and a fourth side extending in the second direction,

wherein the first edge and the second edge of the frame extend in a first direction different from the second direction, and the length of the third edge is less than the length of the first edge.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the phase shifter may further include:

a resistor disposed on the dielectric substrate and electrically connected to the conductive line.

In some embodiments according to the disclosure, a surface of at least a portion of the second portion of the dielectric substrate is provided with a metal layer, and the metal layer is insulated from the conductive line.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a base station antenna comprising the phase shifter according to the present disclosure described above.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of manufacturing a phase shifter, including:

providing a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric substrate comprising a first portion and a second portion;

forming a conductive line for transmitting a signal on a first portion of the dielectric substrate;

and removing a part of the second part of the dielectric substrate to form at least one hollowed-out region near the conductive circuit.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, the conductive lines being formed on the first surface and the second surface.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the plurality of hollowed-out regions are formed such that the second portion of the dielectric substrate defines a frame located at an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the frame includes opposing first and second sides,

and forming a plurality of hollowed-out areas, so that the second part of the printed circuit board comprises a supporting strip, and two ends of the supporting strip are respectively connected with the first edge and the second edge of the frame.

a third side and a fourth side extending in the second direction,

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the method may further comprise:

providing a resistor on the dielectric substrate such that the resistor is electrically connected with the conductive line.

providing a metal layer on a surface of at least a portion of the second portion of the dielectric substrate such that the metal layer is insulated from the conductive traces.

Other features of the present disclosure 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 disclosure and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

The present disclosure may be understood more clearly and in accordance with the following detailed description, taken with reference to the accompanying drawings,

wherein:

fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional phase shifter.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of another conventional phase shifter.

Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 9 shows a flow chart of a method of manufacturing a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of a base station antenna, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 11A shows a schematic diagram of a phase shifter manufactured using a printed circuit board of the related art.

Fig. 11B shows a schematic diagram of a phase shifter manufactured using a metal sheet of the related art.

Fig. 11C illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

Fig. 12 shows a simulation of the insertion loss of the three-structure phase shifter of fig. 11A-11C.

Fig. 13A shows a schematic diagram of a conventional phase shifter.

Fig. 13B shows a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

Fig. 14 shows measurement results of insertion loss of the phase shifter of fig. 13A and 13B.

Note that in the embodiments described below, the same reference numerals are used in common between different drawings to denote the same portions or portions having the same functions, and a repetitive description thereof will be omitted. In this specification, like reference numerals and letters are used to designate like items, and therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, further discussion thereof is not required in subsequent drawings.

For convenience of understanding, the positions, sizes, ranges, and the like of the respective structures shown in the drawings and the like do not sometimes indicate actual positions, sizes, ranges, and the like. Therefore, the disclosed invention is not limited to the positions, dimensions, ranges, and the like disclosed in the drawings and the like.

Detailed Description

Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure 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 disclosure 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 disclosure, 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.

Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a conventional cavity phase shifter. As shown in fig. 1, the phase shifter 100 includes a printed circuit board 101 and a conductive line (trace)102 formed on the printed circuit board 101. Signals transmitted in the conductive line 102 of the phase shifter 100 are easily affected by the base material of the printed circuit board 101, so that the insertion loss increases.

Furthermore, although not shown in fig. 1, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the cavity phase shifter may further include, for example, a metal cavity and a sliding dielectric block. By sliding the dielectric block relative to the conductive line 102, the length of the conductive line 102 covered by the dielectric block can be changed, thereby changing the phase of a signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal) transmitted in the conductive line 102. Also, in other drawings of the present disclosure, only the conductive line portions in the phase shifter are schematically shown, and other structures are omitted.

Fig. 2 shows a schematic diagram of another conventional phase shifter. As shown in fig. 2, phase shifter 200 includes conductive line 202. Conductive traces 202 may be stamped sheet metal conductive traces. Phase shifter 200 has no substrate material as compared to phase shifter 100 of fig. 1, and therefore has less insertion loss for transmitting signals in conductive trace 202. However, since phase shifter 200 has only conductive line 202, it is difficult to maintain the stability of conductive line 202.

Fig. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 3, the phase shifter 300 includes a frame 303, conductive traces 302, and a hollowed-out region 304.

A signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal) may be transmitted on the conductive trace 302. Conductive traces 302 may comprise a patterned metal layer of a printed circuit board.

The frame 303 may be part of a printed circuit board. For example, after the conductive traces 302 are formed on the printed circuit board, a portion of the printed circuit board where the conductive traces 302 are not formed may be removed, leaving only an outer peripheral portion of the printed circuit board as the frame 303. Thus, a hollowed-out region 304 may be formed on the printed circuit board.

The frame 303 and the substrate of the printed circuit board under the conductive traces 302 can support the conductive traces 302 and keep the conductive traces 302 stable.

Removing the substrate in the hollowed-out region 304 helps to reduce insertion loss of signals transmitted in the phase shifter 300.

As described above, in the phase shifter 300 shown in fig. 3, the dielectric substrate on the printed circuit board is divided into two parts, the first part is a part covered by the conductive traces 302, the second part is a part not covered by the conductive traces 302, and the second part includes the frame 303 and the hollowed-out region 304 to reduce the insertion loss.

Fig. 4 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 4, phase shifter 400 includes conductive traces 402, a frame 403, a hollowed-out region 404, and a plurality of support bars 405. Similar to phase shifter 300 shown in fig. 3, conductive trace 402 can transmit a signal (e.g., an rf signal), frame 403 can support conductive trace 402, and hollowed-out region 404 can help reduce loss of the signal transmitted in conductive trace 402.

The phase shifter 400 of fig. 4 differs from the phase shifter 300 of fig. 3 in that the phase shifter 400 is further provided with a plurality of support bars 405. Each support strip 405 extends in the Y direction (i.e., the second direction), and one end of the support strip 405 is connected to the upper side (i.e., the first side) of the frame 403 and the other end is connected to the lower side (i.e., the second side) of the frame 403.

In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the support strip 405 may be formed from a substrate of a printed circuit board. For example, when the hollowed-out region 404 is formed, a part of the base material of the printed circuit board corresponding to the frame 403 may be properly retained, and the retained base material constitutes the supporting strip 405.

Of course, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, in some embodiments according to the present disclosure, one or more support bars 405 may be additionally attached to the phase shifter 300 shown in fig. 3. Here, the support bar 405 may be a prefabricated member. The support bars 405 may be secured to the frame 403 by bonding or screwing, etc. The material of the supporting strip 405 may be a substrate of a printed circuit board, and other materials, such as low-loss plastic, foam, etc., may also be used.

The frame 403 of the phase shifter 400 is a rectangular frame, and the lengths of the left and right sides (i.e., the third and fourth sides) of the frame 403 are smaller than the lengths of the upper and lower sides of the frame 403. The support bars 405 may help to improve the stability of the phase shifter 400 and prevent or reduce deformation of the frame 403.

It should be appreciated that there are many ways in which the support bars may be arranged under the above teachings of the present disclosure.

Fig. 5 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 5, the phase shifter 500 includes conductive traces 502, a frame 503, a hollowed-out region 504, and a support strip 505. Conductive trace 502 may carry a signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal) similar to phase shifter 400 shown in fig. 4. The frame 503 and the support bars 505 may support the conductive traces 502, and the hollowed-out regions 504 help reduce insertion loss of signals transmitted through the phase shifter 500.

The phase shifter 500 of fig. 5 differs from the phase shifter 400 of fig. 4 in that a support bar 505 extends in the X direction, with one end connected to the left side of the frame 503 and the other end connected to the right side of the frame 503. It should be understood that such support bars 505 may also provide support to the conductive traces 502.

Fig. 6 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 6, phase shifter 600 includes conductive traces 602, a frame 603, a hollowed-out region 604, and a plurality of support bars 605. Conductive trace 602 may carry a signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal) similar to phase shifter 400 shown in fig. 4. Frame 603 and support strips 605 may support conductive traces 602, and hollowed-out regions 604 help reduce loss of signals transmitted in phase shifter 600.

Phase shifter 600 in fig. 6 differs from phase shifter 400 in fig. 4 in that support bars 605 are angled (not parallel to the respective sides of frame 603). Such support strips 605 may also provide support for the conductive traces 602, reducing or avoiding deformation of the conductive traces 602.

Fig. 7 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 7, phase shifter 700 includes conductive traces 702, a frame 703, and a hollowed-out region 704. Similar to the phase shifter 300 shown in FIG. 3, the conductive trace 702 may transmit a signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal). Frame 703 may support conductive traces 702 and hollowed out regions 704 help reduce insertion loss of signals transmitted in phase shifter 700.

The phase shifter 700 also includes a resistor 706. Providing resistors 706 in the phase shifter 700 may improve the vertical beam directivity of an antenna array formed by the feed network including the phase shifter and the radiation element.

In a conventional phase shifter (e.g., phase shifter 200 shown in fig. 2), the conductive lines are in a suspended state and are very unstable. Damage or deformation of the conductive traces can easily result during soldering of the resistor or subsequent shipping and use. In the phase shifter of the present disclosure, the frame and the substrate of the printed circuit board below the conductive traces can both provide support for the conductive traces. Therefore, in the phase shifter according to the present disclosure, the resistor may be safely soldered or otherwise disposed without fear of deformation or damage of the phase shifter.

Further, in some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the resistor 706 may be suspended, i.e., the substrate of the printed circuit board below the resistor 706 may be removed. In other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the substrate of the printed circuit board below the resistor 706 may be retained, such that the resistor 706 is placed on the printed circuit board, which may further improve the stability of the resistor 706.

Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 8, phase shifter 800 includes conductive traces 802, a frame 803, and a hollowed-out region 804. Similar to the phase shifter 300 shown in FIG. 3, the conductive trace 802 may carry a signal (e.g., a radio frequency signal). The frame 803 may support the conductive trace 802, and the hollowed-out region 804 helps to reduce insertion loss of signals transmitted in the conductive trace 802.

In addition, a metal layer 807 may be further provided to a part of the frame 803 of the phase shifter 800, and the metal layer 807 is insulated from the conductive line 802. The metal layer 807 may increase the strength of the frame 803 and provide support for the frame 803. In some embodiments according to the present disclosure, the metal layer 807 may be formed at the same time the conductive line 802 is formed on the printed circuit board. Alternatively, in other embodiments according to the present disclosure, the metal layer 807 may be formed by, for example, adhesion, deposition, etc., after the frame 803 and the conductive traces 802 are formed.

In the various embodiments shown in fig. 3-8 above, only one surface of the phase shifter is shown. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, both surfaces (a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface) of the printed circuit board may be separately provided with the conductive line. It is also possible that both surfaces have conductive tracks and are electrically connected, for example, by vias.

First, a printed circuit board is provided (step 910). The printed circuit board may be single or double sided copper clad. Alternatively, the printed circuit board may be covered with one or more layers of other conductive materials, such as gold, silver, aluminum, iron, tungsten, and the like. The substrate of the printed circuit board is not limited and any suitable insulating medium may be used.

Then, conductive traces are formed on the printed circuit board (step 920). For example, the conductive traces may be formed by fabricating the conductive traces on a printed circuit board. More specifically, in some embodiments according to the present disclosure, a surface of a printed circuit board may be first covered with a layer of photosensitive material (e.g., photoresist); patterning the photosensitive material layer to make the patterns of the residual photosensitive material on the printed circuit board be the same as the patterns of the conductive circuits to be formed; next, the conductive material on the surface of the printed circuit board may be etched (e.g., wet etching) to remove the conductive material not covered by the photosensitive material; and finally, removing the residual photosensitive material to obtain the conducting circuit.

In addition, in some embodiments according to the present disclosure, a metal layer 807 as shown in fig. 8 may be formed at the same time as the conductive line is formed, which is not repeated here.

Finally, a portion of the printed circuit board may be removed to form a hollowed-out region (step 930). For example, the base material of the printed circuit board near the conductive traces may be removed, leaving only a portion of the outer periphery of the printed circuit board as a frame. Alternatively, structures such as support bars may be retained as desired.

Fig. 10 shows a schematic diagram of a base station antenna, according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in fig. 10, base station antenna 1000 includes phase shifter 1050 and antenna 1060. The antenna 1060 includes an array of radiating elements (not shown separately) and a feed network (not shown). The feed network is configured to further divide the RF signal to be transmitted through the antenna 1060 into a plurality of sub-components and transmit each sub-component to a corresponding sub-array including one or more radiating elements. The phase of the sub-components may be adjusted using phase shifter 1050, and the sub-components of the phase adjusted radio frequency signal are transmitted via the radiating elements of antenna 1060. Phase shifter 1050 may use the various phase shifter structures described above in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. And will not be repeated here.

Fig. 11A-11C show schematic diagrams of phase shifters in three configurations. Fig. 11A is a schematic diagram of a conventional phase shifter including a printed circuit board. Phase shifter 1100A includes conductive lines 1102, with conductive lines 1102 implemented as metal patterns on printed circuit board 1101.

Fig. 11B is a schematic diagram of a conventional phase shifter including a sheet metal conductive line. Phase shifter 1100B includes conductive traces 1102 formed by stamping a metal sheet.

Fig. 11C is a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. The phase shifter 1100C is formed using a printed circuit board. Metal conductive traces 1102 are disposed on the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board. One or more portions of the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board are removed such that the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board defines a bezel 1103. The frame 1103 has a hollowed-out region 1104. The hollowed-out region 1104 is formed by removing the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board near the conductive traces 1102.

Fig. 12 shows simulation results of Insertion Loss (Insertion Loss) of the conductive line of the phase shifter of fig. 11A-11C. In the simulation, the dielectric constant of the base material of the printed circuit board of fig. 11A and 11C was 2.94, the dielectric loss coefficient was 0.002, and the material of the conductive line was copper; the conductive traces in FIG. 11B are made of aluminum. As shown in fig. 12, curve 1221 is the insertion loss of phase shifter 1100C, curve 1222 is the insertion loss of phase shifter 1100B, and curve 1223 is the insertion loss of phase shifter 1100A. It can be seen that the insertion loss of phase shifter 1100C employing embodiments of the present disclosure is close to that of phase shifter 1100B, both of which are better than the insertion loss of prior art phase shifter 1100A fabricated using a printed circuit board.

Fig. 13A shows a schematic diagram of a conventional phase shifter. Fig. 13B shows a schematic diagram of a phase shifter according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the phase shifter of fig. 13A, conductive lines 1302 are formed on a dielectric substrate of a printed circuit board 1301. The structure of the conductive traces 1302 of the phase shifter of fig. 13A is similar to the conductive traces 1302 of the phase shifter of fig. 13B, except that in the phase shifter of fig. 13B, a portion of the dielectric substrate of the printed circuit board 1301 is removed near the conductive traces 1302, forming a frame 1303, a hollowed-out region 1304, and one or more support bars 1305.

Fig. 14 shows measurement results of insertion loss of the phase shifter of fig. 13A and 13B. In fig. 14, a curve 1321 represents an insertion loss of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure of fig. 13B, and a curve 1323 represents an insertion loss of the conventional phase shifter of fig. 13A. As can be seen from fig. 14, the insertion loss of the phase shifter according to the embodiment of the present disclosure is smaller than that of the conventional phase shifter. For example, for the same frequency of 2.20GHz, point m1 on curve 1321 corresponds to an insertion loss of-0.4105 dB and point m2 on curve 1323 corresponds to an insertion loss of-0.4946 dB.

The terms "front," "back," "top," "bottom," "over," "under," and the like in the description and in the claims, if any, are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing permanent relative positions. It is to be understood that the terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances such that the embodiments of the disclosure described herein are, for example, capable of operation in other orientations than those illustrated or otherwise described herein.

As used herein, the word "exemplary" means "serving as an example, instance, or illustration," and not as a "model" that is to be replicated accurately. Any implementation exemplarily described herein is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, the disclosure is not limited by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, utility model content, or detailed description.

As used herein, the term "substantially" is intended to encompass any minor variation resulting from design or manufacturing imperfections, device or component tolerances, environmental influences, and/or other factors. The word "substantially" also allows for differences from a perfect or ideal situation due to parasitic effects, noise, and other practical considerations that may exist in a practical implementation.

The above description may indicate elements or nodes or features being "connected" or "coupled" together. As used herein, unless expressly stated otherwise, "connected" means that one element/node/feature is directly connected to (or directly communicates with) another element/node/feature, either electrically, mechanically, logically, or otherwise. Similarly, unless expressly stated otherwise, "coupled" means that one element/node/feature may be mechanically, electrically, logically, or otherwise joined to another element/node/feature in a direct or indirect manner to allow for interaction, even though the two features may not be directly connected. That is, coupled is intended to include both direct and indirect joining of elements or other features, including connection with one or more intermediate elements.

In addition, certain terminology may also be used in the following description for the purpose of reference only, and thus is not intended to be limiting. For example, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures or elements do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

It will be further understood that the terms "comprises/comprising," "includes" and/or "including," when used herein, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

In the present disclosure, the term "providing" is used broadly to encompass all ways of obtaining an object, and thus "providing an object" includes, but is not limited to, "purchasing," "preparing/manufacturing," "arranging/setting," "installing/assembling," and/or "ordering" the object, and the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the boundaries between the above described operations merely illustrative. Multiple operations may be combined into a single operation, single operations may be distributed in additional operations, and operations may be performed at least partially overlapping in time. Moreover, alternative embodiments may include multiple instances of a particular operation, and the order of operations may be altered in various other embodiments. However, other modifications, variations, and alternatives are also possible. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Although some specific embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail by way of example, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. The various embodiments disclosed herein may be combined in any combination without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made to the embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A phase shifter, comprising:

a printed circuit board comprising a dielectric substrate; and

2. The phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein the dielectric substrate includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the conductive lines are provided on the first surface and the second surface, and the conductive lines on the first surface are electrically connected to the conductive lines on the second surface through vias.

3. The phase shifter of claim 1, wherein the second portion further comprises:

a frame located at an outer periphery of the printed circuit board.

4. A phase shifter according to claim 3, wherein the frame is substantially rectangular.

5. The phase shifter of claim 4, wherein the frame includes opposing first and second sides, the second portion further comprising:

6. The phase shifter of claim 5, wherein the frame further comprises:

a third side and a fourth side extending in the second direction,

7. The phase shifter of claim 1, further comprising:

8. A phase shifter according to claim 1, wherein a surface of at least a part of the second portion of the dielectric substrate is provided with a metal layer, and the metal layer is insulated from the conductive line.

9. A base station antenna, characterized in that it comprises a phase shifter according to any one of claims 1-8.