JP2023038918A - electromagnetic wave transmission structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an electromagnetic wave transmission structure that improves the energy loss of an electromagnetic wave.SOLUTION: An electromagnetic wave transmission structure includes : a substrate; at least one transmission line; a plurality of antennas; and a plurality of tunable dielectric units. The transmission line includes a first extending portion and a plurality of second extending portions. The first extending portion is extended in a first direction. The second extending portions are respectively extended from two opposite edges in the first extending portion, and an extending direction of thereof is parallel to a second direction. Each second extending portion is arranged along the first direction. The antenna is disposed near the at least one transmission line. The tunable adjustable dielectric unit is overlapped with a part of at least one transmission line installed between the antennas. Each tunable dielectric unit includes an overlapped first electrode layer and a controllable dielectric layer. The controllable dielectric layer is disposed between the first electrode layer and at least one transmission line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to electromagnetic wave transmission structures, and more particularly to electromagnetic wave transmission structures configured to guide RF or millimeter wave signals.

In the field of mobile communications, how to reduce the energy loss of electromagnetic waves in the transmission path has become an important issue. The energy loss caused by electromagnetic waves encountering obstacles such as concrete walls, trees, furniture, billboards, etc. becomes more severe as the frequency of electromagnetic waves increases.

As such, dead spots, dark areas, or areas of weak signal are easily created in the application space. Adding more base stations and boosters alleviates this problem, but construction costs, energy consumption, or subsequent hardware maintenance must be considered.

The present invention provides an electromagnetic wave transmission structure suitable for improving the energy loss of electromagnetic waves caused by obstruction of obstacles, and capable of adjusting the receiving direction and transmitting direction of electromagnetic waves at its receiving end and transmitting end.

The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of the present invention includes a substrate, at least one transmission line, multiple antennas, and multiple tunable dielectric units. At least one transmission line is disposed on the substrate. The transmission line includes a first extension and a plurality of second extensions. The first extending portion extends in the first direction. The second extension extends from two opposite edges of the first extension, respectively, and the extension direction thereof is parallel to the second direction. The second stretches are arranged at a pitch P along the first direction and have a spacing S between any two adjacent stretches arranged along the first direction. Each second extension has a length L along the second direction. A plurality of antennas are disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the at least one transmission line. A plurality of tunable dielectric units overlap portions of at least one transmission line located between the antennas. Each tunable dielectric unit has a first electrode layer and a controllable dielectric layer overlying each other. A controllable dielectric layer is disposed between the first electrode layer and the at least one transmission line. The transmission line pitch P, spacing S, and length L satisfy the following relationships:

[Formula 1]

where k _sspp is the wavenumber of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted over the at least one transmission line, ε _r is the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer, and ω is the at least one transmission line. is the angular frequency of the electromagnetic signal transmitted through and c is the speed of light.

In one embodiment of the invention, the transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure has a transmission portion, a reception portion, and a transmission portion. The transmitter is connected between the receiver and the transmitter. The plurality of tunable dielectric units includes a plurality of first tunable dielectric units overlapping one of the transmitter portion and the receiver portion. A portion of the plurality of antennas and the first tunable dielectric units adjacent to one of the transmitter section and the receiver section are alternately arranged along the extension direction of the at least one transmission line.

In one embodiment of the invention, the plurality of tunable dielectric units of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure further includes a plurality of second tunable dielectric units overlapping the other of the transmitter and receiver sections. Another portion of the antenna and the second adjustable dielectric unit adjacent to the other of the transmitting section and the receiving section are alternately arranged along the extension direction of the at least one transmission line.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is a plurality of transmission lines extending in the first direction. The transmission lines are arranged along the second direction. A plurality of antennas are respectively adjacent to the plurality of receivers and the plurality of transmitters of each transmission line. The tunable dielectric unit further includes a plurality of third tunable dielectric units overlapping the plurality of transmission sections of the plurality of transmission lines. The third adjustable dielectric units are arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows along the first and second directions, respectively.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode layer of each tunable dielectric unit of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure has a bottom parallel to the substrate and sidewalls bending and extending from the bottom. A sidewall surrounds the controllable dielectric layer. The first electrode layer and the at least one transmission line are suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer.

In one embodiment of the present invention, any two adjacent third adjustable dielectric units out of the plurality of third adjustable dielectric units arranged along the first direction An insulating layer is provided between two sidewall portions of the two first electrode layers.

In one embodiment of the invention, the transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure has a transmission section, a reception section, and a transmission section. The transmitter is connected between the receiver and the transmitter. The at least one transmission line is a plurality of transmission lines extending in the first direction. A plurality of transmission lines are arranged along the second direction. A plurality of antennas are respectively adjacent to the plurality of receivers and the plurality of transmitters of each transmission line. At least a portion of the plurality of tunable dielectric units overlap the plurality of transmission sections of the transmission line and are arranged in columns and rows along the first and second directions, respectively.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the first electrode layer of each tunable dielectric unit of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure has a bottom parallel to the substrate and sidewalls bending and extending from the bottom. A sidewall surrounds the controllable dielectric layer. The first electrode layer and the at least one transmission line are suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is a single transmission line. Each of the multiple antennas is the same distance from the transmission line. The antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line and have an axis of symmetry. The diameter of the antenna decreases or increases with distance from the axis of symmetry.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is a single transmission line. The geometric center of each of the multiple antennas is the same distance from the transmission line. The antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line and have an axis of symmetry. The diameter of each antenna decreases or increases away from the axis of symmetry.

In one embodiment of the invention, the at least one transmission line of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is a single transmission line. Each of the plurality of antennas has the same diameter, the antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line and have an axis of symmetry. The spacing of each antenna from the transmission line increases with distance from the axis of symmetry.

In one embodiment of the present invention, each adjustable dielectric unit of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is further arranged on a side of the substrate facing away from the at least one transmission line and has a controllable dielectric A second electrode layer overlying the layer is included. The first electrode layer and the second electrode layer are suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the controllable dielectric layer of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure is a liquid crystal layer.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first electrode layer of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure includes a plurality of first strip electrodes and a plurality of second strip electrodes. The first strip electrodes and the second strip electrodes are alternately arranged along the first direction and parallel to the plurality of second extensions. Any adjacent first strip electrode and second strip electrode are suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer.

As can be seen, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of antennas provided adjacent to the transmission line and a plurality of tunable dielectric units arranged in a plurality of sections of the transmission line between the antennas. provided to By electronically modulating the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer overlying the transmission line in the tunable dielectric unit, the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal can be changed, thereby changing the electromagnetic wave transmission direction and reception of the antenna. Direction can be modulated.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the principles of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a first embodiment of the invention. 2A is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2B is a schematic plan view of another modified embodiment of the transmission line of FIG. 2A. 3A and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of the adjustable dielectric unit of FIG. 2A operating in different states. 4A-4C are schematic plan views of several alternative embodiments of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a second embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a third embodiment of the invention. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. 9 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 8. FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 9. FIG. FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 13A and 13B are schematic cross-sectional views of the tunable dielectric unit of FIG. 12 when operated in different states. FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a sixth embodiment of the invention.

As used herein, the terms "about," "similar," "essentially," or "substantially" refer to the admissibility of that value and specific values as determined by one skilled in the art. Considering the measurements discussed and the specific number of errors associated with the measurements (ie, limitations of the measurement system). For example, "about" indicates within one or more standard deviations of the value, or, eg, within ±30%, ±20%, ±15%, ±10%, or ±5%. Further, "about," "approximately," "essentially," or "substantially," as used herein, does not apply one standard deviation to all properties; An acceptable deviation range or standard deviation can be selected depending on other properties.

For example, the thickness of layers, membranes, panels, and regions are exaggerated for clarity of the drawings. When an element of a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” or “connected to” another element, that element is directly on top of the other element. may also be connected to another element, or there may be intermediate elements. In contrast, when an element is referred to as being "directly on" or "directly connected to" another element, there are no intermediate elements present. As used herein, "connected" can refer to physical and/or electrical connections. Also, "electrically connected" means that there may be other elements between two elements.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a first embodiment of the invention. 2A is an enlarged schematic view of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2B is a schematic plan view of another modified embodiment of the transmission line of FIG. 2A. 3A and 3B are schematic cross-sectional views of the adjustable dielectric unit of FIG. 2A operating in different states. 4A-4C are schematic plan views of several alternative embodiments of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 1. FIG. 3A and 3B correspond to cross-sectional line A-A' in FIG. 2A.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 includes a substrate 100 and multiple antennas 120 disposed on the substrate 100 . Substrate 100 is, for example, a glass substrate, a ceramic laminate, or a low dielectric loss substrate (eg, Rogers substrate), but the invention is not limited thereto. In this embodiment, the transmission line 120 includes a first extension 120P1 and a plurality of second extensions 120P2. The second extensions 120P2 extend from two opposite edges e1 and e2 of the first extension 120P1, respectively.

For example, first extension 120P1 and second extension 120P2 may extend in direction X and direction Y, respectively, and direction X may optionally be perpendicular to direction Y, although the present invention is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the contour of the orthographic projection of the second extending portion 120P2 on the substrate 100 may be rectangular. That is, the extending directions of the two edge portions of the second extending portions 120P2 that are arranged in the direction X and face each other are parallel to each other and parallel to the direction Y, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the orthographic profile of the second extension 120P2-A of the transmission line 120A on the substrate 100 may be trapezoidal (shown in the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10A of FIG. 2B). More specifically, the extending directions of the two edges of the second extending portions 120P2-A arranged in the direction X and facing each other may not be parallel to the direction Y. That is, it does not have to be perpendicular to the two edges e1 and e2 of the first extending portion 120P1.

In this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 has a reception area RA, a transmission area TA, and a transmission area EA, and is attached to obstacles (for example, concrete walls and building pillars) that tend to cause energy loss of electromagnetic waves. suitable for being For example, an obstacle (not shown) has a front surface facing the electromagnetic wave source and a rear surface directed away from the electromagnetic wave source. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 can be placed in an obstacle and detoured from the front of the obstacle to the rear of the obstacle. Specifically, the reception area RA and the transmission area EA of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 are located on the front and rear surfaces of the obstacle, respectively, and the transmission area TA is on another plane connecting the front and rear surfaces of the obstacle. It may be stretched.

The transmission line 120 can be divided into a receiving section 120rs extending in the receiving area RA, a transmitting section 120ts extending in the transmitting area TA, and a transmitting section 120es extending in the transmitting area EA, where the transmitting section 120ts is divided into the receiving section 120rs and the transmitter 120es. In this embodiment, the antenna 140 is, for example, a patch antenna. A portion of antenna 140 may be positioned within reception area RA as receive antenna 140R, and another portion of antenna 140 may be positioned within transmission area EA as transmit antenna 140E. For example, an electromagnetic wave transmitted toward the front of the obstacle is supplied to the transmission line 120 via the receiving antenna 140R within the receiving area RA of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10, and via the transmission section 120ts of the transmission line 120. It is transmitted and can enter the transmission area EA placed behind the obstacle. Electromagnetic signals transmitted to the transmit area EA can be coupled to and radiated through the transmit antenna 140E.

In other words, when there is an obstacle that consumes electromagnetic wave energy in the electromagnetic wave transmission space, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of the present embodiment can be attached to the obstacle as a detour structure for the electromagnetic wave. Electromagnetic waves transmitted towards an obstacle are guided by the proposed structure 10 without passing directly through the obstacle. Therefore, energy loss when electromagnetic waves pass through obstacles via this detour structure is much less than when electromagnetic waves pass directly through obstacles.

More specifically, the plurality of receiving antennas 140R installed in the receiving area RA are adjacent to one side of the receiving section 120rs of the transmission line 120 and extend in the extending direction of the first extending section 120P1 of the transmission line 120 (for example, It can be arranged to form a one-dimensional receive antenna along the direction X). Similarly, a plurality of transmission antennas 140E installed in the transmission area EA are adjacent to one side of the transmission section 120es of the transmission line 120 and extend along the extension direction of the first extension section 120P1 of the transmission line 120. Arranged in an array. Although the receiving antenna 140R and the transmitting antenna 140E shown in FIG. 1 are installed on the same side of the transmission line 120, the present invention is not so limited. In another embodiment, receive antenna 140R and transmit antenna 140E may each be positioned on two opposite sides of transmission line 120, or receive antenna 140R (or transmit antenna 140E) may be located on two sides of transmission line 120. may be adjacent on both opposite sides of one.

The electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 further includes a plurality of adjustable dielectric units 160 to change the direction of reception and transmission of electromagnetic waves of the antenna array of multiple antennas 140 . It should be noted that the tunable dielectric unit 160 overlaps the transmission line 120 along a direction perpendicular to the substrate 100 (eg direction Z). In this embodiment, tunable dielectric units 160 may be placed in the transmit area EA and the receive area RA, respectively. For example, the transmit area EA is provided with a plurality of adjustable dielectric units 161 and the receive area RA is provided with a plurality of adjustable dielectric units 162 .

The tunable dielectric unit 161 overlaps multiple portions (or segments) of the transmitting portion 120es of the transmission line 120 each placed along the direction Z between the multiple transmitting antennas 140E. Similarly, the tunable dielectric unit 162 overlaps multiple portions (or sections) of the receiving portion 120rs of the transmission line 120 each placed between the multiple receiving antennas 140R along the direction Z. FIG. That is, the transmitting antenna 140E adjacent to the transmitting section 120es and the tunable dielectric unit 161 are alternately arranged along the extension direction (eg, direction X) of the transmission line 120, and the receiving antenna 140R adjacent to the receiving section 120rs. and adjustable dielectric units 162 are alternately arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line 120 .

Referring simultaneously to FIGS. 3A and 3B, in this embodiment, the tunable dielectric unit 160 has a first electrode layer EL1 and a controllable dielectric layer CDL overlapping in the direction Z, and the controllable dielectric The layer CDL is arranged between the first electrode layer EL1 and the transmission line 120 . Specifically, the controllable dielectric layer CDL is, for example, a liquid crystal layer, and the electric field generated by the potential difference between the first electrode layer EL1 and the transmission line 120 is applied to a plurality of liquid crystal molecules LCM of the liquid crystal layer. Suitable for driving and rotating For example, the first electrode layer EL1 may be arranged on a separate substrate SUB, and the spacer SP is sandwiched between the substrate SUB and the substrate 100 to form an accommodation space for the controllable dielectric layer CDL.

Further, the plurality of second extensions 120P2 of the transmission line 120 are arranged along the direction X at the pitch P on two opposite sides of the first extension 120P1. Any two adjacent extensions of the second extensions 120P2 arranged along the direction X have a spacing S and a length L along the direction Y respectively. Specifically, the structural dimensions of transmission line 120 satisfy the following relationships:

[Formula 1]

where k _sspp is the wavenumber of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted over the transmission line 120, ε _r is the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL, and ω is the wavenumber transmitted over the transmission line. is the angular frequency of the emitted electromagnetic signal, and c is the speed of light.

The liquid crystal material used as the controllable dielectric layer CDL in this embodiment has dielectric anisotropy, i.e. the liquid crystal material has different dielectric constants in the directions parallel and perpendicular to the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules respectively. (eg, dielectric constant ε// and dielectric constant ε┴), the liquid crystal material is electrically controllable. In other words, by applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer, we can change the effective dielectric constant of the liquid crystal layer in a particular direction, the effective dielectric constant being in the range between the dielectric constant ε// and the dielectric constant ε┴ to go into.

For example, in this embodiment, the controllable dielectric layer CDL can employ liquid crystal material K15 (Merck KGaA) with dielectric constants ε// and ε┴ of 2.9 and 2.72, respectively. , an alignment material layer with horizontal alignment capability (eg, fluff-brushed polyimide thin film) is employed to align the liquid crystal molecules LCM. Specifically, the alignment material layer may be arranged at the interface between the liquid crystal layer and the first electrode layer EL1 and/or at the interface between the liquid crystal layer and the substrate 100 . However, the invention is not so limited. In another embodiment, the selection of liquid crystal material and its alignment method can be adjusted according to different application requirements.

In this embodiment, when the liquid crystal layer is in the no-field state, its liquid crystal molecules LCM are aligned parallel to the substrate 100 (shown in FIG. 3A). At this time, the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL for the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted on the transmission line 120 is a relatively large dielectric constant ε//, so that the equivalent electromagnetic wave wavelength is smaller and the wave number is higher. growing. Therefore, a controllable dielectric layer CDL without an applied electric field may experience more phase shift in the X-axis direction than with an applied electric field, as will be described below.

When an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer, that is, when there is a potential difference between the first electrode layer EL1 and the transmission line 120, the liquid crystal material K15 has a larger dielectric constant in the direction of the long axis of the molecule, so that the length of the molecule The axis tends to orient along the direction of the electric field. In this embodiment, the direction of the electric field formed in the overlapping region of the first electrode layer EL1 and the transmission line 120 is substantially perpendicular to the substrate 100. FIG. When the electric field length is large enough, the long axis direction of most of the liquid crystal molecules in the overlap region is also substantially perpendicular to the substrate 100 (shown in FIG. 3B). At this time, the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL for the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted on the transmission line 120 is a relatively small dielectric constant ε┴. Therefore, when an electric field is applied to the liquid crystal layer (ie, the controllable dielectric layer CDL), less phase shift is generated in the X-axis direction compared to the no-field condition described above.

Therefore, by changing the alignment direction of the liquid crystal molecules LCM with or without an applied electric field or with an applied electric field of different magnitude, the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL in the direction of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave signal can be changed. , thereby altering the phase of the electromagnetic signal transmitted on the transmission line 120 .

In this embodiment, a tunable dielectric unit 160 is provided in the portion between the receiver portion 120rs and the transmitter portion 120es of the transmission line 120 between any two adjacent antennas 140, and the tunable dielectric unit Through the phase modulation capability of 160, the electromagnetic wave reception and transmission direction of multiple antennas 140 of the one-dimensional antenna array arranged along one side of the transmission line 120 can be changed, and the electromagnetic wave reception and transmission direction can be adjusted. is, for example, in the dimension of the XZ plane.

For example, a plurality of adjustable dielectric units 161 located in the transmission area EA are suitable for adjusting the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted to the transmission section 120es of the transmission line 120. FIG. Therefore, the electromagnetic wave signals coupled and radiated by the multiple transmit antennas 140E from the transmission line 120 have different phase combinations according to the different phase shifts provided by each adjustable dielectric unit 161, thereby , change the direction of transmission of the electromagnetic wave in the XZ plane. Moreover, when electromagnetic waves are received by the receiving antenna 140R and supplied to the receiving section 120rs of the transmission line 120, the multiple adjustable dielectric units 162 installed in the receiving area RA supply the transmission line 120 with different delay times. It is suitable for adjusting the phase of the received electromagnetic wave signal, and corresponds to adjusting the received electromagnetic field pattern of the receiver 120rs in the XZ plane.

Moreover, the orthographic profile of the antennas 140 of the present embodiment on the substrate 100 is, for example, circular, and the size (eg, diameter) of each antenna 140 is substantially the same. In this embodiment, the spacing s1 between each antenna 140 and adjacent transmission lines 120 is also substantially the same. As such, each antenna 140 has the same level of energy coupling as transmission line 120 . For example, the energy difference of the electromagnetic waves supplied to the transmission line 120 via each receiving antenna 140R is not large, and the power radiated by the electromagnetic wave signal via each transmitting antenna 140E is similar. As a result, the main lobe beam width/half power beam width (HPBW) of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the transmit antenna array becomes narrower, and the radiated power difference between the side lobes and the main lobe becomes smaller. Become.

However, the invention is not so limited. In another variant embodiment, the multiple antennas forming the antenna array may have different sizes, and the distance between the antennas and the transmission line may also differ. Referring to FIG. 4A, in alternate embodiments, the multiple antennas 140A (eg, receiving antennas 140R-A and radiating antennas 140E-A) of electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10B may have different sizes. Specifically, the plurality of receive antennas 140R-A have an axis of symmetry SA, and the diameter (or circular diameter) of each receive antenna 140R-A increases away from the axis of symmetry SA. Multiple radiating antennas 140E-A are similarly configured.

For example, the antenna 140A placed on the axis of symmetry SA has the best reception/radiation efficiency for electromagnetic waves of a particular frequency (i.e., the resonant frequency of the central antenna is carrier frequency), the reception/radiation efficiency of different sized antennas 140A deviating from the axis of symmetry SA for electromagnetic waves of a particular frequency decreases as the size (eg, diameter) of the antenna increases. With such a configuration, the HPBW of the main lobe of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the transmitting antenna array can be increased, and the radiated power of the side lobes can be suppressed.

To achieve a similar effect, in another alternate embodiment shown in FIG. 4B, the size configuration of multiple antennas 140B (eg, receive antennas 140R-B and transmit antennas 140E-B) of electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10C is: Although similar to antenna 140A of FIG. 4A, the spacing between antenna 140B and adjacent transmission line 120 may be different. Of particular note, the distance d between the geometric center C of each antenna 140B and the adjacent transmission line 120 are both substantially the same.

Unlike the embodiment of FIG. 4B, in the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10D shown in FIG. 4C, the diameter of each of its plurality of receive antennas 140R-C decreases in the direction away from the axis of symmetry SA, and the diameter of each of its plurality of transmit antennas 140E-C are similarly configured. Also, the resonant frequency of the central antennas (receive antennas 140R-C and transmit antennas 140E-C provided on the axis of symmetry SA) is the carrier frequency of the pre-transceived signal. However, the invention is not so limited. In one embodiment, the configurations of the transmit antenna array and the receive antenna array may optionally be different.

Below, another embodiment is provided to describe the present invention in detail. The same reference numbers are given to the same components, and the description of the same technical content is omitted. For the omitted parts, reference can be made to the above-described embodiments, and the following description will not be repeated.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a second embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 5, the difference between the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10E of this embodiment and the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of FIG. 1 is the configuration of the antenna array. In this embodiment, the antenna array formed by the plurality of antennas 140D of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10E has an axis of symmetry SA, and the spacing s2 between the plurality of antennas 140D of the antenna array and the transmission line 120 is the axis of symmetry It increases in the direction away from SA. That is, antennas 140D (eg, receive antennas 140R-D and transmit antennas 140E-D) located at the axis of symmetry SA have the smallest distance from transmission line 120 and therefore have the highest level of energy conjugate. Conversely, since the distance between the antenna 140D placed outside the antenna array and the transmission line 120 is the greatest, its level of energy conjugation is the smallest.

Therefore, the antenna 140D installed on the axis of symmetry SA has the best reception/radiation efficiency for electromagnetic waves of a particular frequency, and antennas 140D of different sizes deviated from the axis of symmetry SA for electromagnetic waves of a particular frequency. Receive/radiation efficiency decreases as the spacing s2 between antenna 140D and transmission line 120 increases. For example, with such a configuration, the HPBW of the main lobe of the electromagnetic waves radiated by the transmitting antenna array can be increased, and the radiated power of the side lobes can be suppressed.

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a third embodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 6 along section line B-B'. For clarity, FIG. 6 omits illustration of the substrate SUB, controllable dielectric layer CDL and spacers SP of FIG. 6 and 7, compared to the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of FIG. It comprises a second electrode layer EL2 arranged on the side 100s of the substrate 100 directed and overlapping along the direction Z with the controllable dielectric layer CDL.

Of particular note is that, unlike the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of the above embodiment, the first electrode layer EL1 and the second electrode layer EL2 of the tunable dielectric unit 160A of this embodiment are made of a controllable dielectric. Suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of the body layer CDL. That is, in this embodiment, transmission line 120 is not used as an electrode to drive the controllable dielectric layer CDL.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the second electrode layer EL2 is also a patterned electrode like the first electrode layer EL1, but the invention is not limited to this. In a preferred embodiment, the second electrode layer EL2 may be a plate electrode corresponding to the plurality of first electrode layers EL1 of the plurality of tunable dielectric units 160A. That is, the second electrode layer EL2 may be an unpatterned electrode layer that comprehensively covers the surface 100s of the substrate 100. FIG.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a fourth embodiment of the invention. 9 is an enlarged schematic diagram of a portion of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 8 along section line C-C'. 11 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of FIG. 9 along section line D-D'.

8-11, in this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 30 can include multiple transmission lines, such as, for example, transmission line 121, transmission line 122, transmission line 123, and transmission line 124. . The configuration relationship and corresponding technical effects of the transmission line 120, the antenna 140, the tunable dielectric unit 161, and the tunable dielectric unit 162 of this embodiment are similar to the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of FIG. Therefore, please refer to the relevant paragraphs of the above embodiments for a detailed description.

In this embodiment, the multiple antennas 140 adjacent to the multiple transmission lines 120 can be arranged in multiple columns and multiple rows along the first and second directions, respectively. For example, a plurality of receive antennas 140R installed in the reception area RA may be arranged to form a two-dimensional receive antenna array, and a plurality of transmit antennas 140E installed in the transmission area EA may be arranged to form a two-dimensional array. They may be arranged to form a dimensional transmit antenna array. However, the invention is not so limited. In another embodiment, not shown, the multiple antennas 140 located in the receiving area RA or the transmitting area EA may be arranged in a honeycomb-shaped two-dimensional antenna array. For example, any two adjacent antenna arrays of a plurality of one-dimensional antenna arrays arranged along direction X of antenna 140 may be arranged in direction Y in a staggered manner.

It should be noted that, in addition to the tunable dielectric units 160B provided in the receiving area RA and the transmitting area EA, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 30 of the present embodiment includes multiple tunable dielectrics in the transmitting area TA. A unit 163 is also provided. The tunable dielectric unit 163 overlaps the plurality of transmission sections 120ts of the plurality of transmission lines 120 along the direction Z and arranged in columns and rows along the first and second directions, respectively. be done. That is, the tunable dielectric units 163 may be arranged in an array of transmission areas TA of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 30 . The detailed configuration of the tunable dielectric unit 163 is similar to the tunable dielectric unit 161 and the tunable dielectric unit 162, so detailed description is omitted here.

In this embodiment, multiple tunable dielectric units 163 placed in the transmission area TA and overlapping the same transmission line 120 are placed adjacent to each other. More specifically, there are no gaps between the adjustable dielectric units 163 arranged along the transmission section 120ts. Therefore, when an electromagnetic wave signal is transmitted through the transmission line 120, it is possible to avoid energy attenuation caused by breaks in the surrounding dielectric layer. Furthermore, when multiple tunable dielectric units 163 on the same transmission line 120 are driven, the effective dielectric constant (shown in FIG. 11) of each controllable dielectric layer CDL is It gradually changes toward the transmitter 120es, for example, rising, falling, falling and then rising, or rising and then falling. That is, the difference in dielectric constant between any two adjacent dielectric layers of the plurality of controllable dielectric layers CDL of the tunable dielectric unit 163 does not become too large so that the electromagnetic wave signal can pass through. It can prevent significant energy loss in time.

For example, by applying different voltages to the first electrode layers EL1-A of each tunable dielectric unit 163 on the same transmission line 120, multiple liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal layer used as the controllable dielectric layer CDL are different, and the effective dielectric constant in the direction of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave signal varies substantially continuously. Specifically, the effective dielectric constant is between, for example, the dielectric constant ε// and the dielectric constant ε┴ of the liquid crystal layer, depending on different applied voltages. It should be noted that the generally continuous variation in effective dielectric constant described here is such that the difference between the effective dielectric constants produced by any two adjacent tunable dielectric units 163 is very small and It means that the difference depends on the number of adjustable dielectric units 163 on the same transmission line 120 . That is, when there are more tunable dielectric units 163 on the same transmission line 120, the change in effective dielectric constant on the transmission line 120 approaches continuous change.

It should be mentioned that by placing the adjustable dielectric unit 163 on different transmission lines 120, the phase difference between the electromagnetic wave signals transmitted on the different transmission lines 120 can be adjusted, thus making the present embodiment Two-dimensional antenna arrays have the ability to simultaneously modulate electromagnetic wave reception and transmission directions on the XZ and YZ planes.

For example, the tunable dielectric unit 163 is suitable for adjusting the phases of multiple electromagnetic signals transmitted to multiple transmission sections 120ts of the transmission line 120, so that the electromagnetic signals are transmitted with different delay times. transmitted to area EA and radiated via a plurality of corresponding transmit antennas 140E. At this time, if the multiple adjustable dielectric units 161 in the transmission area EA are not enabled, the transmission direction of the electromagnetic waves can be modulated on the YZ plane. Conversely, if the tunable dielectric unit 161 is activated at the same time, the transmission direction of the electromagnetic waves can be modulated simultaneously on the XZ and YZ planes.

10 and 11 simultaneously, in this embodiment, the first electrode layer EL1-A of the tunable dielectric unit 160B bends and extends from the bottom EL1bp parallel to the substrate 100 and the bottom EL1bp It has a sidewall EL1sp surrounding the controllable dielectric layer CDL. More specifically, the controllable dielectric layer CDL of the tunable dielectric unit 160B of this embodiment is covered by a first electrode layer EL1-A. This ensures that the drive of the controllable dielectric layer CDL of each tunable dielectric unit 160B is not affected by the electrodes of another tunable dielectric unit 160B.

However, the invention is not so limited. In another variant embodiment, each of the plurality of first electrode layers of the plurality of tunable dielectric units may have at least one notch, through which the substrate 100 and the plurality of tunable dielectric units may have at least one notch. A receiving space configured to fill the liquid crystal layer (ie the controllable dielectric layer CDL) between each of the plurality of first electrode layers of the possible dielectric unit may be communicated. That is, in a variant embodiment, the first electrode layer of the tunable dielectric unit may be arranged in one continuously distributed liquid crystal layer.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 30 may further include an insulating layer INS1 and an insulating layer INS2. The insulating layer INS1 is provided between the first electrode layer EL1-A and the transmission line 120 so that the first electrode layer EL1-A and the transmission line 120 are electrically isolated from each other. Since the insulating layer INS2 is provided between any two adjacent first electrode layers EL1-A, any two adjacent first electrode layers EL1-A are electrically isolated from each other. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the distance between each two adjacent first electrode layers EL1-A on the two transmission lines 120 is further apart, so that the insulating layer INS2 along the direction Y It may not be provided between two adjacent first electrode layers EL1-A arranged, but the present invention is not limited to this. In another embodiment, the insulating layer INS2 is arranged around the first electrode layer of each tunable dielectric unit to allow adjacent first electrode layers of another tunable dielectric unit arranged in different directions. may be insulated.

FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a fifth embodiment of the invention. 13A and 13B are schematic cross-sectional views of the tunable dielectric unit of FIG. 12 when operated in different states. 13A and 13B correspond to section line E-E' in FIG. For clarity, FIG. 12 omits illustration of the substrate SUB, controllable dielectric layer CDL, and spacers SP of FIGS. 13A and 13B. 12-13B, the difference between the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10F of this embodiment and the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of FIG. 3A is the configuration of the first electrode layer of the adjustable dielectric unit and the liquid crystal layer The driving method is different.

Specifically, in this embodiment, the first electrode layer EL1-B of the tunable dielectric unit 160C includes a plurality of first strip electrodes SE1 and a plurality of second strip electrodes SE2. The first strip electrodes SE1 and the second strip electrodes SE2 are alternately arranged along the extending direction (for example, the direction X) of the first extending portion 120P1 of the transmission line 120 and parallel to the second extending portion 120P2. . In this embodiment, transmission line 120 is not used as an electrode configured to drive the controllable dielectric layer CDL. Instead, the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL is modified by the electric field generated between any adjacent ones of the first strip electrode SE1 and the second strip electrode SE2.

For example, in this embodiment, when no electric field is applied to the plurality of liquid crystal molecules LCM of the liquid crystal layer of the controllable dielectric layer CDL, its alignment direction (i.e., alignment direction) is substantially the second extension parallel to the stretch direction of 120P2 (shown in FIG. 13A). When the first electrode layer EL1-B is activated, a lateral electric field substantially parallel to the substrate 100 is formed between the first strip electrode SE1 and the second strip electrode SE2. Since the liquid crystal material employed in this embodiment is a positive liquid crystal material (that is, the dielectric constant ε// of the liquid crystal molecules LCM in the long axis direction is greater than the dielectric constant ε┴ in the short axis direction), the liquid crystal The long axes of molecular LCMs tend to be oriented along the direction of this transverse electric field (shown in FIG. 13B). More specifically, the liquid crystal layer of this embodiment is operated in an in-plane switching (IPS) mode.

Unlike the tunable dielectric unit 160 of FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the tunable dielectric unit 160C of this embodiment is not enabled, the controllable dielectric layer CDL in the direction of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave signal has a relatively small dielectric constant ε┴, so little phase shift occurs. Conversely, when the tunable dielectric unit 160C is enabled, the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer CDL in the direction of the electric field of the electromagnetic wave signal is a relatively large dielectric constant ε//, so that the phase Displacement occurs frequently.

FIG. 14 is a schematic plan view of an electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to a sixth embodiment of the invention. Referring to FIG. 14, different from the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10 of FIG. 1, the multiple adjustable dielectric units 160D of the electromagnetic wave transmission structure 10G of the present embodiment, e.g. A possible dielectric unit 161D and/or a plurality of adjustable dielectric units 162D installed in the receiving area RA are arranged adjacent to each other. For example, for a tunable dielectric unit 160D between two adjacent antennas 140, each of the two opposing sides in the alignment direction of the two antennas 140 is the geometric center C of each of the two antennas 140. and can be arranged in a row.

That is, there are no gaps between the multiple adjustable dielectric units 160D placed in the receiving area RA or the transmitting area EA. Therefore, when an electromagnetic wave signal is transmitted to the receiving section 120rs or the transmitting section 120es of the transmission line 120, it is possible to avoid energy attenuation caused by breaks in the surrounding dielectric layer.

As can be seen, the electromagnetic wave transmission structure of one embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of antennas provided adjacent to the transmission line and a plurality of tunable dielectric units arranged in a plurality of sections of the transmission line between the antennas. provided to By electronically modulating the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer overlying the transmission line in the tunable dielectric unit, the phase of the electromagnetic wave signal can be changed, thereby changing the electromagnetic wave transmission direction and reception of the antenna. Direction can be modulated.

The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of the present invention can be applied to any form of mobile communication.

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, 10E, 10F, 10G, 20, 30 electromagnetic wave transmission structure 100, SUB substrate 100s side surfaces 120, 120A, 121, 122, 123, 124 transmission line 120P1 first extending portions 120P2, 120P2 -A second extension 120es transmitter 120rs receiver 120ts transmitter 140, 140A, 140B, 140D antennas 160, 160A, 160B, 160C, 160D, 161, 162, 163 adjustable dielectric unit C geometric center CDL control possible dielectric layers d distances e1, e2 edges EL1, EL1-A, EL1-B first electrode layer EL1bp bottom EL1sp sidewalls EL2 second electrode layers INS1, INS2 insulating layers s1, s2 spacing SA axis of symmetry SE1 first Strip electrode SE2 Second strip electrode

Claims (14)

a substrate;
disposed on the substrate, each comprising:
a first extending portion extending in a first direction;
a plurality of second extensions respectively extending from two opposite edges of the first extensions, wherein the extension direction of the second extensions is parallel to the second direction, and the second extensions sections are arranged at a pitch P along the first direction, and any two adjacent ones of the second stretches arranged along the first direction have a spacing S; the plurality of second extensions, each of the second extensions having a length L along the second direction;
at least one transmission line comprising
a plurality of antennas disposed on the substrate and adjacent to the at least one transmission line;
a plurality of tunable dielectric units overlapping portions of the at least one transmission line located between the antennas;
each said tunable dielectric unit having a first electrode layer and a controllable dielectric layer overlying each other, said controllable dielectric layer connecting said first electrode layer and said at least one transmission arranged between lines, the pitch P, the spacing S, and the length L satisfying the following relationship:

k _sspp is the wavenumber of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted over the at least one transmission line, ε _r is the effective dielectric constant of the controllable dielectric layer, and ω is the at least one transmission line. is the angular frequency of the electromagnetic wave signal transmitted through and c is the speed of light. Each said at least one transmission line has a transmitting portion, a receiving portion and a transmitting portion, said transmitting portion being connected between said receiving portion and said transmitting portion, said tunable dielectric unit being connected to said transmitting portion. a plurality of first tunable dielectric units that overlap one of the transmitting section and the receiving section, and that are adjacent to the one of the transmitting section and the receiving section; 2. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, wherein the tunable dielectric units are alternately arranged along the direction of elongation of the at least one transmission line. The tunable dielectric unit further includes a plurality of second tunable dielectric units overlapping the other of the transmitting section and the receiving section, wherein the other of the transmitting section and the receiving section 3. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 2, wherein adjacent separate portions of said antenna and said second adjustable dielectric units are alternately arranged along the direction of elongation of said at least one transmission line. The at least one transmission line is a plurality of transmission lines extending in the first direction, the plurality of transmission lines are arranged along the second direction, and the plurality of antennas are respectively connected to the transmission lines. a plurality of said receiver sections and a plurality of said transmitter sections of said tunable dielectric units further overlapping said plurality of said transmitter sections of said plurality of transmission lines. 4. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 3, wherein a plurality of said third adjustable dielectric units are arranged in a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows along said first direction and said second direction, respectively. body. The first electrode layer of each of the tunable dielectric units has a bottom parallel to the substrate and sidewalls bent and extending from the bottom, the sidewalls extending from the controllable dielectric. 5. A layer according to claim 4, wherein said first electrode layer and said at least one transmission line are adapted to generate an electric field surrounding layers, said electric field being adapted to change an effective dielectric constant of said controllable dielectric layer. Electromagnetic wave transmission structure. Two of the first electrode layers in any two adjacent third adjustable dielectric units among the plurality of third adjustable dielectric units arranged along the first direction. 6. An electromagnetic wave transmission structure according to claim 5, wherein an insulating layer is provided between two said side wall portions of. each said at least one transmission line having a transmission section, a reception section and a transmission section, said transmission section being connected between said reception section and said transmission section; a plurality of transmission lines extending in one direction, wherein the plurality of transmission lines are arranged along the second direction; Adjacent to the transmitting section, at least a portion of the plurality of tunable dielectric units overlap the plurality of transmission sections of the plurality of transmission lines, along the first direction and the second direction, respectively. 2. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1 arranged in columns and a plurality of rows. The first electrode layer of each of the tunable dielectric units has a bottom parallel to the substrate and sidewalls bent and extending from the bottom, the sidewalls extending from the controllable dielectric. 2. A layer according to claim 1, wherein said first electrode layer and said at least one transmission line are adapted to generate an electric field surrounding a layer, said first electrode layer and said at least one transmission line being adapted to change an effective dielectric constant of said controllable dielectric layer. Electromagnetic wave transmission structure. the at least one transmission line is one transmission line, the distance between each antenna and the transmission line is the same, and a plurality of the antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line; 2. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, having an axis of symmetry, wherein the diameter of each said antenna decreases or increases with distance from said axis of symmetry. The at least one transmission line is one transmission line, the geometric center of each antenna is the same distance from the transmission line, and a plurality of the antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line. , an axis of symmetry, and wherein the diameter of each said antenna decreases or increases with distance from said axis of symmetry. the at least one transmission line is one transmission line, each of the antennas has the same diameter, a plurality of the antennas are arranged along the extension direction of the transmission line and have an axis of symmetry; 2. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, wherein the spacing between each said antenna and said transmission line increases with distance from said axis of symmetry. each of the plurality of tunable dielectric units further comprising:
a second electrode layer disposed on a side of the substrate facing away from the at least one transmission line and overlapping the controllable dielectric layer, the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer 2. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, suitable for generating an electric field configured to alter an effective dielectric constant of said controllable dielectric layer. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, wherein said controllable dielectric layer is a liquid crystal layer. The first electrode layer includes a plurality of first strip electrodes and a plurality of second strip electrodes, wherein the plurality of first strip electrodes and the plurality of second strip electrodes are alternately arranged along the first direction. parallel to said second extension and any adjacent said first strip electrode and said second strip electrode configured to alter the effective dielectric constant of said controllable dielectric layer. The electromagnetic wave transmission structure of claim 1, suitable for producing a

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