This is a National Phase Application filed under 35 U.S.C. 371 as a national stage of PCT/CN2019/100026, filed Aug. 9, 2019, an application claiming priority to Chinese Application No. 201810911924.5, filed Aug. 10, 2018, the contents of each of which are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
The present disclosure belongs to the field of communication technology, and particularly relates to a waveguide feed substrate and a manufacturing method thereof, and an antenna system and a manufacturing method thereof.
Currently, a liquid crystal antenna is mainly fed by a microstrip line and a Substrate Integrated Waveguide (SIW). Feeding by a microstrip line has the characteristics of relatively high isolation and integration, but has the disadvantages of relatively high insertion loss. Feeding by an SIW is characterized in that it can replace a rectangular waveguide, and is superior to a traditional rectangular metal waveguide in terms of section size, loss characteristics, processing cost and integration capability. However, most SIW feeders are manufactured by forming through holes in dielectric slabs and plating upper and lower metal layers, and have performance similar to that of the metal waveguide, and most dielectric slabs are Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs). Due to the material characteristics of glass, i.e., it is not easy to be integrated with substrates such as PCBs. For integrating a glass structure with a PCB structure, a fixing frame or other means are required to fix them together, which results in relatively poor assembly accuracy. Because a feed position requires higher alignment precision, it is easy to generate relatively large loss if the alignment precision is low.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a waveguide feed substrate including: a first base substrate provided with a receiving groove which includes a bottom, and a first side wall and a second side wall which are connected to the bottom and disposed opposite to each other; and a waveguide feeder which is embedded in the receiving groove, is a hollow structure and is provided with a first side disposed at the bottom of the receiving groove, a second side disposed opposite to the first side, and a third side and a fourth side which are both connected between the first side and the second side and disposed opposite to each other; wherein, the third side is disposed on the first side wall and the fourth side is disposed on the second side wall; and an opening is formed in the second side, and an upper surface of the second side distal to the first side is flush with an upper surface of the first base substrate on which the receiving groove is provided.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a second base substrate is disposed on a side of the second side of the waveguide feeder distal to the first side, and the second base substrate is connected to the upper surface of the first base substrate, on which the receiving groove is provided, by bonding.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, materials of the first base substrate and the second base substrate both include: any one of glass, silicon, quartz, and ceramic, and a material of the waveguide feeder includes metal.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an antenna system including the waveguide feed substrate described above, and an antenna substrate bonded to the waveguide feed substrate.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the antenna substrate includes: a third base substrate; a microstrip line disposed on a side of the third base substrate distal to the waveguide feed substrate; a fourth base substrate; a patch electrode disposed on a first side of the fourth base substrate; a metal patch disposed on a second side of the fourth base substrate; and a liquid crystal layer disposed between a side of the third base substrate provided with the microstrip line and a side of the fourth base substrate provided with the patch electrode, wherein an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the third base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the third base substrate; the patch electrode is provided with an opening, and an orthographic projection of the metal patch on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate; an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate; and an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the fourth base substrate does not overlap the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a material of the third base substrate includes glass.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a waveguide feed substrate. The waveguide feed substrate includes a first base substrate provided with a receiving groove, and a waveguide feeder embedded in the receiving groove, and the waveguide feeder is a hollow structure, and is provided with a first side disposed at a bottom of the receiving groove, a second side disposed opposite to the first side and provided with an opening, and a third side and a fourth side which are both connected between the first side and the second side and disposed opposite to each other. The method for manufacturing the waveguide feed substrate includes: providing a first base substrate, and etching the first base substrate to form a receiving groove therein, wherein the receiving groove includes: a bottom, and a first side wall and a second side wall which are connected to the bottom and disposed opposite to each other; growing metal on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove to form a first side, a third side and a fourth side of a waveguide feeder; forming a sacrificial structure that fills the receiving groove where the first side, the third side, and the fourth side of the waveguide feeder are formed, wherein an upper surface of the sacrificial structure is flush with upper surfaces of the third side and the fourth side to expose the upper surfaces of the third side and the fourth side; forming a pattern of a second side of the waveguide feeder by a patterning process, wherein the second side is provided with an opening and is connected to the third side and the fourth side to form a hollow structure with the first side, the third side, and the fourth side, and an upper surface of the second side distal to the first side is flush with an upper surface of the first base substrate on which the receiving groove is provided; and removing the sacrificial structure through the opening in the second side to form the waveguide feeder.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of growing metal on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove includes forming a metal material layer by an electroplating process to integrally form the first side, the third side and the fourth side of the waveguide feeder.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of forming a sacrificial structure includes depositing a sacrificial layer material on the first base substrate provided with the receiving groove where the first side, the third side and the fourth side of the waveguide feeder are formed, and removing the sacrificial layer material located outside the receiving groove to form a sacrificial structure which fully fills the receiving groove.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the sacrificial layer material includes any one of silicon dioxide and polysilicon.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of forming a pattern of a second side of the waveguide feeder by a patterning process includes depositing a metal material layer by a sputtering or electroplating process, and forming a pattern of a second side by exposure, development and etching processes.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of removing the sacrificial structure through the opening in the second side includes: removing the sacrificial structure through the opening in the second side by an etching process.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a waveguide feed substrate. The waveguide feed substrate includes a first base substrate provided with a receiving groove, and a waveguide feeder embedded in the receiving groove. The waveguide feeder is a hollow structure, and is provided with a first side disposed at a bottom of the receiving groove, and a third side and a fourth side where are connected to the first side and disposed opposite to each other, and the waveguide feeder is further provided with a second side disposed opposite to the first side and the second side is provided with an opening, the second side is located on a second base substrate and is connected to the third side and the fourth side respectively, and a surface of the second base substrate on which the second side is provided is bonded to and fixed with an upper surface of the first substrate on which the receiving groove is provided. The method for manufacturing the waveguide feed substrate includes: providing a first base substrate, and etching the first base substrate to form a receiving groove therein, wherein the receiving groove includes: a bottom, and a first side wall and a second side wall which are connected to the bottom and disposed opposite to each other; growing metal on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove to form a first side, a third side and a fourth side of a waveguide feeder; providing a second base substrate, and forming a pattern including a second side of the waveguide feeder on the second base substrate by a patterning process, wherein the second side is provided with an opening, and a thickness of the second side is equal to a distance between upper surfaces of the third side and the fourth side and an upper surface of the first base substrate; performing a bonding process on the first base substrate on which the first side, the third side and the fourth side of the waveguide feeder are formed and the second base substrate on which the second side of the waveguide feeder is formed, so as to form the waveguide feeder, wherein the second side is connected to the third side and the fourth side to form a hollow structure with the first side, the third side and the fourth side, and the upper surface of the first base substrate is in contact with the second base substrate.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the step of growing metal growth on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove includes forming a metal material layer by an electroplating process to integrally form the first side, the third side and the fourth side of the waveguide feeder, and the step of forming a pattern including a second side of the waveguide feeder on the second base substrate by a patterning process includes depositing a metal material layer by a sputtering or electroplating process, and forming a pattern of a second side by exposure, development, and etching processes.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an antenna system. The antenna system includes a waveguide feed substrate and an antenna substrate bonded to the waveguide feed substrate. The method for manufacturing an antenna system includes the method for manufacturing a waveguide feed substrate, the method for manufacturing an antenna substrate, and the method for fixing the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate described above. The method for manufacturing an antenna substrate includes: providing a third base substrate; growing metal on one surface of the third base substrate, and patterning the grown metal to form a microstrip line; providing a fourth base substrate; growing metal on two opposite surfaces of the fourth base substrate, and patterning the metal grown on the two surfaces to form a patch electrode and a metal patch respectively, wherein the patch electrode is provided with an opening, and an orthographic projection of the metal patch on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate; assembling the third base substrate and the fourth base substrate with a surface of the third base substrate provided with the microstrip line facing a surface of the fourth base substrate provided with the patch electrode to form a cell, and pouring liquid crystals into the cell, wherein an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate, and the method for fixing the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate includes fixing the upper surface of the first base substrate on which the receiving groove is provided in the waveguide feed substrate and a surface of the third base substrate not having the microstrip line in the antenna substrate by a bonding process, wherein an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the third base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the third base substrate, and an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the fourth base substrate does not overlap the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing an antenna system. The antenna system includes a waveguide feed substrate and an antenna substrate bonded to the waveguide feed substrate. The method for manufacturing an antenna system includes the method for manufacturing a waveguide feed substrate, the method for manufacturing an antenna substrate, and the method for fixing the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate described above, wherein the method for manufacturing an antenna substrate includes: providing a third base substrate; growing metal on one surface of the third base substrate, and patterning the grown metal to form a microstrip line; providing a fourth base substrate; growing metal on two opposite surfaces of the fourth base substrate, and patterning the metal grown on the two surfaces to form a patch electrode and a metal patch respectively, wherein the patch electrode is provided with an opening, and an orthographic projection of the metal patch on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate; assembling the third base substrate and the fourth base substrate with a surface of the third base substrate provided with the microstrip line facing a surface of the fourth base substrate provided with the patch electrode to form a cell, and pouring liquid crystals into the cell, wherein an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the fourth base substrate partially overlaps the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate, and the method for fixing the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate includes fixing a surface of the second base substrate of the waveguide feed substrate distal to the second side in the waveguide fee substrate and a surface of the third base substrate not having the microstrip line in the antenna substrate by a bonding process, wherein an orthographic projection of the microstrip line on the third base substrate partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the third base substrate, and an orthographic projection of the opening of the second side of the waveguide feed substrate on the fourth base substrate does not overlap the orthographic projection of the opening of the patch electrode on the fourth base substrate.
In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions of the present disclosure, the present disclosure will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementations.
Unless otherwise defined, technical terms or scientific terms used in the embodiments should have general meanings that can be understood by people with ordinary skills in the technical field of the present disclosure. The words “first” and “second” and the like used in the embodiments do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but are just used to distinguish between different elements. The word “include” or “comprise” and the like indicates that an element or object before the word covers elements or objects or the equivalents thereof listed after the word, but do not exclude other elements or objects. The word “connect” or “couple” and the like are not restricted to physical or mechanical connection, but may include electrical connection, whether direct or indirect. The words “on”, “under”, “left”, “right” and the like are used merely to indicate relative positional relationships, and when an absolute position of an object described is changed, the relative positional relationships may also be changed accordingly.
It should be understood that when an element such as a layer, film, region, or substrate is referred to as being “on” or “under” another element, the element can be “directly” “on” or “under” another element, or there may be intermediate elements therebetween.
The term “bonding” in the present disclosure refers to a technique of subjecting two sheets of homogeneous or heterogeneous semiconductor materials, which have clean and atomically-flat surfaces, to surface cleaning and activation, and then directly combining under certain conditions, so as to bond the two wafers into a whole by Van der Waals force, molecular force or even atomic force.
As shown in
The waveguide feeder 2 is applied to an antenna substrate, and the antenna substrate generally includes a phase shifter and a metal patch disposed on the phase shifter. As shown in
Since the waveguide feeder 2 is disposed in the first base substrate 1 in the waveguide feed substrate provided by the embodiment, a surface of the first base substrate 1 on which the waveguide feeder 2 is disposed and a surface of the third base substrate 51 distal to the microstrip line 54 in the antenna substrate 5 can be fixed together by a bonding process. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna systems caused by mechanical assembly.
Since the microstrip line is generally formed on a glass base substrate, that is, a material of the third base substrate 51 of the antenna substrate 5 includes glass. Therefore, in some embodiments, materials capable of being bonded with glass are selected as the materials of the first base substrate 1. Specifically, the materials of the first base substrate 1 may include any one of glass, silicon, quartz, and ceramic.
In some embodiments, a material of the waveguide feeder 2 may include metal. Specifically, the metal materials may include copper, aluminum, and may also include invar and steel. Of course, the metal materials are not limited to the above materials, and different metal materials can be selected according to different application occasions and wave bands.
Correspondingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with respect to the waveguide feed substrate described above, as shown in
In step S110, a first base substrate 1 is provided, and is etched to form a receiving groove 11 therein. As shown in
In step S120, metal growth is performed on the bottom and the two side walls of the receiving groove 11 on the base substrate where the above step is completed, so as to form a first side 21, a third side 23, and a fourth side 24 of a waveguide feeder 2. As shown in
Specifically, a layer of metal material is plated on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove 11 by an electroplating process to form the first side 21, the third side 23, and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder 2, so that the first side 21, the third side 23, and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder 2 may be formed integrally.
It should be noted that the electroplating process refers to a method of laying a layer of metal on a conductor under the principle of electrolysis. Electroplating is a surface processing method in which a to-be-plated base metal is used as a cathode in a salt solution containing a pre-plated metal, and cations of the pre-plated metal in the plating solution are deposited on a surface of the base metal by electrolysis to form a plating layer.
Of course, the above step is not limited to employing the electroplating process, but can employ any process which can form metal layers on the bottom and the two side walls of the receiving groove 11.
In step S130, a sacrificial structure 4 is formed on the base substrate where the above steps are completed. As shown in
Specifically, a sacrificial layer material is deposited on the base substrate provided with the receiving groove 11 where the first side 21, the third side 23 and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder 2 are formed, and the sacrificial layer material located outside the receiving groove 11 is removed to form the sacrificial structure 4 which fully fills a space formed by the first side 21, the third side 23 and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder, and allow the upper surface of the sacrificial structure 4 to be flush with the upper surfaces of the third side 23 and the fourth side 24.
The sacrificial layer material may be any one of silicon dioxide, polysilicon, and the like.
In step S140, a pattern of the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 is formed by a patterning process on the base substrate where the above steps are completed. As shown in
Specifically, a metal material layer is formed on the sacrificial structure 4 by a sputtering or electroplating process, and then the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 is formed by exposure, development, and etching processes. It should be noted that formation of the metal material layer is not limited to employing sputtering and electroplating processes, but can employ any other process capable of depositing a metal film layer.
In step S150, the sacrificial structure 4 is removed through the opening 221 in the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 to form the waveguide feeder 2, as shown in
The sacrificial structure 4 may be released by a dry etching process or a wet etching process to form the waveguide feeder.
Accordingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with regard to the waveguide feeder 2 described above, an antenna system is further provided. The antenna system includes the waveguide feed substrate described above, and an antenna substrate 5.
Since the antenna system in the embodiment includes the waveguide feed substrate described above, a surface of the first base substrate 1 provided with the waveguide feeder 2 and a surface of the third base substrate 51 distal to the microstrip line 54 in the antenna substrate 5 can be fixed together by a bonding process. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna systems caused by mechanical assembly.
Correspondingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with regard to the antenna system described above, a method for manufacturing the antenna system is further provided. The waveguide feed substrate in the antenna system may be manufactured by the method described above. As shown in
As shown in
Thus, during a bonding process, a surface of the first base substrate 1 of the waveguide feed substrate on which the waveguide feeder 2 faces a surface of the third base substrate 51 of the antenna substrate 5 distal to the microstrip line 54, so as to fix the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate 5 together. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna systems caused by mechanical assembly.
As shown in
When the waveguide feed substrate in the embodiment and the antenna substrate 5 are fixed together, it is possible to fix a surface of the second base substrate 3 of the waveguide feed substrate distal to the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder with a surface of the third base substrate 51 not having the microstrip line 54 in the antenna substrate 5 by a bonding process. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna systems caused by mechanical assembly.
The materials of the first base substrate 1 and the waveguide feeder 2 in the waveguide feed substrate of the embodiment can be the same as those in the above-described embodiments. The material of the second base substrate 3 may be the same as that of the first base substrate 1, i.e., a material capable of being bonded with glass is selected. Specifically, the material of the second base substrate 3 may include any one of glass, silicon, quartz, and ceramic.
Correspondingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with regard to the waveguide feed substrate in
In step S210, a first base substrate 1 is provided, and is etched to form a receiving groove 11 therein. As shown in
In step S220, metal growth is performed on the bottom and the two side walls of the receiving groove 11 on the base substrate where the above step is completed, so as to form a first side 21, a third side 23, and a fourth side 24 of a waveguide feeder 2. As shown in
Specifically, a layer of metal material is plated on the bottom, the first side wall and the second side wall of the receiving groove 11 by an electroplating process to form the first side 21, the third side 23, and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder 2.
It should be noted that the electroplating process refers to a method of laying a layer of metal on a conductor under the principle of electrolysis. Electroplating is a surface processing method in which a to-be-plated base metal is used as a cathode in a salt solution containing a pre-plated metal, and cations of the pre-plated metal in the plating solution are deposited on a surface of the base metal by electrolysis to form a plating layer.
Of course, the above step is not limited to employing the electroplating process, but can employ any process which can form metal layers on the bottom and two side walls of the receiving groove 11.
In step S230, a second base substrate 3 is provided, and a pattern including the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 is formed on the second base substrate 3 by a patterning process. As shown in
Specifically, a metal material layer is formed on the second base substrate 3 by a sputtering or electroplating process, and then the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 is formed by exposure, development, and etching processes. It should be noted that formation of the metal material layer is not limited to employing the sputtering and electroplating processes, but can employ any other process capable of depositing a metal film layer.
In step S240, the first base substrate 1 where the above steps are completed and the second base substrate 3 where the above steps are completed are fixed together to form a waveguide feed substrate.
Specifically, as shown in
It should be noted that the step S230 may be implemented before the step S210. That is, the second side 22 of the waveguide feeder 2 on the second base substrate 3 may be manufactured before manufacturing the first side 21, the third side 23 and the fourth side 24 of the waveguide feeder 2 on the first base substrate 1.
Correspondingly, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, with respect to the waveguide feed substrate of
Since the antenna system in the embodiment includes the waveguide feed substrate described above, a surface of the second base substrate 3 of the waveguide feeder 2 distal to the second side and a surface of the third base substrate 51 in the antenna substrate 5 distal to the microstrip line 54 can be fixed together by a bonding process. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna system caused by mechanical assembly.
Correspondingly, according to an embodiment of the disclosure, with regard to the antenna system, a method for manufacturing the antenna system is further provided. The waveguide feed substrate in the antenna system can be manufactured by the method described above. As shown in
Thus, during a bonding process, a surface of the first base substrate 1 of the waveguide feed substrate on which the waveguide feeder 2 is disposed faces a surface of the third base substrate 51 of the antenna substrate 5 distal to the microstrip line 54, so as to fix a second base substrate 3 of the waveguide feed substrate and the antenna substrate 5 together. The bonding process has high precision, and can form antenna systems having stable structures, and therefore, can greatly reduce loss and error of the antenna systems caused by mechanical assembly.
According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing an antenna substrate is provided, and as shown in
In step S310, a third base substrate 51 is provided, metal growth is performed on one surface of the third base substrate 51, and the grown metal is patterned to form a microstrip line 54.
In step S320, a fourth base substrate 52 is provided, metal growth is performed on two surfaces of the fourth base substrate 52, and the metal grown on the two surfaces are patterned to form a patch electrode 55 and a metal patch 56 respectively. The patch electrode 55 is provided with an opening 551, and an orthographic projection of the metal patch 56 on the fourth base substrate 52 partially overlaps an orthographic projection of the opening 551 of the patch electrode 55 on the fourth base substrate 52.
In step S330, the third base substrate 51 and the fourth base substrate 52 are assembled with a surface of the third base substrate 51 provided with the microstrip line 54 facing a surface of the fourth base substrate 52 provided with the patch electrode 55 to form a cell, and liquid crystals are poured into the cell. An orthographic projection of the microstrip line 54 on the fourth base substrate 52 partially overlaps the orthographic projection of the opening 551 of the patch electrode 55 on the fourth base substrate 52.
Corresponding to the waveguide feed substrate of
Corresponding to the waveguide feed substrate of
It should be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments that are employed to illustrate the principles of the present disclosure, and that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and essence of the present disclosure, and should be considered to fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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201810911924.5 | Aug 2018 | CN | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/CN2019/100026 | 8/9/2019 | WO | 00 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2020/030128 | 2/13/2020 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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20200066661 | Tschumakow | Feb 2020 | A1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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1338793 | Mar 2002 | CN |
107895830 | Apr 2018 | CN |
208889844 | May 2019 | CN |
109950697 | Jun 2019 | CN |
2009253940 | Oct 2009 | JP |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200251817 A1 | Aug 2020 | US |