The nanoelectronics research center IMEC and Infineon Technologies have announced that they are working together to develop CMOS sensor chips. Based on an agreement unveiled at the annual Imec Technology Forum in Brussels (ITF Brussels 2016), they are working on highly integrated CMOS-based 79 GHz sensor chips for automotive radar applications. Imec contributes their advanced expertise in high-frequency system, circuit and antenna design for radar applications which complements Infineon’s radar sensor chip knowledge.
Working towards a fully automated car, the development of a first demonstrator in 28 nm CMOS technology is well under way. They expect functional CMOS sensor chip samples in the third quarter of 2016. A complete radar system demonstrator is scheduled for the beginning of 2017.
At the moment most cars that are equipped with driver assistance functions have about three radar systems. As this moves towards fully automated driving the number of radar systems in each car is expected to rise to more than ten. Each of these systems will be integrated with camera sensors or lidar technologies.
Infineon enables the radar-based safety cocoon of the partly and fully automated car. In the future, they plan to manufacture radar sensor chips as a single-chip solution in a classic CMOS process for applications like automated parking.
Compared to the mainstream 24 GHz band, the 77 GHz and 79 GHz bands enable a finer range, Doppler and angular resolution. With these advantages, they aim to realize radar prototypes with integrated multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) antennas that not only detect large objects, but also pedestrians and bikers and thus contribute to a safer environment for all.
Infineon is showcasing a demo their automotive radar solutions at IMS 2016. Stop by their booth to learn more.
