Imec and Panasonic Present breakthrough in CMOS-based Transceivers for mm-Wave Radar Systems

SAN FRANCISCO (ISSCC 2015, International Solid State Circuits Conference) – Feb. 25, 2015 — Today, at the 2015 International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC), imec and Panasonic presented a transceiver chip for phase-modulated continuous-wave radar at 79GHz. This achievement demonstrates the potential of downscaled CMOS for cheap millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radar systems that can be used for accurate presence and motion detection.

Mm-wave radar technology is used in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) to improve safety in blurry conditions such as dust, fog and darkness, where image-based driver assistance systems lack robustness. It also offers longer range, higher precision and invisible mounting capabilities compared to ultrasound sensors. Imec’s 79GHz radar solution is based on advanced (28nm) CMOS technology, and it is an attractive alternative to the current SiGe-based technology as it offers a path to a low-power, compact and integrated solution. Moreover, at the expected high manufacturing volumes, CMOS technology is intrinsically low-cost.

Imec’s and Panasonic’s transceiver chip contains a control loop to suppress the spillover from the transmitter into the receiver without affecting the RF performance. With a power consumption of 260mW, the output power of the transmitter is 11dBm, while the RX gain is 35dB with a noise figure below 7dB and a TX-to-RX spillover suppression of 15dB. Thanks to the wide modulation bandwidth, the achievable depth resolution is 7.5cm.

“We are pleased with these excellent performance results on 28nm CMOS technology, and excited about the new opportunities they present for mm-wave radar systems, not only for automotive radar, but also for other applications such as smart homes, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), robotics and others.” stated Wim Van Thillo, program director Perceptive Systems for the Internet of Things at imec. “This transceiver chip is an important milestone we have realized in our pursuit of a complete high-performance radar system fully integrated onto a single chip”.

Interested companies have access to imec’s CMOS-based 79GHz radar technology by joining imec’s industrial affiliation program or through IP licensing.

Caption: 28nm CMOS 79GHz Transceiver Chip for Phase-Modulated Continuous-Wave Radar.
Click on the picture to download the high-res version.

About Panasonic
Panasonic Corporation is a worldwide leader in the development and engineering of electronic technologies and solutions for customers in residential, non-residential, mobility and personal applications. Since its founding in 1918, the company has expanded globally and now operates around 500 consolidated companies worldwide, recording consolidated net sales of 7.74 trillion yen for the year ended March 31, 2014. Committed to pursuing new value through innovation across divisional lines, the company strives to create a better life and a better world for its customers.
For more information about Panasonic, please visit the company's website at http://panasonic.net/.
About imec
Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics and photovoltaics. Imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China, India and Japan. Its staff of over 2,080 people includes more than 670 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2013, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 332 million euro. Further information on imec can be found at www.imec.be. Stay up to date about what’s happening at imec with the monthly imec magazine, available for tablets and smartphones (as an app for iOS and Android), or via the website www.imec.be/imecmagazine
Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.)and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited).

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Imec Presents World First 79 GHz Radar Transmitter in 28nm CMOS

With an output power above 10dBm, the transmitter front-end paves the way towards full radar-on-chip solutions for automotive and smart environment applications.

Mm-wave radar systems, featuring a range resolution finer than 10cm and an angular resolution finer than 10 degrees, will be used in next-generation driver assistance systems to improve safety in blurry conditions (dust, fog, and darkness) where image-based driver assistance systems fail. However, the high bandwidth and carrier frequency needed to achieve such high resolution, wide field of view and high angular resolution, translate into large, expensive and power hungry mm-wave antenna arrays. A low power compact radar technology will be key to enable the application of mm-wave sensors in next generation automotive and smart environment applications.

Imec’s continuous wave radar transmitter operates in the 79 GHz band. Implemented in 28nm CMOS, with a supply voltage of 0.9V, it only consumes 121mW and is fully compliant with the spectral mask imposed by ETSI. Phase modulation guarantees high resilience against interference and enables code-domain multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) radar.

These results were presented at last week’s ISSCC2014 (San Francisco): A 79GHz phase-modulated 4GHz-BW CW Radar TX in 28nm CMOS. Giannini et al.

Imec welcomes industrial and academic partners for joint R&D. After developing receiver functionality (by end 2014), imec aims at building a complete multi-antenna lab prototype by the end of 2015. Afterwards, integration of ADCs and digital logic will lead to a full SoC.

About Imec

Imec performs world-leading research in nanoelectronics. Imec leverages its scientific knowledge with the innovative power of its global partnerships in ICT, healthcare and energy. Imec delivers industry-relevant technology solutions. In a unique high-tech environment, its international top talent is committed to providing the building blocks for a better life in a sustainable society. Imec is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, and has offices in Belgium, the Netherlands, Taiwan, US, China, India and Japan. Its staff of over 2,080 people includes more than 670 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2012, imec's revenue (P&L) totaled 320 million euro.

Imec is a registered trademark for the activities of IMEC International (a legal entity set up under Belgian law as a "stichting van openbaar nut”), imec Belgium (IMEC vzw supported by the Flemish Government), imec the Netherlands (Stichting IMEC Nederland, part of Holst Centre which is supported by the Dutch Government), imec Taiwan (IMEC Taiwan Co.) and imec China (IMEC Microelectronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.) and imec India (Imec India Private Limited).

EDA Approves Next-Gen Space-Based Military Surveillance System

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has agreed to approve a project for the next generation of European military earth observation satellites.

The multinational space-based imaging system (MUSIS) project has been launched by six European Union Member States: Belgium, Germany, Greece, France, Italy and Spain.

The MUSIS project aims at establishing a multinational space-based imaging system for surveillance, reconnaissance and observation to ensure continuity of services from the current French Helios II, German SAR LUPE and Italian Cosmo-Skymed and Pléiades systems, from 2015-2017 onwards.

EDA Head, Javier Solana said that he welcomed the initiative of the EU member states in approving this critical capability.

"Space-based related assets are critical to improve European military capabilities, including for information gathering," Solana said.

EDA's chief executive, Alexander Weis said that the EDA was proving its value by bringing together member states as well as by connecting military to civil space agendas.

"We will liaise with the commission and the European Space Agency to ensure complementing research and technology, and to seek other synergies," said Weis.

One of the roles for EDA will be to seek synergies with earth observation programmes on the civilian side, in particular with the global monitoring for environment and security (GMES) programme of the European Commission.

By Daniel Garrun.