Millimeter-wave tapered slot array for automotive radar applications

To support advanced driving and vehicle safety applications such as semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicle modes, a growing variety of high performance sensors for object detection are under development. These sensors include millimeter-wave radars. To extend the performance of passenger vehicle radars to true volume scan capability, end fire antenna arrays are explored. In this paper, we present a planar 76-81 GHz corrugated tapered slot antenna array. Over all designs, return loss within 76-81 GHz is better than -15 dB, and gain is 19 dB with a beamwidth of 8.5° when used in an 8-element array. Results of simulation and pattern measurement in anechoic chamber are shown. Additionally, integration of this end fire design into possible packages for automotive radar with true volume scan are presented.