Fully integrated automotive radar sensor with versatile resolution

A planar radar sensor for automotive application is presented in this paper. The design comprises a fully integrated transceiver multichip module (MCM) and an electronically steerable microstrip patch array. The antenna feed network is based on a modified Rotman lens. An extended angular coverage, together with an adapted resolution, allows for the integration of automatic cruise control, precrash sensing, and cut-in detection within a single 77-GHz front-end. For ease of manufacturing, the interconnects between antenna and MCM rely on a mixed wire bond and flip-chip approach. The concept is validated by laboratory radar measurements.