technology RF Devices
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fully optical mm-wave process by the substrate, do a reflow cycle and SiGe-technology is deployed in the
Infineon were transferred to TriQuint’s then everything is connected,” best long-range radar in the world.
low cost and high volume 6-inch fab in explains Behet. “You don’t need to “We have ramped up at the
Portland, Oregon in 2002, explains bond a large number of wires that beginning of this year, and we’re in
Markus Behet, a marketing manger for are a potential source for volume production.”
the company’s automotive radar performance degradation at these
products. Since then, the company frequencies.” The flip-chip approach Lehbrink’s claim for superior
has continued to develop this chip set. creates interconnects with very low performance may raise a few
losses. Use of this method does eyebrows, because GaAs has the
TriQuint is now ramping its 77 GHz necessitate that TriQuint’s customers edge over SiGe in many RF
chip set for a lead customer that is have access to flip-chip assembly products, and electronic devices
based in the US. The voltage capabilities – either in-house or at made from GaAs are known to have
controlled oscillator, transmitter and sub-contractors, but Behet says that low-noise figures and good switching
mixer are all manufactured with a manufacturers have readily accepted performance. Lehbrink, however,
low-cost HBT process in the the innovative new process because believes that it doesn’t make sense
company’s Oregon fab. Low noise of the advantages of fewer bond to make component-by-component
amplifiers and frequency doublers are wires and a significant reduction of comparisons, because GaAs and
fabricated by a fully optical, mm-wave insertion loss for flip-chip SiGe are two significantly different
0.13 µm low-cost PHEMT process, components. technologies. “You can’t compare on
and the switch is manufactured with a feature by feature level. What
a vertical PIN process. A copper/tin A typical lead customer will produce counts is the system performance.
Bosch’s third bonded flip-chip approach that around 50,000 radar units in the first Infineon’s highly integrated front-end
generation long minimizes parasitic inductances at year with the potential for a few chip improves this by minimizing the
range radar these millimeter-wave frequencies hundred thousand in years after. number of RF transitions as a result
employs SiGe has been introduced in the last few Automotive radar chip sets command of integration of multiple blocks.”
chips made by years for the chip set. prices of $20-60 depending on
Infineon. volume and radar architecture, so The system cost will also play a role
“You place your flipped MMICs onto TriQuint’s lead customer could in the success of this technology.
generate revenues of several million However, it doesn’t necessarily follow
dollars per year for the company. This that the winning semiconductor
should provide a healthy income for technology will be the cheaper one.
the next few years, but further down
the line success could be hampered Anwar, for example, believes that
by the rise of SiGe. “GaAs has a other factors will make a bigger
track record for 77 GHz auto radar difference than the cost of the
chip sets but I see SiGe technology, because the tens of
manufacturers looking actively at the dollars spent producing GaAs
market,” says Behet. chipsets is very small in comparison
to the price tag of automotive radar
Infineon Technologies is leading this systems, which sell for several
charge, and last December it thousand dollars. Incidently, the cost
announced that its chip will go into of producing an equivalent
Bosch’s third generation of long- technology in SiGe is higher,
range-radar. This system, which has according to Anwar, thanks to the
an improved range of up to 250 m, low volumes of the market and the
can be used to maintain a constant higher development costs of SiGe.
distance with the vehicle in front at The mask sets for this technology
high speeds, warn of collisions, can cost several thousand dollars,
support predictive brake assistance although it is unlikely that Infineon
and eventually deliver automatic has absorbed the full price for its
emergency breaking. SiGe development, because a
significant proportion of its effort has
Wolfgang Lehbrink, Infineon’s been expended in projects
marketing manager responsible for sponsored by the German Federal
the product marketing of radar Ministry of Education and Research.
components, claims that the
company’s fully automotive qualified Lehbrink’s response to the question
18 www.compoundsemiconductor.net October 2009
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