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Finally, it’s worth noting that multiple
research projects in medical focus on
noninvasive health monitoring with radar
technology. Whether AiP will benefit from
future product development will depend on
the frequency that is used. Beyond 100GHz,
interconnects become a limiting factor and
it is more interesting to integrate the antenna
directly onto the chip. As an example, imec
developed a vital sign monitoring concept
based on a 140GHz radar with an on-chip
antenna configuration, thereby removing
interconnect losses. In addition, the medical
device market is quite difficult to penetrate
as it requires FDA or CE approval.

Summary
Figure 4: R. AiP From Google/Infineon for HMI feature integrated in the Google Pixel 4 XL. SOURCE: [9]
Mm-wave AiP found a good fit in the
conform with the requirements of these types because of the significantly higher cost. The consumer market both for 5G mobile
of applications so far. Now, however, AiP Texas Instruments AoP radar costs around broadband and gesture recognition HMI
technology is maturing and it is becoming 50% more than its counterpart without an applications. The market penetration will
possible to shrink the size of the sensor and integrated antenna [10]. A cost breakdown be governed by regulation policies: 5G
to reduce the cost to levels acceptable to the analysis, as shown in Figure 5, highlights mmWave is only available to a fraction
industrial market. And that’s exactly what the fact that the main extra cost share is at of the U.S. market at the moment and the
the current market leaders, such as Infineon the packaging level. The penetration rate of 60GHz unlicensed band cannot be used
or Texas Instruments, are doing. Both such a device will be strongly linked to the worldwide. Attempts to translate the AiP
players are working on radar sensors with capability of companies involved to reduce concept into the automotive, industrial and
integrated antenna in the package targeting the cost, unless it brings added value for medical markets are underway. However,
these applications. safety or enables a new functionality, such the entry barrier is high for automotive and
The status is quite different in the as a secure and automated trunk opener medical because product qualification cycles
automotive industry. Radar-based sensors to be implemented. are far longer.
have been a legacy technology since the Other applications in the automotive
beginning. The progressive transition from space are driver monitoring, in-cabin Acknowledgments
24GHz to 77GHz helped in reducing the occupancy detection, as well as a health This article was written in collaboration
sensor size, but further scaling of the sensor monitoring system. A child presence with Santosh Kumar, Principal Analyst &
is difficult on account of the wide antenna detection system is already mandatory in Director Packaging, Assembly & Substrates,
aperture required for high resolution and Italy and will be required elsewhere soon, Yole Korea, and Eric Mounier, Fellow
long range at the same time. AiP has opening opportunities for radar AiP to enter Analyst from Yole.
therefore not penetrated this market so far. the automotive market.
A potential use case for automotive radar
AiP would be the replacement of ultrasonic
sensors for highly automated valet parking
features as the range is less of a concern
for this application. A typical range
requirement for this application is below 10
meters, which makes small antenna design
possible. Because the quarter wavelength at
the operating frequency of 79GHz is in the
millimeter range, it’s interesting to integrate
antennas with the RFIC, and it’s even
more interesting if the signal processing
is embedded in the RFIC because it
would remove the need for an external
microcontroller unit (MCU). This approach
has been followed by Texas Instruments,
among other companies. In addition, the
sensor could be hidden behind bumpers,
thereby improving the car design. So far,
this type of solution has not been adopted Figure 5: AiP From Texas Instruments for automotive (right) with cost comparison with stand alone
version (left). SOURCE: [10]

6 6 Chip Scale Review January • February • 2020 [ChipScaleReview.com]