Page 13 - Chip Scale Review_January February_2022-digital

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

Shrinking RADAR and LiDAR sensor

packages – an introduction to TINKER

By Leo Schranzhofer [PROFACTOR], Martin Eibelhuber [EV Group], Martina Chopart [AMIRES]

A utonomous driving and self- following two main objectives. The first

objective is to establish a platform based
driving cars are prominent use
cases for microelectronics and
objective is to fabricate RADAR and LiDAR
sensors—most importantly, on additive manufacturing. The second
radio detection and ranging (RADAR) sensor packages as use cases. TINKER’s
and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) approach is to use key enabling technologies,
sensors (Figure 1). The RADAR and especially inkjet printing and nanoimprint
LiDAR markets have enormous potential, lithography (NIL), as disruptive and flexible
with the market size of LiDAR sensors manufacturing techniques in micro-part
in automotive and industrial applications Figure 1: Autonomous cars are prominent use assembling. The proposed TINKER pilot
estimated to reach 26% compound annual cases for RADAR and LiDAR sensors. line will offer a high degree of flexibility
growth rate (CAGR) in the 2020-2026 and reliability due to its modular character.
period. The market segment of advanced ADAS as well as for autonomous cars. Additional key components are inline
driver-assistance systems (ADAS) is Current bottlenecks are the relatively feedback control mechanisms, which will
expecting an even more impressive growth large size, weight and power consumption be directly integrated. Figure 2 shows the
of 111% [1]. of such sensor devices. Because these basic concept and components of TINKER.
Public awareness and the industrial factors are highly limited within cars, Starting from bare dies for LiDAR and
need for further miniaturization of further miniaturization and improving RADAR chips, pick-and-place processes
RADAR and LiDAR sensor packages functionality and efficient use of resources and inline inspection for feedback control
are the main drivers of ongoing efforts in are highly demanded. will be complemented by functional inkjet
the automotive sector to integrate these For a duration of three years beginning printing and nanoimprinting to fabricate
sensors into the body of a vehicle, such as on October 1, 2020, the European Union’s sensor packages for the RADAR and
in the bumpers, grilles and exterior lamps, Horizon 2020 funded TINKER project LiDAR use cases.
instead of attaching them to the exterior [official project name is “Fabrication of The TINKER project aims to decrease
of cars. Safety for both the driver and Sensor Packages Enabled by Additive production time, measurably increase
others is the most important consideration Manufacturing”] is set to develop a new automation level, achieve a higher or
in the automotive sector. Therefore, high- reliable, accurate, functional, cost- and similar precision level as compared to
value and high-performance RADAR resource-efficient pathway for RADAR the state of the art in manufacturing of
and LiDAR systems are required for and LiDAR sensor package fabrication, these device types, and reduce rejection

Figure 2: The TINKER platform provides new additive manufacturing concepts in a pilot line for use cases such as RADAR and LiDAR sensors.

Chip Scale Review January • February • 2022 [ChipScaleReview.com] 11 11