Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a valuable sensing technology for the detection of objects and the range, velocity, and angle of these objects. Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a radar technology that uses short wavelength electromagnetic waves. MM Wave radar transmits signals with a wavelength that is in the millimeter range, considered as short wavelength in the electromagnetic spectrum, and this is one of the advantages of this technology. It can provide sub-mm range accuracy and is able to penetrate certain materials such as plastic, clothing, and drywall, and is impervious to environmental conditions. Single-chip millimeterwave radar IC, built in standard CMOS, offers a range of distance-measurement based sensing functions in automotive radar, industrial, and infrastructure applications.
The millimeter wave radar IC market is divided into the segments of GaAs, RF CMOS, and SiGe BiCMOS. Key players in the millimeter wave radar IC market, on the product development side, include Infineon Technologies AG, NXP Semiconductors N.V., Texas Instruments, United Monolithic Semiconductors, and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation. These have been working on different strategies to drive sales using the most influential marketing techniques. However, as we examine the challenges and opportunities ahead in this market, companies can benefit from a strategy of developing capabilities in RF CMOS technology and focusing on the higher frequency of 77 GHz mmWave radar IC along with their heterogeneous integration to drive toward the key target market trends we have identified. Lucintel predicts that the global millimeter wave radar IC market will be valued at $1.2 billion by 2025, with an expected CAGR of 16% to 18% between 2020 and 2025.
Lucintel identifies six trends set to influence the global millimeter wave radar IC market. Most of the industry players and experts agree that these six trends will accelerate developments in the millimeter wave radar IC industry in the near future. In terms of the widespread knowledge about the millimeter wave radar IC already on the horizon, there is still a lack of unified perspective on the direction the industry is moving to proactively address developments. To help bring more clarity to this gap, our study aims to provide insights concerning the direction that changes are taking and how these changes will impact the millimeter wave radar IC market.
1. Introduction of CMOS RF Transceivers
RF CMOS technology is entering the market with various semiconductor companies. For instance, Texas Instruments has announced it with an intermediate technology node of 45nm. CMOS technology offers the advantages of high-level integration and lower cost than III-V compounds. It aids the production of multifunction RF transceivers and RF system-on-chip designs. Here, higher levels of RF performance lead to advanced safety and autonomous driving applications. It supports a host of applications, including the high-end, long-range use required for autonomous driving and ADAS, short- to mid-range automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, cross traffic alerts, and ultra-short-range autonomous parking. It enables several high-level signal processing integration options and allows for custom IP integration enabling designers to differentiate their systems.
Digital scaling in CMOS decreases power and size and increases performance at every node. RF CMOS IC has been driven by these digital transistor improvements, and the speed of CMOS continues to increase and is sufficient for 79GHz ADAS applications. The 79GHz band offers the 4GHz bandwidth crucial for higher-range resolution. Thus, RF CMOS ICs provide digital assistance to the analog for adaptation, flexibility, and robustness over environmental and manufacturing variations. CMOS technology changes the design of mmWave ICs, embedding increased intelligence and capabilities. For instance, the technology has enabled Texas Instruments to deliver a high-performance, low-power mmWave radar IC portfolio, scaling from a high-performance radar front end to single-chip radar.
2. Growing Usage in Satellite Communication