Automated driving makes millimeter-wave radar ushered in how billions of small and medium-sized manufacturers can seize the market

With the rapid advancement of autonomous vehicle technology, 77GHz millimeter-wave radar has become increasingly essential. It is expected that CMOS-based millimeter-wave radar will take between three to five years to gain widespread adoption. As 77GHz and CMOS process technologies mature, they are set to unlock a market worth billions for millimeter-wave radar systems. This technological shift could reduce the cost of car radar from around ¥10,000 to just ¥1,000, making it more accessible and driving broader adoption. This presents a significant opportunity for small and medium-sized manufacturers to capture a share of this growing market. As a critical component in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), 77GHz millimeter-wave radar is expected to eventually replace the older 24GHz systems and may even evolve toward 79GHz in the future. With ongoing advancements in manufacturing processes and technology, millimeter-wave radars are becoming smaller, more energy-efficient, and more powerful—while also becoming more affordable. These improvements reinforce their role in enabling safer and more intelligent autonomous vehicles. **CMOS Process: A Game Changer for Cost and Integration** According to Bai Jie, Chairman of Suzhou Haomibo Technology Co., Ltd., “Technological progress often seems like an evolution in chip design, but it’s actually driven by breakthroughs in material science.” The same holds true for millimeter-wave radar. Historically, these systems used gallium arsenide (GaAs) or silicon-germanium (SiGe) technologies. While SiGe-based 77GHz radar systems have met the high-speed demands of adaptive cruise control, they tend to be large, bulky, and space-consuming. In 2009, as semiconductor processes advanced to 40 nanometers, CMOS technology began to mature and gradually replaced traditional materials due to its cost and integration advantages. Silicon used in 8-inch wafers, and CMOS produced on 12-inch wafers, offers better output and cost efficiency. Moreover, CMOS enables single-chip and single-package designs, significantly improving cost and thermal performance compared to silicon-based solutions. **The Future of Automotive Radar** One of the key advantages of CMOS is its ability to increase transistor density while reducing power consumption. As digital scaling improves, CMOS speeds continue to rise, now supporting applications up to 79 GHz. According to Qi Lianying, Technical Director at Mu Niu Technology, “When SiGe replaced GaAs, car radar prices dropped from ¥10,000 to ¥1,000. Similarly, CMOS is expected to bring further cost reductions and higher integration.” However, CMOS also presents challenges. An industry insider noted, “CMOS can handle less power, so ensuring range and coverage at low power requires advanced techniques. Additionally, CMOS generates more noise, which means more work is needed on hardware design and noise reduction algorithms.” Qi Lianying added, “While CMOS brings many benefits, such as lower costs and improved reliability, it also increases software complexity. Multi-core architectures and hardware acceleration modules require complex synchronization mechanisms, which can complicate system safety and verification. From a hardware designer’s perspective, the changes are mostly on the software side. If RF baseband integration reaches a higher level, like a single-chip solution, the system becomes more tightly coupled, leading to more complex software development. At the same time, CMOS lowers the industry entry barrier, intensifying competition.” Despite these challenges, the industry is pushing forward with CMOS technology. Experts from leading manufacturers note that current vehicle-based millimeter-wave radar products are still largely based on SiGe. RFCMOS products are expected to start mass production next year, but large-scale adoption may take two to three years. Bai Jie believes that while CMOS will eventually reduce radar costs, the initial price advantage won’t be immediate. SiGe-based products will remain in the market for some time before CMOS-based systems fully take over. According to DIGITIMES Research, the introduction of high-frequency millimeter-wave radar using CMOS technology is expected to cause a sharp drop in prices by 2022. This transition marks a pivotal moment for the automotive radar industry, offering both opportunities and challenges for manufacturers worldwide.

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