High-frequency Environment Detection

An animal jumps onto the road. And although it is pitch dark and foggy, the self-propelled car brakes safely. Such environment recognition is elementary for autonomous driving. Innovative sensors based on high-frequency radiation could be the solution.

The University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE) is now expanding its microelectronics laboratory specifically for this purpose. Electronic and photonic chips can be used to determine objects and measure their position, distances and speeds. This is known from driver assistance systems, but also from industry. Thanks to them, for example, robots pick the right parts from unsorted crates and act independently next to humans.

However, today's sensors for environment detection have their limits, for example in the case of concealed vision. In addition, they do not yet work with the necessary accuracy. This is where the UDE scientists come in: In the new microelectronics laboratory "ForLab SmartBeam" at the Center for Semiconductor Technology and Optoelectronics (ZHO) at the University of Duisburg-Essen, they are currently researching novel transistors and infrared components. The importance of this work was underlined by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with a grant of almost four million euros, which will be used to expand the new laboratory. Among other things, equipment for high-frequency measurements of up to 1.5 terahertz will be purchased. Exactly this electromagnetic spectrum is interesting for many applications of high-frequency environment detection. Between 300 gigahertz and a few terahertz, the waves penetrate through material and organic tissue safely for humans. Ideal for detecting toxic substances or hidden objects.

However, terahertz sensors are not yet suitable for mass production - the necessary chips require a special semiconductor material: indium phosphide. In this material, the electrons can move faster than in the commonly used silicon. It is also suitable for the manufacture of efficient optoelectronic terahertz components. The required technologies are researched and developed at the ZHO of the university. The UDE scientists are convinced that the fast waves will have great potential - for the automotive industry, mechanical engineering, medical technology and telecommunications.