Method for manufacturing a radar sensor

1. A method for manufacturing a radar sensor, comprising the following steps:

providing a circuit board that has a copper layer;

equipping a surface of the circuit board with a radar transceiver;

applying a soldering paste so that the soldering paste is positioned at least at a plurality of attachment locations on the copper layer;

providing a waveguide structure made of plastic;

forming waveguide channels, each including at least one metallic conductively coated side wall in the waveguide structure and an open side, the waveguide channels each having a three-walled or U-shaped cross-section and having a length extending perpendicularly to the three-walled or U-shaped cross-section; and

soldering a solderable material of the waveguide structure to the circuit board via the soldering paste, the open side being oriented in a direction of the circuit board so that the circuit board forms a floor of the waveguide channels to which each of the at least one side wall of the waveguide channels are directly connected, transforming the three-walled or U-shaped structure into a four-walled or O-shaped cross-section.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the waveguide channels are formed in a shape of a rectangle in cross-section, including three metallic conductively coated side walls.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein a solderable coating is applied to the waveguide structure in an area of a solder spot prior to the waveguide structure being soldered to the circuit board.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein emitting elements are implemented in the form of openings through the at least one coated side wall of the waveguide channels to an outside of the waveguide structure, the length of the waveguide channels extending perpendicularly to a direction from the floor formed by the circuit board to the openings.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure is a modular unit.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein at least one sender module and at least one receiver module are provided separately from one another and soldered in different spots to the circuit board.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure and the radar transceiver are situated on different sides of the circuit board.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the waveguide structure and the radar transceiver are situated on the same side of the circuit board.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the circuit board has at least one via that extends upward into at least one of the waveguide channels.

10. A radar sensor, comprising:

a circuit board having a copper layer;

a waveguide structure that:

is made of plastic; and

includes waveguide channels, each:

(I) including at least one metallic conductively coated side wall;

(II) having a three-walled or U-shaped cross-section and having a length extending perpendicularly to the three-walled or U-shaped cross-section with an open side; and

(III) having edges of the open side that are soldered to the circuit board at location of solder paste material applied to the copper layer of the circuit board, such that the circuit board forms a floor of the waveguide channels to which each of the at least one side wall of the waveguide channels are directly connected, a combination of the three-walled or U-shaped cross-section of the waveguide channels and the floor formed by the circuit board thereby forming a four-walled or O-shaped cross-section; and

a radar transceiver situated on a surface of the circuit board.