Laser light source for a vehicle

• US 10,108,079 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2017
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Raring, James W., Rudy, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Yenke, Brian P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Haiem, Sean N.
• Application Number:
  US15/796,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20180059525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/64 using wavelength conversion means distinct or spaced from the light-generating element, e.g. a remote phosphor layer
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/14 characterised by the type of light source
• CPC Class Codes: F21S 41/16 Laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2033 LED or laser light sources
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/204 using secondary light emission, e.g. luminescence or fluorescence using different colours G03B33/00; if related to video signals H04N9/3197
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 21/2066 Reflectors in illumination beam in projection beam G03B21/28
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0071 for beam steering, e.g. using a mirror outside the cavity to change the beam direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0087 for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/22 having a ridge or stripe structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/34333 with a well layer based on Ga(In)N or Ga(In)P, e.g. blue laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4012 Beam combining, e.g. by the use of fibres, gratings, polarisers, prisms
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4093 Red, green and blue [RGB] generated directly by laser action or by a combination of laser action with nonlinear frequency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/334 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/363 using image projection screens volumetric display H04N13/388
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3129 scanning a light beam on the display screen scanning a light beam on a screen in displays other than projection devices G09G3/02; scanning systems in general G02B26/10; projectors using laser light sources in general H04N9/3161
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/3161 using laser light sources using laser beams scanning the display screen H04N9/3129

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a laser light source for a vehicle.

Claims

1. A lighting apparatus for a vehicle, the apparatus comprising:

a housing coupled to the vehicle;

an edge emitting laser diode device disposed within the housing, the edge emitting laser diode device comprising a gallium and nitrogen containing material having a non-polar, semipolar, or polar surface orientation, the edge emitting laser diode device comprising;

an n-cladding layer with a thickness from 100 nm to 5000 nm and a Si doping level of 1E17 to 3E18 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

an n-side separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layer comprised of InGaN having a molar fraction of In of between 3% and 10%;

multiple quantum well active region layers comprised of at least two InGaN quantum wells, where each pair of the InGaN quantum wells is separated by a GaN barrier layer;

a p-cladding layer with a doping level of 2E17 to 2E19 cm<sup>−

3</sup>; and

a p++-GaN contact layer with a doping level of 1E19 to 1E21 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

an optical component aligned with an output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device; and

a phosphor material aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device and configured to convert at least a portion of the output laser beam from a first wavelength to a different wavelength, wherein the lighting apparatus is configured to output a substantially white light comprising a portion of the output laser beam having the first wavelength and a converted portion of the output laser beam having the different wavelength.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the housing is disposed in a projection system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the phosphor material is selected from at least one of a red phosphor, a green phosphor, or a blue phosphor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a reflector aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of edge emitting laser diode devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a reflector aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device and a controller coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the optical component comprises a waveguide coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device;

and a reflector aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device; and

wherein the optical component comprises a waveguide coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a controller coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device;

and a reflector aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device; and

wherein the optical component comprises a waveguide coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device; and

wherein the housing is disposed in a projection device.

11. A light source apparatus for a vehicle comprising:

a housing coupled to the vehicle;

a plurality of edge emitting laser diode devices on a common gallium and nitrogen containing material disposed within the housing, each of the plurality of edge emitting laser diode devices configured to emit a laser beam at a different wavelength, at least one of the edge emitting laser diode devices having a gallium and nitrogen containing material with a non-polar, semipolar, or polar surface orientation, the at least one of the edge emitting laser diode devices comprising;

an n-cladding layer with a thickness from 100 nm to 5000 nm and a Si doping level of 1E17 to 3E18 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

an n-side separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layer comprised of InGaN having a molar fraction of In of between 3% and 10%;

multiple quantum well active region layers comprised of at least two InGaN quantum wells, where each pair of the InGaN quantum wells is separated by a GaN barrier layer;

a p-cladding layer with a doping level of 2E17 to 2E19 cm<sup>−

3</sup>; and

a p++-GaN contact layer with a doping level of 1E19 to 1E21 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

a component disposed within the housing and arranged to receive outputs from each of the plurality of edge emitting laser diode devices and output a laser beam; and

one or more optical members aligned with the laser beam, at least one of the one or more optical members comprising a phosphor material configured to convert at least a portion of the laser beam from a first wavelength to a different wavelength, the one or more optical members configured to output a substantially white emission comprising a portion of the laser beam having the first wavelength and a converted portion of the laser beam having the different wavelength.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the laser beam is characterized by a blue color.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a reflector aligned with the one or more optical members.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a controller coupled to the plurality of edge emitting laser diode devices.

15. A light apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a housing coupled to a vehicle;

an edge emitting laser diode device disposed within the housing, the edge emitting laser diode device comprising a gallium and nitrogen containing material, the edge emitting laser diode device comprising;

an n-cladding layer with a thickness from 100 nm to 5000 nm and a Si doping level of 1E17 to 3E18 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

an n-side separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layer comprised of InGaN having a molar fraction of In of between 3% and 10% and a thickness from 20 nm to 100 nm;

multiple quantum well active region layers comprised of at least two InGaN quantum wells, where each pair of the InGaN quantum wells is separated by a GaN barrier layer;

a p-cladding layer with a thickness from 400 nm to 1000 nm with Mg doping level of 2E17 to 2E19 cm<sup>−

3</sup>; and

a p++-GaN contact layer with a thickness from 20 nm to 40 nm with Mg doping level of 1E19 to 1E21 cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

an optical component aligned with an output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device and having a waveguide coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device; and

a color wheel having phosphor material, the color wheel aligned with the output laser beam of the edge emitting laser diode device, the phosphor material configured to convert at least a portion of the output laser beam from a first wavelength to a different wavelength, wherein the color wheel is configured to output a substantially white light comprising a portion of the output laser beam having the first wavelength and a converted portion of the output laser beam having the different wavelength.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the gallium and nitrogen containing material has at least one of a non-polar, a semipolar, or a polar surface orientation.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a reflector aligned with the output of the color wheel.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 further comprising a controller coupled to the edge emitting laser diode device.