Semiconductor-type processing for solid-state lasers

• US 7,413,847 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2005
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rayd LLC
• Original Assignee: Raydiance, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Inventors: Bullington, Jeff, Stoltz, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): McPherson, John A.
• Application Number:
  US11/054,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20050195726A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,288 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 430/321
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0604 in the form of a plate or disc
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0612 Non-homogeneous structure H01S3/07 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/0617 having a varying composition or cross-section in a specific direction
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1623 chromium, e.g. Alexandrite
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/1643 YAG
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 3/2308 Amplifier arrangements, e.g. MOPA
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 430/146 Laser beam

Abstract

The present invention includes a method of fabricating an optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier having one or more disks, wherein one or more of the one or more disks having two opposed surfaces, including the steps of patterning a photoresist mask on one or more of the two opposed surfaces of the one or more disks and processing the one or more disks through the patterned photoresist mask, whereby the temperature profile improved radially across the disk'"'"'s surface, amplified spontaneous emission are reduced, or combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier having one or more disks, wherein one or more of the one or more disks have two opposed surfaces, comprising the steps of:

patterning a photoresist mask on one or more of the two opposed surfaces of the one or more disks; and

processing the one or more disks through the patterned photoresist mask, whereby the temperature profile improves radially across the surface of the disk, amplified spontaneous emission is reduced or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing further comprises the steps of comprises adding one or more dopants to the one or more disks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more dopants are at least partially diffuse through the photoresist mask.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more dopants are implanted through the photoresist mask.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of etching one or more channels at least partially through the photoresist mask.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more channels reduce reflection.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more channels provide for cooling.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more channels at least partially contain one or more liquids.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more channels are filled by capillary action, and used as part of a heat pipe disk cooler.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more dopants have a Gaussian profile to approximately match a Gaussian beam profile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier is pumped by one or more laser diodes with an emission wavelength of greater than about 900 nm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier comprises a Cr⁴⁺:

YAG disc array.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier produces a beam of pulses that is amplified in at least three passes through the optically-pumped disk-array solid-state laser amplifier.

14. A method of fabricating a disk-array solid-state laser amplifier, comprising the steps of:

patterning a mask on at least one side of at least one of the disks in the disk array; and

processing the disks through the patterned mask to improve performance of the disk-array solid-state laser amplifier.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the disk-array solid-state laser amplifier comprises a Cr⁴⁺:

YAG disc array.