Laser package having multiple emitters configured on a support member

• US 9,371,970 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2015
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera SLD Laser Incorporated (Kyocera Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Soraa Laser Diode, Inc. (Kyocera Corporation)
• Inventors: Goutain, Eric, Raring, James W., Rudy, Paul, Huang, Hua
• Primary Examiner(s): Niu, Xinning
• Application Number:
  US14/684,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20150211724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/60 Optical arrangements integrated in the light source, e.g. for improving the colour rendering index or the light extraction
• CPC Class Codes: F21K 9/62 using mixing chambers, e.g. housings with reflective walls
• 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: F21V 23/06 the elements being coupling devices , e.g. connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/713 in direct thermal and mechanical contact of each other to form a single system
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 29/83 the elements having apertures, ducts or channels, e.g. heat radiation holes
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/30 Elements containing photoluminescent material distinct from or spaced from the light source shades F21V1/17; globes, bowls or cover glasses F21V3/08, F21V3/12; refractors F21V5/10; reflectors F21V7/26, F21V7/30; elements with provision for controlling the spectral properties or intensity F21V9/40
• CPC Class Codes: F21V 9/32 characterised by the arrangement of the photoluminescent material
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2101/00 Point-like light sources
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/10 Light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: F21Y 2115/30 Semiconductor lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0005 the light guides being of the fibre type G02B6/0003 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/26 Optical coupling means G02B6/36, G02B6/42 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/27 with polarisation selective and adjusting means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4249 comprising arrays of active devices and fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45124 Aluminium (Al) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2301/14 : Semiconductor lasers with special structural design for lasing in a specific polarisation mode
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 2304/04 : MOCVD or MOVPE
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0021 : Degradation or life time measurements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/005 : Optical components external to the laser cavity, specially adapted therefor, e.g. for homogenisation or merging of the beams or for manipulating laser pulses, e.g. pulse shaping H01S5/026, H01S5/18388 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0085 : for modulating the output, i.e. the laser beam is modulated outside the laser cavity
• 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 5/0092 : for nonlinear frequency conversion, e.g. second harmonic generation [SHG] or sum- or difference-frequency generation outside the laser cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02208 : characterised by the shape of the housings
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02224 : the gas comprising oxygen, e.g. for avoiding contamination of the light emitting facets
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02251 : using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02255 : using beam deflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02315 : Support members, e.g. bases or carriers
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02326 : Arrangements for relative positioning of laser diodes and optical components, e.g. grooves in the mount to fix optical fibres or lenses
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0233 : Mounting configuration of laser chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02345 : Wire-bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0235 : Method for mounting laser chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02469 : Passive cooling, e.g. where heat is removed by the housing as a whole or by a heat pipe without any active cooling element like a TEC
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/02476 : Heat spreaders, i.e. improving heat flow between laser chip and heat dissipating elements
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0287 : Facet reflectivity
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0425 : Electrodes, e.g. characterised by the structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/04256 : characterised by the configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/2201 : in a specific crystallographic orientation
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/32341 : blue laser based on GaN or GaP
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/3235 : emitting light at a wavelength longer than 1000 nm, e.g. InP-based 1300 nm and 1500 nm lasers
• 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 5/4025 : Array arrangements, e.g. constituted by discrete laser diodes or laser bar H01S5/42 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4031 : Edge-emitting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/4056 : emitting light in more than one direction

Abstract

A method and device for emitting electromagnetic radiation at high power using nonpolar or semipolar gallium containing substrates such as GaN, AlN, InN, InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN, is provided. In various embodiments, the laser device includes plural laser emitters emitting green or blue laser light, integrated a substrate.

Claims

1. An optical module apparatus comprising a form factor characterized by a length, a width, and a height;

the height characterized by a dimension of less than 11 mm and greater than 1 mm, the apparatus comprising;

a support member;

at least one laser diode device configured to emit a laser beam;

wherein the laser diode device comprises a gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode device configured to emit a laser beam characterized by emission selected from blue emission with a wavelength ranging from 415 nm to 485 nm or green emission with a wavelength ranging from 500 nm to 560 nm;

a free space with a non-guided characteristic capable of transmitting the laser beam from the laser diode device;

an optical device configured to receive the laser beam, and to provide an output beam characterized by a selected wavelength range, a selected spectral width, a selected power, and a selected spatial configuration; and

a phosphor material optically coupled to the output beam, wherein;

the support member is configured to transport thermal energy from the laser diode device to a heat sink;

the optical device comprises free-space optics configured to create one or more free space optical beams;

a thermal path from the laser diode device to the heat sink is characterized by a thermal impedance; and

the optical module apparatus is characterized by an optical output power degradation of less than 20% in 500 hours when the optical module apparatus is operated within the optical output power with a constant input current at a base temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a laser diode device comprising an AlInGaP laser diode device configured to emit a laser beam characterized by red emission with a wavelength ranging from 625 nm to 665 nm;

wherein the optical device comprise a combiner, and further comprising a plurality of laser devices, whereupon the laser device is one of the plurality of laser devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an electrical input interface configured to couple electrical input power to the laser diode device or a plurality of laser diode devices;

and wherein the electrical input interface is configured to couple radio frequency electrical inputs to the laser diode device or wherein the electrical input interface is configured to couple logic signals to the laser diode device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device is one of a plurality of laser diode devices operable in an environment comprising at least 150,000 ppm oxygen gas;

wherein each of the plurality of laser diode devices is substantially free from efficiency degradation over a time period from the oxygen gas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the support member comprises a material selected from copper, aluminum, silicon, and a combination of any of the foregoing;

and

further comprising a micro-channel cooler thermally coupled to the support member or further comprising a heat spreader coupled between the support member and the laser device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phosphor material is configured to operate in a mode selected from a reflective mode, a transmissive mode, and a combination of a reflective mode and a transmissive mode;

and

wherein the phosphor material is coupled to an optical element or to a metal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the phosphor material is thermally coupled to the support member along a continuous thermal gradient toward a selected portion of a heat sink region within a vicinity of the support member.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical coupler configured to optically couple the plurality of laser beams to the phosphor material external to the module apparatus;

or

wherein the optical coupler comprises one or more optical fibers.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output beam is geometrically configured to optimize an interaction with the phosphor material from a first efficiency to a second efficiency.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a combiner configured to provide the output beam characterized by a selected spatial pattern having a maximum width and a minimum width.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a submount member characterized by a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) coupled to the support member and the heat sink;

and further comprising one or more submount members coupling the laser diode device to the support member.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the one or more submount members comprises a material selected from aluminum nitride, BeO, diamond, composite diamond, and a combination of any of the foregoing.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a submount attached to the support member, the submount being characterized by a thermal conductivity of at least 200 W/(mk);

and wherein the laser diode device is directly thermally coupled directly to the support member.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the laser diode device is overlies an oriented surface region selected from a non-polar gallium and nitrogen containing oriented surface region and a semipolar gallium and nitrogen containing oriented surface region.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein

the oriented surface region is a semipolar orientation characterized by the {20-21} or {20-2-1} plane;

and

a laser stripe region overlies the oriented surface region;

wherein the laser stripe region is oriented in the projection of the c-direction.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the free space optics comprises a fast-axis collimation lens;

and

further comprising an optical fiber, wherein the output beam is coupled into the optical fiber.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the output beam is characterized by a spectral width of at least 4 nm;

and N ranges from 3 to 50;

or wherein the output beam is characterized by a spectral width of less than 4 nm; and

N ranges from 3 to 50.

18. An optical module apparatus comprising a form factor characterized by a length, a width, and a height;

the height characterized by a dimension of less than 11 mm and greater than 1 mm, the apparatus comprising;

a support member;

a plurality of laser diode devices numbered from 1 through N overlying the support member, each of the plurality of laser diode devices configured to emit a laser beam;

wherein

at least some of the plurality of laser diode devices comprise gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode devices configured to emit a laser beam characterized by emission selected from blue emission with a wavelength ranging from 415 nm to 485 nm, green emission with a wavelength ranging from 500 nm to 560 nm, and a combination thereof; and

wherein N is greater than 1;

a combiner configured to receive laser beams from the plurality of laser diode devices; and

to provide an output beam characterized by a selected wavelength range, a selected spectral width, a selected power, and a selected spatial configuration; and

a phosphor material optically coupled to the output beam, wherein

the support member is configured to transport thermal energy from the plurality of laser diode devices to a heat sink;

the output beam is characterized by an optical output power of at least 5 W; and

a thermal path from the laser device to a heat sink is characterized by a thermal impedance of less than 4 degrees Celsius per electrical watt of input power.

19. An optical module apparatus comprising a form factor characterized by a length, a width, and a height;

the height characterized by a dimension less than 11 mm and greater than 1 mm, the apparatus comprising;

a support member;

a plurality of laser diode devices numbered from 1 through N overlying the support member, each of the plurality of laser diode devices configured to emit a laser beam;

wherein

at least some of the plurality of laser diode devices comprising gallium and nitrogen containing laser diode devices are characterized by a nonpolar or semipolar oriented surface region and configured to emit a laser beam characterized by emission selected from blue emission with a wavelength ranging from 415 nm to 485 nm, green emission with a wavelength ranging from 500 nm to 560 nm, and a combination thereof; and

wherein N is greater than 1;

a laser stripe region overlying the nonpolar or semipolar surface region;

wherein each laser stripe region is oriented in a c-direction or a projection of a c-direction and characterized by a first end and a second end;

an optical device configured to receive a plurality of laser beams of M incoming laser beams and configured to cause an output beam with a selected wavelength range, spectral width, power, and spatial configuration, where M is greater than 1; and

a phosphor material optically coupled to the output beam, wherein

the support member is configured to transport thermal energy from the plurality of laser diode devices to a heat sink.