A method and apparatus for laser diode bar assembly. A stacked array embodiment provides for efficient cooling of the diode bars and electrical connection between diode bars while maximizing alignment of the diode bars. The spacers are connected to a conductive surface on a heat spreader. In the stacked array, one or more diode bars are alternated in series with two or more conductive spacers, with a series circuit provided from diode bar to diode bar. The spacers hold the diodes spaced apart from insulating grooves in the conductive layer on the substrate. Alternatively, thermally conductive separator fins extend from the heat spreader substrate to contact the diode bars situated between the spacers to promote rapid heat transfer from the diodes while maintaining the diode bars electrically isolated from the conductive layer on the substrate. An apparatus and method are provided for assembling the stacked array assembly. A jig apparatus incorporates a tilted working surface upon which the diode bar/spacers subassembly is placed. Planar vertical walls extend up from the tilted working surface. The tilt to the working surface provides a gravity assist to the proper alignment of the diode bars and spacers against the vertical walls. A clamp squeezes the diode bars and spacers together and against one of the walls to foster optimized alignment and parallelism of the diode bars. A wedged array embodiment of the invention employs a specially grooved substrate. The diode bars are placed in the grooves, and customized wedges are then pressed into the grooves with the diodes therein, the wedges acting to push the diodes into proper parallel alignment in the grooves. Means for providing both series and parallel electrical circuits between diode bars are provided.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application claims the benefit of the filing of U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/062,106, entitled "Laser Diode Assembly" filed on Oct. 14, 1997, and the specification thereof is incorporated herein by reference.
Scalable, thermally efficient pump diode systems. These systems may include an arrangement of pump diodes and thermally conductive spacers mounted within a single indentation in a substrate or substrate clamps, so as to provide enhanced heat removal from the system. These systems also may include a plurality of such pump diode assemblies mounted, in a symmetric or partially symmetric arrangement, around a lasing medium in a diode pumped laser system, to improve heat removal and/or excitation of the medium.
A method is disclosed for joining an electrical contact of minor thermal function to a high-power diode laser bar, comprises the step of joining the contact and the HDB by a joining material containing an adhesive. A high-power diode laser bar-contact arrangement comprises a high-power diode laser bar, an electrical contact of minor thermal function and a joint zone between the HDB and the contact. The joint zone contains a joining material with an adhesive. The disclosure also describes a high-power diode laser comprising an HDB, two electrical contacts of minor thermal function and two joint zones between the contacts and the HDB. The joint zones contain joining materials with adhesives. A high-power diode laser stack is also described.
A die having at least one opto-electronic device disposed on a front-side of the die has its backside mounted to a submount with the backside positioned to align the front-side opto-electronic devices with respect to the submount. A first set of alignment features are formed on the backside of the die which are aligned to the front-side. The first set of a alignment features is then aligned to a second set of alignment features disposed on the submount and the backside is bounded into place.
The laser diode arrays with removable linear laser diode bars and the methods of removing and replacing linear laser diode bars of the present invention provide easy and immediate removal of individual linear laser diode bars in laser diode arrays. The laser diode array is at least partially made of a plurality of removable linear laser diode bars and a plurality of spacers, such that each removable linear laser diode bar is disposed between a respective pair of spacers. A linear laser diode bar may be slideably removed from between the respective pair of spacers in the laser diode array without breaking any mechanical connection between the removable linear laser diode bar and the respective pair of spacers. A replacement linear laser diode bar may then be slideably inserted between the respective pair of spacers without forming a mechanical connection between the replacement linear laser diode bar and the spacers.
An improved laser diode assembly and a method of making such an assembly are provided. The assembly has a substrate wherein channels are formed to receive laser diodes. The channels have an inwardly tapering shape, with a first side wall generally perpendicular to the front surface of the substrate and a second side wall at an angle with the first side wall. A metallic coating is provided over the front surface and the side walls of the channels, with a break at the bottom of the channels. Laser diode bars are mounted along the first side wall of each channel, and a conductive body such as a metallic wire is wedged between the laser diode bar and the opposite tilted side wall. The laser diode bars and wires are held in place by a solder layer. Advantageously, this assembly can be manufactured with less stringent fabrication tolerances than with known laser diode arrays.
