Laser diodes efficiently convert electrical power to laser light output but are always in need of further efficiency improvements. Improved efficiency translates directly into more compact laser systems with significantly reduced thermal dissipation challenges.
This invention proposes to engineer the current density along the length of a laser diode to overcome the penalty associated with non-uniformity resulting from asymmetry in the gain, photon or carrier density despite having uniform contact. Optimizing the current density profile enables diode lasers to operate with greater power conversion efficiency or operate with equivalent power conversion efficiency but with greater total output power. Two schemes for controlling current injection profile are proposed: 1) emitting aperture buried in dielectric and connected with through via, 2) proton implantation to render appropriate semiconductor regions non-conductive.
- Overcomes detrimental asymmetries in gain, photon and current densities that result when scaling length of conventional laser diodes.
- Enables operation at greater power conversion efficiency or operation with equivalent power conversion efficiency but with greater total output power.
- Applicable to GaN, GaAs and InP devices operating at wavelengths spanning from 300nm to 2.1µm
- Higher power laser diode sources for lithography and metrology, biotechnology and materials processing applications.
Current stage of technology development: TRL 2-3
U.S. Patent No. 11,658,460 Engineered Current-Density Profile Diode Laser published 5/23/2023