Integrated light source using a laser diode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11437775-B2
Application number	US-201615160873-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 19, 2015
Publication date	Sep 6, 2022
Grant date	Sep 6, 2022

Abstract

The embodiments described herein provide a device and method for an integrated white colored electromagnetic radiation source using a combination of laser diode excitation sources based on gallium and nitrogen containing materials and light emitting source based on phosphor materials. A violet, blue, or other wavelength laser diode source based on gallium and nitrogen materials may be closely integrated with phosphor materials, such as yellow phosphors, to form a compact, high-brightness, and highly-efficient, white light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A packaged integrated white light source, comprising:
a package member configured with a base member;
a laser diode device configured as a pump-light device comprised of a gallium and nitrogen containing material and an optical cavity, the optical cavity comprising an optical waveguide region and a first end and a second end, the first end comprising a first facet region and the second end comprising a second facet region, wherein the optical cavity is configured with a p-electrode and an n-electrode to supply a driving current to the laser diode device;
a phosphor member centrally located relative to the base member, the phosphor member configured as a wavelength converter and an emitter, the phosphor member coupled to the laser diode device;
at least one common support member disposed on an upper surface of the base member, the common support member configured to support the laser diode device and the phosphor member, the at least one common support member including an angled portion having an upper surface for supporting the laser diode device and a planar portion having an upper surface for supporting the phosphor member, wherein the upper surface of the angled portion is at an obtuse angle relative to the upper surface of the planar portion, and the upper surface of the planar portion is elevated relative to the upper surface of the base member;
a heat sink thermally coupled to the at least one common support member, the at least one common support member configured to transport thermal energy from the laser diode device and the phosphor member to the heat sink;
a first electrical connection configured from the p-electrode of the optical cavity to a first internal feedthrough on the package member;
a second electrical connection configured from the n-electrode of the optical cavity to a second internal feedthrough on the package member;
a submount member configured with the laser diode device to form a chip on submount structure, the submount member extending between the laser diode device and the at least one common support member and providing electrical isolation between the laser diode device and the at least one common support member;
an output facet configured on the first facet region of the optical cavity to output a laser beam of electromagnetic radiation from the output facet along an axis substantially parallel to the optical cavity; the laser beam being selected from a violet and/or a blue emission with a first wavelength ranging from 400 nm to 485 nm, the laser beam being characterized by a wavelength range, a spectral width, a power, and a spatial configuration:
a free space, between the output facet of the optical cavity and the phosphor member, with a non-guided characteristic capable of transmitting the laser beam from the output facet to the phosphor member; wherein the laser beam forms an excitation spot on a spatial region of an excitation surface of the phosphor member; a geometrical shape and a diameter dimension characterizing the excitation spot on the phosphor member, the laser beam carrying over 1 W of optical power to the excitation spot, the excitation spot characterized by a spot size of less than 1 mm in diameter;
an off-normal angle of incidence configured between the laser beam and the excitation surface of the phosphor member, the phosphor member being configured to convert at least a fraction of the electromagnetic radiation in the laser beam with a first wavelength to a second wavelength that is longer than the first wavelength;
a reflective mode characterizing the phosphor member such that the laser beam is incident on the excitation surface of the phosphor member and the excitation surface is a primary emission surface of the phosphor member;
a white light emitted from the primary emission surface of the phosphor member, the white light emission being comprised of a mixture of wavelengths characterized by at least the second wavelength from the phosphor member;
first and second external leads provided on the package, the first internal feedthrough and the second internal feedthrough being configured with an electrical coupling to the first and second external leads, respectively;
a transparent lid member configured on the package member such that the transparent lid member forms a sealed region around a white light source and allows the white light emission to exit along a primary white light emission axis, the transparent lid member being spaced from the phosphor member, and the primary emission surface of the phosphor member extending orthogonal to the primary white light emission axis;
a backfill gas filling the sealed region to form a controlled environment around the white light source, wherein the output facet of the cavity member and the phosphor member are exposed to the same backfill gas within the controlled environment;
a package cavity space defined between the at least one common support member and the transparent lid member, the first facet region and the second facet region of the optical cavity and the phosphor member sharing the package cavity space;
an electrical coupling configured with the first and second external leads to connect to a power source to supply power to the laser diode device to emit the laser beam incident on the phosphor member; and
a form factor characterizing the integrated white light source, the form factor having a length, a width, and a height dimension.

2. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein the package member is a surface mount device (SMD) package and wherein the base member is configured from a base of the SMD package.

3. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein the at least one common support member comprises metal, and the submount member comprises a ceramic with bond pads thereon, at least one of the bond pads electrically coupling the p-electrode of the optical cavity with the first internal feedthrough, and at least another one of the bond pads electrically coupling the n-electrode of the optical cavity the second internal feedthrough.

4. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein the phosphor member is coupled directly to the common support member.

5. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein the laser diode device is configured with a multi-stripe emitter that is comprised of 2 or more adjacent laser diode stripes configured to generate 2 or more laser beams, and wherein the 2 or more laser beams provide the excitation spot on the phosphor member.

6. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein the laser diode device is comprised of 2 laser diodes, 3 laser diodes, or 4 laser diodes to generate 2 laser beams, 3 laser beams, or 4 laser beams, respectively; and wherein the multiple laser beams form excitation spots on the phosphor member that overlap to create the excitation spot on the phosphor member.

7. The integrated white light source of claim 6 , wherein the multiple laser diodes are characterized by multiple blue wavelengths in the 440 nm to 460 nm range; and wherein a first laser diode of the multiple laser diodes has a first emission band of the multiple blue wavelengths, a second laser diode of the multiple laser diodes has a second emission band of the multiple blue wavelengths, and the first emission band does not entirely overlap the second emission band.

8. The integrated white light source of claim 1 , wherein interface regions between the at least one common support member and the phosphor member, the at least one common support member and the laser diode device, the at least one common support member and the submount member supporting the laser diode device, the submount member and the phosphor member, or the submount member and the laser diode device inc

Assignees

• Kyocera Sld Laser Inc

Inventors

• Raring James W
• Rudy Paul
• Goutain Eric
• Trottier Troy
• Mclaurin Melvin
• Harrison James

Classifications

• H10W72/5445

  being orthogonal to a side surface of the chip, e.g. parallel arrangements · CPC title

• H10W72/5363

  the connected ends being wedge-shaped · CPC title

• H10W72/536

  the connected ends being ball-shaped · CPC title

• H01S5/02325

  Mechanically integrated components on mount members or optical micro-benches · CPC title

• H01S5/0087

  for illuminating phosphorescent or fluorescent materials, e.g. using optical arrangements specifically adapted for guiding or shaping laser beams illuminating these materials · CPC title