Light source module, distance-measuring apparatus, and mobile object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12548972-B2
Application number	US-202217687680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2022
Priority date	Mar 16, 2021
Publication date	Feb 10, 2026
Grant date	Feb 10, 2026

Abstract

A light source module, a distance-measuring apparatus, and a mobile object. The light source module includes a first substrate, a light source disposed on the first substrate to emit light, the light source having a first terminal and a second terminal, a field-effect transistor disposed on the first substrate, the field-effect transistor having a third terminal and a fourth terminal, and a charge storage unit disposed on the first substrate, the charge storage unit having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal. In the light source module, the first terminal and the sixth terminal are coupled to each other, the second terminal and the third terminal are coupled to each other. In the light source module, the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal are at an equivalent electrical potential. The distance-measuring apparatus includes the light source module. The includes the distance-measuring apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A light source module, comprising:
a first substrate comprising a plurality of conductive lavers and an insulating layer disposed among the plurality of conductive lavers, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive layers forms a common ground plane; a light source to emit light, the light source disposed on the first substrate and the light source having a first terminal and a second terminal; a field-effect transistor disposed on the first substrate, the field-effect transistor having a third terminal and a fourth terminal; and a charge storage unit disposed on the first substrate, the charge storage unit having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal, wherein the first terminal and the sixth terminal are coupled to each other, wherein the second terminal and the third terminal are coupled to each other, and wherein the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal are coupled to each other via the common ground plane.

2 . The light source module according to claim 1 , further comprising
a second substrate having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the first substrate, wherein the first substrate is disposed above the second substrate.

3 . The light source module according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is located between the field-effect transistor and the charge storage unit in plan view.

4 . The light source module according to claim 1 ,
wherein the charge storage unit and the field-effect transistor are disposed in a first direction with reference to the light source, and wherein the charge storage unit and the field-effect transistor are disposed in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

5 . The light source module according to claim 1 , wherein the light source comprises:
a third substrate; and a plurality of surface-emitting laser devices disposed on one side of the third substrate and configured to emit light through the third substrate.

6 . The light source module according to claim 5 ,
wherein the plurality of surface-emitting laser devices have sides that do not face the third substrate, and wherein the sides of the plurality of surface-emitting laser devices that do not face the third substrate are bonded to the first substrate.

7 . The light source module according to claim 5 ,
wherein the light source comprises a plurality of sub-arrays electrically connected in series between the first terminal and the second terminal, wherein each one of the plurality of surface-emitting laser devices belongs to one of the plurality of sub-arrays, and wherein the plurality of surface-emitting laser devices are coupled to each other in parallel in the sub-arrays.

8 . The light source module according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate comprises aluminum nitride.

9 . The light source module according to claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer is an aluminum nitride layer.

10 . The light source module according to claim 1 , further comprising a projection optical system on which the light emitted from the light source is incident.

11 . The light source module according to claim 10 , wherein the projection optical system is configured to deflect some of the light by at least one of diffraction, diffusion, and refraction.

12 . The light source module according to claim 11 , further comprising
an emission-intensity detector configured to receive the light deflected by the projection optical system, wherein the field-effect transistor is disposed between the light source and the emission-intensity detector.

13 . The light source module according to claim 12 , wherein the projection optical system overlaps with the light source, the field-effect transistor, and the emission-intensity detector.

14 . The light source module according to claim 10 , wherein intensity of light emission per each unit of dimension of a light emitting area of the light source corresponding to an irradiation area with a relatively large magnifying power of the projection optical system is made larger than intensity of light emission per each unit of dimension of the light emitting area of the light source corresponding to an irradiation area with a relatively small magnifying power of the projection optical system.

15 . A distance-measuring apparatus, comprising:
a light source module including:
a first substrate comprising a plurality of conductive layers and an insulating layer disposed among the plurality of conductive layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive layers forms a common ground plane;
a light source to emit light, the light source disposed on the first substrate and the light source having a first terminal and a second terminal;
a field-effect transistor disposed on the first substrate, the field-effect transistor having a third terminal and a fourth terminal; and
a charge storage unit disposed on the first substrate, the charge storage unit having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal,
wherein the first terminal and the sixth terminal are coupled to each other, wherein the second terminal and the third terminal are coupled to each other, and wherein the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal are coupled to each other via the common ground plane.

16 . A mobile object comprising
a distance-measuring apparatus including a light source module, the light source module including:
a first substrate comprising a plurality of conductive layers and an insulating layer disposed among the plurality of conductive layers, wherein at least one of the plurality of conductive layers forms a common ground plane;
a light source to emit light, the light source disposed on the first substrate and the light source having a first terminal and a second terminal;
a field-effect transistor disposed on the first substrate, the field-effect transistor having a third terminal and a fourth terminal; and
a charge storage unit disposed on the first substrate, the charge storage unit having a fifth terminal and a sixth terminal,
wherein the first terminal and the sixth terminal are coupled to each other, wherein the second terminal and the third terminal are coupled to each other, and wherein the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal are coupled to each other via the common ground plane.

17 . The light source module according to claim 1 , wherein the fourth terminal and the fifth terminal are coupled to each other at the plurality of conductive layers.

Assignees

• OKA Yuuki
• Izumiya Kazuma
• Satoh Takumi
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• OKA Yuuki
• Izumiya Kazuma
• Satoh Takumi

Classifications

• H01S5/02476

  Heat spreaders, i.e. improving heat flow between laser chip and heat dissipating elements · CPC title

• H01S5/026

  Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers (stabilisation of output H01S5/06) · CPC title

• H01S5/183

  having only vertical cavities, e.g. vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers [VCSEL] · CPC title

• H01S5/0428

  for applying pulses to the laser · CPC title

• H01S5/042

  Electrical excitation {; Circuits therefor (monolithically integrated laser drive components H01S5/0261)} · CPC title