Semiconductor laser diode

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9722394-B2
Application number	US-201214361647-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 19, 2012
Priority date	Nov 30, 2011
Publication date	Aug 1, 2017
Grant date	Aug 1, 2017

Abstract

A semiconductor laser diode is provided. A semiconductor layer sequence has semiconductor layers applied vertically one above the other. An active layer includes an active region having a width of greater than or equal to 30 μm emitting laser radiation during operation via a radiation coupling-out surface. The radiation coupling-out surface is formed by a lateral surface of the semiconductor layer sequence and forms, with an opposite rear surface, a resonator having lateral gain-guiding in a longitudinal direction. The semiconductor layer sequence is heated in a thermal region of influence by reason of the operation. A metallization layer is in direct contact with a top side of the semiconductor layer sequence.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A semiconductor laser diode comprising:
a semiconductor layer sequence having semiconductor layers applied vertically one above the other including an active layer which comprises an active region having a width of greater than or equal to 30 μm, the active layer configured to emit laser radiation during operation via a radiation coupling-out surface, wherein the radiation coupling-out surface is formed by a lateral surface of the semiconductor layer sequence and forms, with an opposite rear surface, a resonator having lateral gain-guiding in a longitudinal direction, and wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is configured to be heated in a thermal region of influence by reason of the operation;
a metallization layer in direct contact with at least a sub-region of a top side of the semiconductor layer sequence, wherein the top side comprises a semiconductor cover layer, and wherein the metallization layer has a cumulative width and a ratio of the cumulative width to a width of the thermal region of influence varies in dependence upon a distance to the radiation coupling-out surface;
a structured heat-dissipating layer on the top side of the semiconductor layer sequence, wherein the structured heat-dissipating layer comprises at least the metallization layer, wherein the structured heat-dissipating layer allows heat dissipation from the active region which varies in a longitudinal and/or a lateral direction; and
an internal heat sink in direct contact with the metallization layer, wherein the structured heat-dissipating layer comprises the internal heat sink, wherein the internal heat sink has a structuring at least in the lateral and/or the longitudinal direction, wherein structuring of the internal heat sink comprises materials having different thermal conductivities such that the internal heat sink has a first material which is arranged laterally between regions having a second material, wherein the first material has a higher thermal conductivity than the second material, and wherein the first material has a width that becomes smaller as a longitudinal distance to the radiation coupling-out surface increases.

2. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the cumulative width to the width of the thermal region of influence decreases as the distance to the radiation coupling-out surface increases.

3. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the cumulative width of the metallization layer decreases as the distance to the radiation coupling-out surface increases.

4. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the metallization layer is wider close to the radiation coupling-out surface than the thermal region of influence.

5. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the metallization layer is narrower close to the rear surface than the thermal region of influence.

6. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the metallization layer has openings, wherein at least one property selected from size, number and density of the openings increase(s) as the distance to the radiation coupling-out surface increases.

7. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 6 , further comprising a material arranged in the openings, the material having a lower thermal conductivity and/or a lower solderability than the metallization layer.

8. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 2 , wherein the metallization layer has an edge in the lateral direction, the edge being structured in an insular manner.

9. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor layer sequence has a semiconductor layer configured to supply current to the active region between the structured heat-dissipating layer and the active region, the semiconductor layer having a width that increases at least in a sub-region as the distance to the radiation coupling-out surface becomes larger.

10. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor layer is the semiconductor cover layer.

11. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein at least one semiconductor layer between the semiconductor cover layer and the active layer has a structured edge in the lateral direction.

12. The semiconductor laser diode according to claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor laser diode is configured to be mounted on an external carrier by a solder layer via a solder side.

Assignees

• Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh

Inventors

• Lauer Christian
• König Harald
• Strauβ Uwe
• Bachmann Alexander

Classifications

• H01S5/04254

  characterised by the shape · CPC title

• H01S5/2054

  Methods of obtaining the confinement · CPC title

• H01S5/2036

  Broad area lasers · CPC title

• H01S5/1064

  varying width along the optical axis · CPC title

• H01S5/02469 Primary

  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 title