# US 12,191,636 B2 · Vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) array and manufacturing method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,191,636 B2 - Document ID: US12191636B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/294,463 - Filed: 2018-09-25 - Published: 2022-01-13 - Granted: 2025-01-07 - Earliest claimed: 2018-09-25 - Applicants: Shenzhen Raysees AI Technology Co. Ltd. - Inventors: Yang Wang; Yongxiang He - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12191636B2 ## CPC - H01S 5/423: {having a vertical cavity} - H01S 5/02251: using optical fibres - H01S 5/0234: Up-side down mountings, e.g. Flip-chip, epi-side down mountings or junction down mountings - H01S 5/02345: Wire-bonding - H01S 5/04256: {characterised by the configuration} - H01S 5/18361: {Structure of the reflectors, e.g. hybrid mirrors} - H01S 5/02253: using lenses - H01S 5/02257: using windows, e.g. specially adapted for back-reflecting light to a detector inside the housing - H01S 5/026: Monolithically integrated components, e.g. waveguides, monitoring photo-detectors, drivers (stabilisation of output H01S5/06) - H01S 5/34: comprising quantum well or superlattice structures, e.g. single quantum well [SQW] lasers, multiple quantum well [MQW] lasers or graded index separate confinement heterostructure [GRINSCH] lasers (H01S5/36 takes precedence) - H01S 2301/176: Specific passivation layers on surfaces other than the emission facet - H01S: DEVICES USING THE PROCESS OF LIGHT AMPLIFICATION BY STIMULATED EMISSION OF RADIATION [LASER] TO AMPLIFY OR GENERATE LIGHT; DEVICES USING STIMULATED EMISSION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION IN WAVE RANGES OTHER THAN OPTICAL ## Abstract A VCSEL array and the method of manufacturing the array are disclosed. The VCSEL array comprises a substrate and a plurality of VCSEL structures formed on the substrate in a regular pattern. A customized metal layer is deposited to electrically connect a selected number but not all of the plurality of VCSEL structures. The selected number of VCSEL structures form an array of a predetermined irregular pattern. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array, comprising: a substrate; a plurality of VCSEL structures formed on the substrate in a regular pattern, each VCSEL structure being top-emitting and comprising a first reflector region, an active region, and a second reflector region; a metal layer that electrically connects a selected number but not all of the VCSEL structures so that the selected number of the VCSEL structures form a predetermined irregular pattern of light emitters when the VCSEL array is electrically charged; and an optical component, wherein the metal layer is formed on the optical component and the optical component is fixed with the VCSEL structures in a packaging process. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1, wherein the regular pattern comprises a plurality of rows and VCSEL structures in each row are spaced apart in equal distance. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1, wherein the regular pattern comprises a plurality of concentric circles and VCSEL structures in each circle are spaced apart in equal distance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1, wherein the predetermined irregular pattern is a random or pseudorandom pattern. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1 further comprises a different contact for each VCSEL structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1, wherein the optical component is bonded with the VCSEL structures in the packaging process. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1 [6], wherein the optical component comprises a plurality of optical lenses or an optical system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1 further comprises vias etched only for the selected VCSEL structures. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The VCSEL array of claim 8, wherein the metal layer electrically connects the selected VCSELs through the vias. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The VCSEL array of claim 1, wherein the active region comprises a multiple-quantum-well (MQW), the first reflector region comprises an n-type Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR), and the second reflector region comprises a p-type DBR. ### Claim 11 A Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array, comprising: a submount; a plurality of VCSEL structures formed in a regular pattern, each VCSEL structure comprising a first reflector region, an active region, and a second reflector region, wherein the plurality of VCSEL structures are mounted on the submount via flip-chip method; and a first metal and a second metal that electrically connect anode and cathode terminals of a selected number but not all of the VCSEL structures respectively so that the selected number of the VCSEL structures form a predetermined irregular pattern of light emitters when the VCSEL array is electrically charged, wherein the first metal and the second metal are formed on the submount. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The VCSEL array of claim 11, wherein the first metal and the second metal are deposited on the submount before the VCSEL structures are mounted on the submount during a packaging process. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The VCSEL array of claim 11 further comprises a different contact for each of the selected VCSEL structures, wherein the first metal and the second metal electrically connect the anode and cathode terminals of the selected VCSEL structures via the contacts. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The VCSEL array of claim 11, wherein the regular pattern comprises a plurality of rows and VCSEL structures in each row are spaced apart in equal distance. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The VCSEL array of claim 11, wherein the irregular pattern comprises a random pattern or pseudorandom pattern. ### Claim 16 A method for manufacturing a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) array, comprising: forming a plurality of VCSEL structures in a regular pattern on a substrate, each VCSEL structure comprising a multiple-quantum-well (MQW), an n-type Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR), and a p-type DBR; disabling a selected number of the plurality of VCSEL structures so that remaining VCSEL structures form a predetermined irregular pattern of light emitters when the VCSEL array is electrically charged, wherein the disabling step comprises using ion implantation to disable the selected number of the plurality of VCSEL structures; forming a different via for each of the remaining VCSEL structures; and forming a metal layer to electrically connect the remaining VCSEL structures through the vias. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the metal layer further connects at least a part of the selected number of the plurality of VCSEL structures. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the regular pattern comprises a plurality of rows and VCSEL structures in each row are spaced apart in equal distance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the irregular pattern comprises a random pattern or pseudorandom pattern.