Microchannel Cooler For High Efficiency Laser Diode Heat Extraction
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems Corp.
InventorsEdward F. Stephens, Steven M. Coleman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A laser diode package includes a laser diode, a cooler, and a metallization layer. The laser diode is used for converting electrical energy to optical energy. The cooler receives and routes a coolant from a cooling source via internal channels. The cooler includes a plurality of ceramic sheets and a highly thermally-conductive sheet. The ceramic sheets are fused together and the thermally-conductive sheet is attached to a top ceramic sheet of the plurality of ceramic sheets. The metallization layer has at least a portion on the thermally-conductive sheet. The portion is electrically coupled to the laser diode for conducting the electrical energy to the laser diode.
Claims21
1-20. (canceled)
A laser diode package comprising:
- a laser diode for converting electrical energy to optical energy;
- and
- a cooler having a plurality of ceramic sheets including a top sheet, the top sheet having a mounting region for receiving the laser diode, the ceramic sheets having a combination of larger-sized apertures and smaller-sized perforations that form a coolant path through which a coolant flows towards the mounting region, the coolant path including a turbulent flow region that is achieved by individual coolant streams created by the smaller-sized perforations and impinging directly on the mounting region to cool the laser diode.
A method of cooling a laser diode package, the laser diode package including a laser diode and a cooler, the cooler being formed from a plurality of fused ceramic sheets that includes a first sheet having a plurality of apertures and a second sheet having a plurality of perforations, the laser diode being mounted to a mounting region of a top sheet of the ceramic sheets, the method comprising:
- routing a coolant through the apertures and the perforations, the perforations creating individual coolant streams that cause a turbulent flow region between the second sheet and the mounting region;
- removing excess heat from the laser diode by impinging the individual coolant streams directly on the mounting region.
A laser diode package comprising:
- a laser diode for converting electrical energy to optical energy and mounted on a mounting region of a cooler;
- and
- a plurality of ceramic sheets forming the cooler and having apertures to create a three-dimensional fluid path, the three-dimensional fluid path including a plurality of independent cooling streams created by perforations on at least one of the ceramic sheets, the independent cooling streams impinging directly on the mounting region to create a turbulent flow for cooling the laser diode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.