Hybrid two-dimensional surface-emitting laser arrays

A two-dimensional surface-emitting laser array comprising:

• (a) an array substrate formed of high thermal conductivity, etchable material having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves formed on a surface thereof with each groove comprised of a pair of inclined walls with metallic light reflective coating thereon, said inclined walls extending toward each other and terminating on a flat array substrate surface;
• and
• (b) a linear array of laser edge emitting devices with a flat broad surface mounted in each groove, each laser device being formed with a region of light emitting material disposed within a resonant optical cavity formed between two electrodes for emitting laser light for reflection off an inclined wall so that laser emission from said linear array is reflected normal to the flat broad array surface.

A method of forming a two-dimensional surface-emitting laser array comprising the steps of:

• (a) forming in a silicon wafer a plurality of spaced apart adjacent flat bottom grooves with 45.degree. sidewalls extending toward each other and terminating at said flat bottom;
• (b) coating the sidewalls with a light reflective material;
• (c) bonding edge emitting linear laser arrays formed of laser devices each having a strip of light emitting material with edges at each end formed within a resonant optical cavity formed between two electrodes for emitting light from said edges to the flat bottoms of the grooves, wherein said arrays are arranged such that laser radiation emitted from said edges is reflected off said sidewalls.

In a two-dimensional surface-emitting laser array the improvement comprising:

• (a) a plurality of linear diode laser arrays with cleaved facets from which laser radiation is emitted;
• (b) a heat conducting substrate having grooves formed therein in which said arrays are mounted and from which said laser radiation is emitted in two dimensions.

In a method of forming a two-dimensional surface-emitting laser array the improvement comprising:

• (a) forming a plurality of linear diode laser arrays with cleaved facets from which laser radiation is emitted;
• (b) forming grooves with angled sidewalls in a high thermal conductivity substrate;
• (c) mounting said linear arrays in said grooves such that the laser radiation is emitted in two dimensions.