US 5,495,490 A · Immersion method and apparatus for cooling a semiconductor laser device

Abstract

An immersion cooled semiconductor laser assembly includes an electrically activated semiconductor laser device, such as a two-dimensional laser diode array, and liquid coolant flowing thereabout which directly contacts the emitting facet of the semiconductor laser device. The semiconductor laser assembly also includes first and second electrodes for supplying electrical energy to the semiconductor laser device such that the semiconductor laser device emits a laser output through its emitting facet. During the emission of the laser output, however, the semiconductor laser device generates heat, thereby increasing the temperature of the semiconductor laser device. In order to protect the semiconductor laser device, the circulating liquid coolant draws heat from the semiconductor laser device, thereby cooling the semiconductor laser device. The liquid coolant can be a dielectric liquid coolant which is both electrically and optically passive so a to maintain electrical isolation between the first and second electrodes without absorbing the laser output of the semiconductor laser device. By efficiently cooling the semiconductor laser device, the semiconductor laser device can consistently product output pulses having a relatively high average power and a relatively high pulse repetition rate.

Claims31

Dependent claims

An immersion cooled semiconductor laser assembly comprising:

an electrically activated semiconductor laser device;
first and second electrodes, electrically connected to said semiconductor laser device, for supplying electrical energy to said semiconductor laser device such that said semiconductor laser device emits a laser output through an emitting facet thereof, wherein said semiconductor laser device generates heat during the emission of the laser output so as to thereby increase the temperature of said semiconductor laser device;
and
liquid coolant flowing about said electrically activated semiconductor laser device such that said liquid coolant directly contacts the emitting facet of said semiconductor laser device, said liquid coolant having a temperature less than the temperature of said semiconductor laser device during the emission of the laser output such that the flow of said liquid coolant about said semiconductor laser device cools said semiconductor laser device while maintaining electrical isolation between said first and second electrodes.

1 more element

An immersion cooled semiconductor laser assembly comprising:

an electrically activated semiconductor laser device for emitting a laser output in response to a predetermined electrical signal, said semiconductor laser device generating heat during the emission of the laser output so as to thereby increase the temperature of said semiconductor laser device;
and
a dielectric liquid coolant flowing about said semiconductor laser device such that said dielectric liquid coolant directly contacts said semiconductor laser device, said dielectric liquid coolant having a temperature less than the temperature of said semiconductor laser device during the emission of the laser output such that the flow of said dielectric liquid coolant about said semiconductor laser device cools said semiconductor laser device, said dielectric liquid coolant being both electrically and optically passive.

An immersion cooled laser diode array comprising:

a two-dimensional laser diode array comprising a plurality of stacked linear laser diode arrays;
first and second electrodes, electrically connected to said two-dimensional laser diode array, for supplying electrical energy thereto such that at least one of said linear laser diode arrays emits a laser output from an emitting facet thereof;
and
a plurality of heatsinks wherein at least one heatsink is disposed between and electrically connects each adjacent pair of said plurality of linear laser diode arrays, said plurality of heatsinks extending rearwardly from said two-dimensional laser diode array to define a plurality of channels between said rearwardly extending heatsinks, said channels being adapted to receive liquid coolant such that the liquid coolant directly contacts and cools said plurality of linear laser diode arrays while maintaining electrical isolation between said first and second electrodes.

1 more element

A method of cooling a semiconductor laser device comprising the steps of:

electrically activating the semiconductor laser device such that said semiconductor laser device emits a laser output through an emitting facet thereof;
generating heat within the semiconductor laser device during the emission of the laser output so as to thereby increase the temperature of the semiconductor laser device;
and
circulating liquid coolant about the electrically activated semiconductor laser device such that the liquid coolant directly contacts the emitting facet of the semiconductor laser device, wherein the liquid coolant has a temperature less than the temperature of the semiconductor laser device during the emission of the laser output such that said step of circulating liquid coolant about the semiconductor laser device cools the semiconductor laser device.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Immersion method and apparatus for cooling a semiconductor laser device

Life of this patent

Immersion method and apparatus for cooling a semiconductor laser device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims31