# US 9,870,525 B2 · Semiconductor laser element and method of obtaining information from the semiconductor laser element > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,870,525 B2 - Document ID: US9870525B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/251,791 - Filed: 2016-08-30 - Published: 2017-03-02 - Granted: 2018-01-16 - Earliest claimed: 2015-08-31 - Assignees: Nichia Corporation - Applicants: Nichia Corporation - Inventors: Atsushi Tanaka; Mitsuhiro Nonaka - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9870525B2 ## CPC - G06K 19/06046: {Constructional details} - H01S 5/02375: Positioning of the laser chips - G06K 7/1417: {2D bar codes} - G06K 19/06037: {multi-dimensional coding} - H01S 5/0042: {On wafer testing, e.g. lasers are tested before separating wafer into chips} - H01S 5/04254: {characterised by the shape} - H01S 5/1014: {Tapered waveguide, e.g. spotsize converter (H01S5/1064 takes precedence)} - H01S 5/22: having a ridge or stripe structure - G06K: GRAPHICAL DATA READING (image or video recognition or understanding G06V); PRESENTATION OF DATA; RECORD CARRIERS; HANDLING RECORD CARRIERS - 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 semiconductor laser element includes a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface; and a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form an integrated pattern that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor laser element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface; and a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form a two-dimensional code that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layered body includes a light emitting surface and a light reflecting surface, wherein the sub-patterns that form the two-dimensional code are disposed entirely on the first main surface side or entirely on the second main surface side, and wherein, in a top view, at least one of the sub-patterns is located at a light emitting surface side of the semiconductor layered body, and at least one of the sub-patterns is located at a light reflecting surface side of the semiconductor layered body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-patterns includes four sub-patterns that, when combined, form the two-dimensional code, and each of the four sub-patterns is located at one of four corner portions of the semiconductor layered body, in a top view. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein the two-dimensional code has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and the plurality of sub-patterns each has a shape of a quarter of the two-dimensional code formed by dividing the two-dimensional code substantially in parallel to a longitudinal side of the two-dimensional code. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 4, wherein the semiconductor layered body has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and longitudinal sides of the sub-patterns are respectively arranged along a longitudinal side of the semiconductor layered body. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 1, wherein a p-electrode is disposed on the first main surface side of the substrate and an n-electrode is disposed on the second main surface side of the substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 6, wherein the sub-patterns are made of a metal material and are located spaced apart from both the p-electrode and the n-electrode. ### Claim 8 A method of obtaining information from a semiconductor laser element, the method comprising: providing a semiconductor laser element including: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface, a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface, and a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form an integrated pattern that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate; photographing images of the sub-patterns; generating an image of the integrated pattern by combining the images of the plurality of sub-patterns; and obtaining the predetermined information from the image of the integrated pattern. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of photographing images of the plurality of sub-patterns comprises photographing a region including all the plurality of sub-patterns. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the integrated pattern is a two-dimensional code. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the semiconductor layered body includes a light emitting surface and a light reflecting surface, wherein the sub-patterns that form the integrated pattern are disposed entirely on the first main surface side or entirely on the second main surface side, and wherein, in a top view, at least one of the sub-patterns is located at a light emitting surface side of the semiconductor layered body, and at least one of the sub-patterns is located at a light reflecting surface side of the semiconductor layered body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sub-patterns includes four sub-patterns that, when combined, form the integrated pattern, and each of the four sub-patterns is located at one of four corner portions of the semiconductor layered body, in a top view. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the integrated pattern has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and the plurality of sub-patterns each has a shape of a quarter of the integrated pattern formed by dividing the integrated pattern substantially in parallel to a longitudinal side of the integrated pattern. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method according to claim 13, wherein the semiconductor layered body has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and longitudinal sides of the sub-patterns are respectively arranged along a longitudinal side of the semiconductor layered body. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein a p-electrode is disposed on the first main surface side of the substrate and an n-electrode is disposed on the second main surface side of the substrate. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method according to claim 15, wherein the sub-patterns are made of a metal material and are located spaced apart from both the p-electrode and the n-electrode. ### Claim 17 A semiconductor laser element comprising: a substrate having a first main surface and a second main surface; a semiconductor layered body including an active layer, the semiconductor layered body being disposed on the first main surface; and a plurality of sub-patterns that, when combined, form an integrated pattern that allows reading of predetermined information, the plurality of sub-patterns being disposed on either one or both a first main surface side and a second main surface side of the substrate, wherein the integrated pattern has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and the plurality of sub-patterns each has a shape of a quarter of the integrated pattern formed by dividing the integrated pattern substantially in parallel to a longitudinal side of the integrated pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The semiconductor laser element according to claim 17, wherein the semiconductor layered body has a rectangular shape elongated in one direction in top view, and longitudinal sides of the sub-patterns are respectively arranged along a longitudinal side of the semiconductor layered body.