Researchers at the Naval Research
Laboratory (NRL) report they have demonstrated a new
diamond-pressure-bonding
(DPB) technique for heat-sinking semiconductor lasers resulting
in record-breaking performance.
Drs. William Bewley and Jerry
Meyer, of NRL's Optical
Physics Branch of the Optical Sciences Division reports, "We
have demonstrated a new DPB technique for heat-sinking semiconductor
lasers which greatly enhances the maximum continuous-wave (cw)
operating temperature for optically pumped semiconductor lasers.
At the same time the new technique permits devices with their
epitaxial sides adjacent to the heat-sink to be illuminated from
the top. Additionally, the new technique is more convenient than
conventional epitaxial-side-down heat-sinking procedures and
also forms an excellent thermal bond."
The research team reports that
when this technique is applied to the optical-pumping of mid-IR
W lasers emitting wavelengths between 3.0 and 7.0 microns, the
method yields maximum continuous wave (cw) operating temperatures
that significantly exceed any reported previously for semiconductor
lasers in the same wavelength range. The demonstration enabled
research team members to reach near-room-temperature cw operation
beyond three microns and had extended the maximum wavelength
for interband III-V lasers to 7 microns.
"The minimal amount of processing
required to fabricate high-performance optically-pumped cw laser
devices is a significant advantage of this technique. This time
saving technique is especially useful when a large number of
wafers must be tested in succession. A further advantage of our
technique is we are now able to recycle the same diamond heat-sink
repeatedly following a light cleaning between uses. In fact all
of the testing conducted during the demonstration employed a
single piece of chemical vapor deposition (CVD) diamond. This
same approach is also applicable to the epi-side-down heat sinking
of electrically-pumped semiconductor lasers with minor
modification,"
concluded Drs. Bewley and Meyer.
This work was sponsored by the
Office of Naval research (ONR).
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