Breakthroughs in laser bar component packaging enable a new generation of applications for self-cooled laser diode arrays

Laser Diode Arrays continue to gain momentum as versatile, cost-effective, reliable solution for a wide variety of existing and emerging illumination and pumping applications. In order to meet these growing demands, designers find themselves faced with three challenges: reducing system size, improving user serviceability, and managing cost. We developed a compact laser package platform that offers high output power, good reliability, and different beam collimation options. Both active cooling and passive cooling is possible with this new packaging concept. It has the footprint of the TO263 package and is based on packaging concepts that were developed for high power semiconductor devices and high volume opto semiconductor products like Light Emitting Diodes. High efficiency and high power laser bars are critical to various pumping and material processing applications. Wavelength multiplexing is an option to increase output power from laser systems. Typical wavelengths used are 808nm, 940nm and 980nm. We discuss the results of wavelength multiplexing of 880nm high power lasers.