Laser assembly

Abstract

The invention relates to a laser assembly having at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, each having an active zone integrated therein and a coupling-out plane, wherein the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges have, spatially separated from one another, a common and in particular single-piece semiconductor layer sequence having a contact region and each have a contact connection in particular on a surface of the laser ridge for supplying charge carriers to the active zone. A carrier substrate having at least one contact region is electrically coupled and mechanically connected to the contact region of the common semiconductor layer sequence. Furthermore, a heating element is provided, which is applied to a surface formed of one of the common semiconductor layer sequences and the carrier substrate and comprises two contact connections and a meandering line between the two contact connections.

Description

[0001] 2024 PF00268

[0002] - 1 -

[0003] LASER ARRANGEMENT

[0004] The present application claims priority from German patent application DE 10 2024 122 656 . 0 dated August 8, 2024, the

[0005] 5. The full content of the disclosure is hereby fully incorporated by reference. The present invention relates to a laser arrangement.

[0006] BACKGROUND

[0007] Laser systems are used today for a wide variety of applications under varying environmental conditions. Due to environmental conditions, particularly temperature changes, this can lead to slight changes in wavelength during operation of the laser systems, as well as changes in the continuous output power.

[0008] To ensure a constant wavelength during operation of the laser arrangement, it is advantageous to operate the laser arrangement within a designated temperature range. The output wavelength depends not only on the material system used but also on the temperature of the transition in the active zone, the junction temperature. This temperature-dependent wavelength shift is particularly pronounced in the temperature range around the freezing point and at temperatures below 25 °C, and can easily amount to several nanometers at wavelengths in the near-infrared range.

[0009] This means, for example, that in some applications, optics with bandpass filters downstream of a laser array must have a correspondingly wider band characteristic. In the case of LIDAR systems, for instance, the detector side must have a bandpass filter with a pass characteristic of several tens of nm in such a situation to compensate for the temperature-dependent wavelength shift of the laser array, i.e., the transmitter. However, a filter with a wider band characteristic also allows a relatively large amount of stray light to pass through, thus degrading the signal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, a constant wavelength during operation, even under changing environmental conditions, is desirable here. 2024 PF00268

[0010] In other applications, however, a wavelength shift between two lasers of the same type is even desirable. For example, in augmented reality or virtual reality applications, a wavelength shift is deliberately used.

[0011] 5. The length shift between adjacent laser beams of nominally the same color or wavelength is used to reduce interference of the displayed image in the glasses.

[0012] Accordingly, there is a need to provide laser arrangements in which a wavelength shift can be suitably suppressed or enhanced to meet the respective requirements of the application.

[0013] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The inventors propose equipping laser arrangements with a multitude of laser ridges integrated into a common semiconductor substrate with a special heating element. This heating element allows the laser ridge, and in particular its active zone, to be heated to and maintained at a defined temperature in order to control the temperature-dependent wavelength shift. The common substrate, and thus the laser ridges, can be heated by a direct current either via conductive traces of the heating element on a surface of the semiconductor layer sequence of the laser ridges or via conductive traces on an underlying support substrate.

[0015] The term laser beam generally refers to a sequence of beams with an active zone located between two reflecting elements, thus forming a resonant. Typical designs include VCSELs and edge-emitting lasers. While edge-emitting laser beams are used here to illustrate the inventive principle, the principle is not limited to them but explicitly includes VCSELs and other semiconductor laser designs. 5

[0016] Joule heating transfers heat and energy to the laser burrs, thus bringing them to the desired temperature. 2024 PF00268

[0017] 3

[0018] Power control can be achieved via a variable voltage drop across the conductor tracks, the current flow through them, or a suitable pulse-width modulation of the current and voltage signals. The on / off ratio of the pulses can be controlled with a PWM signal.

[0019] 5. The laser burr is combined to ensure continuous heating or a constant energy input. The temperature of the laser burr then results from the energy input of the heating element and the laser burr during operation.

[0020] The junction or barrier temperature, i.e., the temperature of the active zone in the laser ridges, can thus be raised to a desired value, especially at low temperatures, thereby avoiding a greater wavelength shift in operation of the laser arrangement, particularly in intermittent operation.

[0021] By appropriately orienting the heating element geometrically, at least two edge-emitting laser burrs can be heated to a uniform temperature or maintained at this temperature after operation. However, in some cases, it may also be possible to arrange such a heating element spatially separate from the laser burrs, so that, for example, only some of the laser burrs are heated to a higher temperature by the heating element. This automatically results in a temperature-dependent wavelength shift between the individual laser burrs, which can be used, for example, in some applications to suppress interference between laser light of nominally the same wavelength.

[0022] In some aspects, a laser arrangement is proposed that comprises at least two edge-emitting laser ridges. Each of the laser ridges has an integrated active zone and an output coupling plane from which the generated laser light emerges. The at least two edge-emitting laser ridges are spatially separated from each other and implemented on a common, and in particular monolithic, semiconductor layer of a semiconductor layer sequence. A monolithic semiconductor layer is defined as a layer or a layer sequence on which one or more laser ridges are epitaxially processed. 2024 PF00268

[0023] 4 are, in contrast to separated components, in which each laser burr is completely separate from any other adjacent burr.

[0024] The common, single-piece semiconductor layer sequence also includes a contact area on the side facing away from the laser burrs. Furthermore,

[0025] 5. A further contact connection is provided, particularly on a surface of the laser ridges, for supplying charge carriers to the active zone. This allows the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges of the proposed laser arrangement to be individually contacted, so that they can be operated independently of each other.

[0026] According to the proposed principle, the laser arrangement further comprises a support substrate with at least one contact region that is electrically coupled and mechanically connected to the contact area of ​​the common semiconductor layer sequence. In other words, the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges are electrically and mechanically coupled to the support substrate via the common, and in particular, uniform semiconductor layer sequence. A heating element is also provided, which is applied to a surface of the common semiconductor layer sequence and / or the support substrate. The heating element comprises two contact terminals for connecting, for example, bond wires or other current-carrying elements, as well as a meandering conductor arranged between them.This conductor is thermally coupled to the surface and thus to the common semiconductor layer sequence and / or the substrate, so that heating caused by a current flow through the meandering conductor contributes directly and immediately to the heating of the active zone of the two edge-emitting laser ridges.

[0027] In this way, effective heating of the laser arrangement, independent of the operation of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, can be achieved even at very cold and low temperatures. This heating takes place up to a temperature at which the temperature-dependent wavelength shift is suitably low or high enough for the respective application. For example, the heating can be carried out up to a point at which the temperature-dependent wavelength shift is minimized. This ensures that a temperature-dependent wavelength shift does not have any adverse effects. 2024 PF00268

[0028] 5

[0029] This has effects in application. This is important, for example, in LiDAR applications, or in applications where the laser arrangement should not exhibit any wavelength shift. It is also possible to achieve this effect through a specific geometric design.

[0030] 5. To heat one of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges to a higher temperature, while the other laser ridge has a lower temperature, e.g., due to lower heat transfer. This leads to a deliberately desired temperature-dependent wavelength shift of the respective laser beams at the output coupling planes when both laser ridges are in operation.

[0031] Several aspects in this context concern the geometry and arrangement of the meandering conductor of the heating element. The term meandering conductor refers specifically to a metallic or, more generally, a conductive path that runs in two different directions in sections, where the area where the change of direction occurs is small compared to the path running in one direction.

[0032] In one aspect, the meandering conduit comprises a section that corresponds to each of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges. Optionally, it can also be provided that these sections are equidistant from their corresponding edge-emitting laser ridges. In other words, in this embodiment, the meandering conduit is designed to achieve the most uniform possible heat input into the respective laser ridges. This is accomplished, among other things, by ensuring that the distances and geometry of the meandering conduit to the respective laser ridges are as uniform as possible. In this regard, it can be provided that the meandering conduit has identical sections adjacent to the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges.

[0033] To generate a different heat input from the heating element into the at least two laser ridges, it is provided in some aspects that the meandering conduit has a smaller average distance to a first of the at least two laser ridges than to 2024 PF00268

[0034] 6. a second of at least two laser ridges. This means that when heat is applied, the first of the two laser ridges heats up first, and the wavelength of the output light from this laser ridge is thus shifted relative to the output light of the second laser ridge. Especially when

[0035] 5. In the case of pulsed operation of the two laser beams, this design can lead to a deliberately induced wavelength shift of the two emitted laser beams.

[0036] In some aspects, the heating element is arranged on the substrate. This arrangement can be adjacent to the common layer sequence, with the distance to this common layer sequence, which has at least two laser ridges, being small and on the order of a few tens of pm. This allows for a simple design, as the heating element can be applied to the substrate before the common layer sequence is contacted and fixed to the substrate.

[0037] In another aspect, the heating element is applied to a particularly insulated section of the surface of the common semiconductor layer sequence. The insulation ensures that no leakage current or short circuit is caused in the semiconductor layer sequence and / or in the edge-emitting laser ridges when current flows through the heating element's conductor. In some aspects, the meandering conductor or heating element can have at least a first section arranged substantially parallel to one of the few two laser ridges and optionally at least one second section extending across the laser ridge. In some aspects, the meandering conductor thus runs at least partially transversely to the respective laser ridges.In some aspects, a first section of the meandering conductor runs parallel to and adjacent to an output coupling plane, and a second section of the meandering conductor runs parallel to a side of an adjacent laser ridge facing away from the output coupling plane. In this configuration, the meandering conductor of the heating element thus extends across the semiconductor layer sequence and runs offset section by section across adjacent laser ridges. 2024 PF00268.

[0038] 7

[0039] In this context, it can also be provided that a section of the meandering conductor runs adjacent to the contact terminal of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, particularly on a surface of the laser ridges. However, this section is...

[0040] 5. The cut to the contact connection is particularly insulated and spaced apart. Likewise, in some aspects it may be provided that a further section of the meandering line runs along, i.e., essentially parallel to two adjacent laser ridges, between these two adjacent laser ridges.

[0041] Another particularly space-saving design involves arranging the heating element, at least partially, between the substrate and the common layer sequence. This places the heating element beneath the common semiconductor layer sequence, and specifically beneath the respective laser ridges. This results in a particularly space-saving design of the laser assembly according to the proposed principle. In this context, the meandering conductor can also be located within the substrate in some aspects. The contact connection on the substrate surface then leads to the conductor via a through-hole.

[0042] Another aspect concerns the contacting of the laser ridges. This is usually done via bond wires on the contact terminals, particularly on the surface of the individual laser ridges. In order to prevent or reduce undesirable electromagnetic induction and crosstalk between the meandering conductor and the bond wires, some embodiments provide that the bond wires are each connected to one of the contact terminals of the at least two laser ridges. The at least two bond wires extend such that they cross the sections of the meandering conductor of the heating element, particularly perpendicularly. This minimizes the overlap between the bond wires and the meandering conductor, thus largely preventing or minimizing crosstalk. This offers advantages in the control of the individual laser ridges of the laser arrangement. 2024 PF00268

[0043] 8

[0044] To improve heat transfer into the semiconductor layer sequence or the support substrate, some embodiments provide for the meandering conductor to have a width that is at least five times greater than the thickness of the meandering conductor.

[0045] In addition to several other aspects, the thickness of the meandering conductor is in the range of less than 10 pm, while its width can easily reach 50 pm, 100 pm, or more. The specific geometric dimensions, i.e., the width and thickness of the meandering conductor, depend on the amount of energy required to achieve the desired temperature of the laser assembly, even at low ambient temperatures.

[0046] It is advantageous if the material of the meandering conductor contains either an element or an alloy that is particularly resistant to oxidation. Alternatively, the meandering conductor can also be coated or covered with an oxygen-impermeable layer. Possible elements or alloys for this purpose include precious metals such as gold, platinum, rhodium, silver, as well as titanium or combinations thereof. A heating element made of a material comprising the aforementioned elements is particularly resistant to oxidation and can therefore withstand high currents in the range of several amperes to generate the necessary heat.

[0047] In another aspect, it is also intended that the carrier substrate be formed with a base body that contains, for example, aluminium oxide A1O, aluminium nitride AIN or silicon.

[0048] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0049] Further aspects and embodiments according to the proposed principle will be revealed in relation to the various embodiments and examples, which are described in detail in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Figure 1 shows a top view of a laser arrangement with some aspects5 according to the proposed principle; 2024 PF00268

[0051] 9

[0052] Figure 2 shows a side view of the laser arrangement according to the preceding figure with some further aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0053] Figure 3 shows a top view of another laser arrangement with some aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0054] Figure 4 shows a side view of the laser arrangement with some further aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0055] Figure 5 is a further embodiment of a laser arrangement in top view with some aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0056] Figure 6 shows a side view of the laser arrangement according to the preceding figure with some further aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0057] Figure 7 shows a top view of another laser arrangement with some aspects according to the proposed principle;

[0058] Figure 8 shows two diagrams to illustrate some aspects of the proposed principle.

[0059] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] The following embodiments and examples show various aspects and their combinations according to the proposed principle. The embodiments and examples are not always to scale. Likewise, various elements may be enlarged or reduced to highlight individual aspects. It is understood that the individual aspects and features of the embodiments and examples shown in the figures can readily be combined without affecting the principle of the invention. Some aspects have a regular structure or shape. It should be noted that in practice, slight deviations from the ideal shape may occur without contradicting the inventive idea. 2024 PF00268

[0061] 10

[0062] Furthermore, the individual figures, features, and aspects are not necessarily depicted in the correct size, and the proportions between the individual elements may not be entirely accurate. Some aspects and features are emphasized by making them larger or smaller.

[0063] 5. Terms such as "above", "above", "below", "below", "larger", "smaller", and the like are, however, correctly represented in relation to the elements in the figures. Thus, it is possible to derive such relationships between the elements from the illustrations.

[0064] DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0065] Figure 1 shows a top view of a laser arrangement based on the proposed principle. The laser arrangement 1 comprises a substrate 10 on which a semiconductor layer sequence 20 is deposited and electrically and mechanically connected to the substrate. The semiconductor layer sequence has several edge-emitting laser elements that emit laser light downwards, as shown in Figure 1. Each of these laser ridges is covered by a metallic contact terminal 25, which is connected to a bond wire 26. The eight individual laser ridges can thus be controlled independently of one another and excited to emit laser light. As shown here, the bond wires 26 extend across the back side of the laser ridges to a further terminal (not shown). Each laser ridge has a laser-active zone between two reflective elements, which thus form a resonator (not shown here).One of the elements is partially transparent (reflectivity less than 100%, e.g., 98% to 99%) and thus forms the output coupling plane. This is oriented downwards in Figure 1.

[0066] The proposed laser arrangement further comprises a heating element which has a meandering conductor between two connection contacts 51. The connection contacts 51 and the meandering conductor 50 are mounted on a rear portion of the support substrate 10, near the rear reflective elements of the 8 laser ridges. Bond wires 52 are connected to the connection contacts 51. In this embodiment, the meandering conductor is configured as shown in 2024 PF00268.

[0067] 11 that essentially equal length sections of the conductor can each be assigned to one of the laser ridges. In other words, this design ensures the most uniform possible heat input through the heating element with its meandering conductor across all eight layers.

[0068] Five serrated edges are generated. This results in a temperature-dependent wavelength shift of each individual element in the same direction and with the same magnitude. Accordingly, when the meandering conductor is heated, energy is introduced as uniformly as possible across the substrate and thus also uniformly into the semiconductor layer sequence and the edge-emitting laser ridges. In the present embodiment, the meandering conductor has two loops, with a length of approximately 600 pm for one section; the width of the conductor is approximately 30 pm.

[0069] Figure 2 shows an embodiment in side view, as illustrated, for example, in a left- or right-hand section from top to bottom through Figure 1. The laser arrangement 1 again comprises the semiconductor layer sequence 20, which is connected to a corresponding contact 11 on the top side of the substrate 10 via a conductive adhesive and bonding layer 31 or a solder material, and a contact area 27 on the underside. The contact terminal 25 is connected to the bond wire 26 on the top side.

[0070] The contact 11 on the top side of the support substrate 10 is connected to several through-holes 15 that lead to another contact area 12 on the underside of the support substrate 10. This can be placed and secured, for example, as shown in Figure 2, over another material or another conductive adhesive 32 on a contact area 34 of a PCB board or another mount. This mount 30 also includes several through-holes 35 that connect the contact area 34 on the top side to further contact areas 34 on the underside. The contact area on the underside can in turn be provided with solder material 33.

[0071] According to the embodiment shown in Figure 2, heat or energy input 70 occurs along the arrow-shaped spread shown. 2024 PF00268

[0072] 12. The heat energy supplied via the heater and the line 50 on the top side of the support substrate 10 thus flows through the support substrate 10 and from there via the connecting elements 11, 31 and 27 directly into the semiconductor layer sequence. The geometric ab-

[0073] The measurements are as small as possible to achieve the desired temperature increase directly and very quickly. Furthermore, it is shown that the coupling plane of the semiconductor layer sequence 20 and the individual laser ridges is as close as possible to the edge of the support substrate 20, in order to avoid shadowing or light clipping.

[0074] Figure 3 shows a top view of another embodiment of the meandering conductor of the heating element. In this embodiment, the meandering conductor 50 is designed such that at least in sections it runs parallel to the bond wires 26. This embodiment is disadvantageous compared to the embodiment shown in Figure 1, since the long parallel conductor routing between sections of the meandering conductor 50 and the bond wires 26 can lead to increased inductive coupling and thus crosstalk. This can cause problems, especially in pulse-width modulated systems with steep edges.

[0075] Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the proposed principle in a side view. Components with the same function bear the same reference symbols.

[0076] In this embodiment, heat or energy is supplied by a heating element which has a meandering conductor 55 within the support substrate 20, i.e., embedded in the material of the support substrate. Current is supplied via the bond wire 52 to a corresponding contact 50. This contact is connected to the meandering conductor 55 within the material of the support substrate 10 via a through-hole or feedthrough. This embodiment is particularly space-saving, since the meandering conductor 55, as shown here, can lie at least partially directly beneath the semiconductor layer sequence. This reduces heat transfer into the semiconductor layer sequence and the laser burrs at 2024 PF00268.

[0077] 13. On the one hand, the current flow through the heating element is accelerated, and on the other hand, the substrate can be smaller overall, since the heating elements no longer need to be formed on the substrate itself around the semiconductor layer sequence.

[0078] 5

[0079] Figure 5 shows another embodiment with a different geometry of the heating element. In this embodiment, the heating element is no longer applied to the substrate itself, but rather to the semiconductor layer sequence with the laser ridges. This is shown in a top view in Figure 5. The meandering path of the heating element extends across the semiconductor layer sequence 20, across the separating elements 20', which electrically separate two adjacent laser ridges with their contact terminals 25. The separating elements 20' are, for example, designed as recesses that extend through the semiconductor layer sequence and separate at least the active zone between the adjacent laser ridges.

[0080] The heating element's conductor material runs along the edge of such a recess and then back onto the laser ridges themselves. As shown, the meandering conductor is designed such that it crosses every second laser grade on its rear side, i.e., the side facing away from the output coupling plane, and every adjacent laser grade on its output coupling side. This is possible because the heating element material is very thin and located below the output coupling facet of each laser ridge. Simultaneously, the conductor only crosses every second bond wire, which further reduces inductive coupling and crosstalk. This configuration also achieves the most uniform possible energy input across the laser ridges.

[0081] Figure 6 shows the corresponding embodiment in a side view. The corresponding sections of the meandering conductor 50 are applied in an insulated manner to the surface of the semiconductor layer sequence 20 and are also spaced away from the contact terminal 25. A short circuit is thus avoided. When current flows through the meandering conductor 50, the semiconductor layer sequence 2024 PF00268

[0082] 14

[0083] 20 and especially the active zone are heated first. Only then, as shown in arrows 70', does heat transfer occur into the deeper layers and especially into the support substrate 10 and the adjacent substrate 30. In this configuration

[0084] 5. This results in particularly rapid heating of the active zone. This can be further enhanced by reducing heat transfer through a suitable material selection for the mounting layer 31.

[0085] The embodiments described so far are intended to enable the most uniform heating possible of all laser ridges, so that the temperature-dependent wavelength shift of the respective laser ridges remains small. However, this is not always advantageous. In some embodiments, it may well be expedient to deliberately induce a temperature-dependent wavelength shift between adjacent laser ridges in order to achieve, for example, a slight shift in the output wavelengths between two adjacent laser ridges due to a temperature difference.

[0086] Figure 7 shows such an embodiment in a top view, in which the heating element is guided only around a first laser ridge on the surface of the semiconductor layer sequence. No corresponding heating device is located around the other two laser ridges with their contact terminals 25. As a result, when current flows through the heating element, the left of the three laser ridges shown is heated particularly strongly, while the middle and especially the right laser ridge only experience the temperature increase with a delay due to heat transfer. This allows a temperature-dependent wavelength shift between the three laser ridges to be deliberately generated during operation, particularly in pulsed operation. This wavelength shift can be several nanometers, depending on the ambient temperature and especially on the junction temperature, i.e., the temperature within the active zone.Figure 8 shows two diagrams illustrating this behavior. The x-axis of the left sub-figure represents the junction or barrier temperature, while the y-axis shows the central 2024 PF00268.

[0087] 15

[0088] Output wavelength. At a junction temperature below 20 °C, a change in the central wavelength of several nanometers is clearly visible. In contrast, at a junction temperature above 50 °C, the central wavelength is essentially constant.

[0089] 5 This means that increasing the junction temperature to +20 °C appears advantageous for all ambient temperatures, i.e., especially for temperatures with a junction temperature below 20 °C. This reduces the wavelength shift due to temperature from approximately 18 nm to approximately 6 nm. In the case of a LiDAR application where a very narrowband bandpass filter is used on the detector side, the wavelength shift should be as small as possible. By adjusting the wavelength to a predetermined junction temperature via temperature control, the wavelength change with further temperature changes can be reduced, thus enabling the use of a narrowband filter.

[0090] Conversely, with a substantially constant or very low wavelength shift, the bandwidth of the bandpass filter can be further reduced, thus creating a particularly small transmission window. This allows more sunlight to be blocked, significantly improving the signal-to-noise ratio of such a lidar system.

[0091] The diagram on the right shows the dependence of the optical output power Popt on the junction temperature Tj. Increasing the junction temperature Tj to 20°C avoids an increase in the optical output power Popt, or a change in optical output power of approximately 10%. This increase at low temperatures is usually desirable, as the optical output power Popt should remain constant across the entire temperature range. This is particularly important for laser systems that have specific eye safety requirements.

[0092] The heating element presented here has geometric dimensions, particularly width and thickness, ranging from a few tens of pm to several hundred pm. The ohmic resistance is crucial, which is determined by the resistivity and the evaporation. 2024 PF00268

[0093] 16. The ratio of width to height, i.e., the cross-sectional area through the pipe, is given by... The heat energy to be supplied depends in turn on the volume to be heated and the heat transfer out of the active zone. The thickness of such pipes is usually in...

[0094] 5. Range of a few micrometers, for example between one micrometer and 100 pm or between 10 pm and 80 pm. The width of such lines, however, is significantly larger, for example by a factor of 5, 7 or 10.

[0095] This results in an overall ohmic resistance in the range of Q to approximately 10 Ω, which, depending on the applied voltage between 4 V and 12 V, corresponds to a few amperes. This translates to a heating power of approximately 2 to 20 W, depending on the desired application. However, this only refers to the heat input from the heating element; the self-heating caused by the laser during operation is not taken into account. In practice, the additional self-heating during operation leads to a further temperature increase, so that, on the one hand, the heating power can be reduced during operation of the laser arrangement, and on the other hand, at a higher temperature between 40 °C and 60 °C, the temperature-dependent wavelength shift is even smaller. Furthermore, the material of the substrates is also important. Ceramic materials based on Al₂O or Al₃ ceramics are typically used for this purpose.This must be taken into account in terms of heat conduction and heat capacity.

[0096] Therefore, in some aspects it is advantageous to either place the heating element directly on the semiconductor layer sequence itself, thus achieving rapid energy input into the active zone, or to place it directly below the semiconductor layer sequence between the substrate and the semiconductor layer sequence, or within the substrate below the semiconductor layer sequence. The heat transfer can also be controlled by selecting the materials between the semiconductor layer sequence and the substrate or between the substrates. 5

[0097] In many cases, the support substrate can be designed to be small, so that the heat capacity of the support substrate is determined by its volume. 2024 PF00268

[0098] - 17 - By optimizing the materials used, the required power element can be further reduced. For example, it is possible to use an A1O-based ceramic for the substrate instead of A1O-based components to minimize the heat flow from the semiconductor layer sequence to a PCB or other board. The use of conductive adhesives or special gold-tin-based solders can also lead to a reduction in heat flow. However, a corresponding trade-off must be observed between the heat generation of the laser assembly during operation and the dissipation of the energy during operation, in order to avoid overheating the laser assembly.

[0099] 2024 PF00268

[0100] - 18 -

[0101] REFERENCE MARK LIST

[0102] I Laser arrangement

[0103] 10 Carrier substrate

[0104] II Contact

[0105] 12 Contact area

[0106] 15 Implementation

[0107] 20 Semiconductor layer sequence

[0108] 20 ' separating element

[0109] 25 Contact connection

[0110] 26 Bond wire

[0111] 27 Contact area

[0112] 31 Mounting layer

[0113] 32 Adhesive

[0114] 33 Solder material

[0115] 34 Contact area

[0116] 35 Implementation

[0117] 50 meandering lines

[0118] 51 Connection contact

[0119] 52 Bond wire

[0120] 70' heat flow

Claims

2024 PF00268 - 19 - PATENT CLAIMS 1. Laser arrangement comprising: 5 at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, each with an integrated active zone and an output coupling plane, wherein the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges are spatially separated from one another and have a common and, in particular, one-piece semiconductor layer sequence with a contact region and each have a contact connection, in particular on a surface of the laser ridge, for supplying charge carriers to the active zone, wherein the common layer sequence faces away from the laser ridges; a support substrate with at least one contact region that is electrically coupled and mechanically connected to the contact region of the common semiconductor layer sequence; a heating element that is applied to a surface of the support substrate and comprises: o two contact connections; o a meandering conductor between the two contact connections.

2. Laser arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the meandering conductor has a section that can be assigned to each of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, and these sections are equidistant from the assigned edge-emitting laser ridges.

3. Laser arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the meandering conductor has adjacent equal sections to the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges.

4. Laser arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the meandering conductor has a smaller mean distance to a first of the at least 5 two laser ridges than to a second of the at least two laser ridges. 2024 PF00268 20 5. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element is arranged on the support substrate adjacent to the common layer sequence. 5 6. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element is applied to a particularly insulated section of the surface of the common semiconductor layer sequence, and has at least one first section arranged substantially parallel to one of the at least two laser ridges and optionally at least one second section extending over the laser ridge.

7. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a first section of the meandering line extends transversely to a side of a laser ridge facing away from the coupling plane and a second section of the meandering line extends transversely to the coupling plane of an adjacent laser ridge.

8. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one section of the meandering conductor runs adjacent to the contact terminal of the at least two edge-emitting laser ridges, in particular on a surface of the laser ridges.

9. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the heating element is arranged at least partially between the substrate and the common layer sequence.

10. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, further comprising: At least two bond wires, each connected to one of the contact terminals and crossing sections of the meandering path of the heating element, in particular perpendicularly. 5 11. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the contact region of the support substrate is connected via vias to at least one contact on the side facing away from the contact region. 2024 PF00268 - 21 - 12. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the meandering conductor has a width that is at least 5 times greater than the thickness of the meandering conductor.

13. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the meandering conductor is covered with an oxygen-dense layer; and / or wherein the meandering conductor comprises at least one element from a group consisting of: Gold; Platinum; Rhodium; Silver ; Titan; and Alloys comprising at least one of the preceding .

14. Laser arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the support substrate comprises a base body made of one of the following materials: - AIN; A10; and - Yes.

Images