Diode Laser Array Dual-Side Cooling Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power diode laser arrays in existing technologies are cooled on only one side, leading to inefficiencies and susceptibility to failure due to complex designs with numerous transition points for cooling and power supply connections.
Innovation Solution
A diode laser array design that cools each laser bar on both sides, using copper/tungsten alloys as submounts to create a thermo-mechanically symmetrical heat sink array through material bonding processes like DCB or active soldering, eliminating the need for mechanical clamping and reducing thermal expansion coefficient differences.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If laser bars are cooled on only one side using conventional mounting, then the structure is simpler, but cooling efficiency is insufficient and thermal deformation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from one-sided cooling to two-sided cooling by adding cooling capability in the opposite dimension (n-side vs p-side), effectively utilizing both surfaces of the laser bar for heat dissipation. This dimensional change in cooling approach doubles the cooling surface area and improves thermal management without fundamentally complicating the overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric cooling channel designs within the heat sinks, where the cooling channels are positioned and configured differently on each side to optimize heat extraction from the laser bar. The cooling channels extend into the mounting area of the laser bar, creating an asymmetric but optimized thermal pathway that enhances cooling efficiency.
2Power
If numerous transition points for cooling water and power supply are used to achieve high power output, then output power increases, but reliability decreases due to more sealing requirements and susceptibility to failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple laser bars into a single integrated laser bar array structure, where up to ten individual laser bars are combined into one continuous emitting surface. This consolidation reduces the number of separate cooling channels and power supply connections needed, thereby minimizing transition points and improving reliability while maintaining high output power capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides thermal management through integrated cooling channels, mechanical support for the laser bars, and electrical isolation between adjacent laser bars. The ceramic material of the heat sink provides both thermal conductivity for cooling and electrical insulation, eliminating the need for separate components and reducing failure points.
3Temperature
If laser bars are stacked with multiple heat sinks and submounts, then cooling capacity increases, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the cooling function into modular heat sink units, each with integrated cooling channels, that can be independently manufactured and then assembled. The laser bar array is also segmented into sections that can be mounted on individual heat sinks, allowing for modular manufacturing and assembly that reduces overall complexity compared to monolithic designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces submounts as intermediary components between the laser bars and heat sinks. These submounts simplify the bonding process by providing a standardized interface, and they accommodate thermal expansion differences between the laser bar materials and heat sink materials, thereby facilitating manufacturing while maintaining effective thermal contact.
4Temperature
If different materials with different thermal expansion coefficients are used for heat sink and semiconductor, then thermal management improves, but thermal deformation increases due to material mismatches
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the thermal and mechanical parameters of the interface between dissimilar materials by introducing intermediate layers and bonding structures that accommodate thermal expansion differences. The submounts and bonding techniques are designed to absorb and distribute thermal stresses, preventing deformation of the laser bars while maintaining effective thermal contact between the semiconductor and heat sink materials.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances cooling efficiency, reduces thermal deformation, and simplifies the structure, allowing for higher output power while minimizing the risk of mechanical stress and failure.
Implementation Method 1
using material bonding processes like DCB or active soldering
Implementation Method 2
using material bonding processes like DCB or active soldering
Implementation Method 3
each laser bar is cooled on both sides... improves the cooling effect
Implementation Method 4
reducing the differences of the thermal expansion coefficients between the material of the respective heat sink and the semiconductor material
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a diode laser array with at least one laser bar and having at least one emitter and a heat sink array for cooling the at least one laser bar.