Laser Diode Packaging with Extended Thermal Pathway
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional packaging structures for laser diodes have a limited heat-conducting area, which restricts efficient heat dissipation, especially for high-power laser diodes, and lack space for additional components, making them unsuitable for improved performance or integration with other electronic elements.
Innovation Solution
A packaging structure featuring an electrically insulated, heat-conducting board with an adjustable large faying plane between the board and a heat-conducting base, allowing for enhanced heat dissipation and accommodating additional components like photo diodes and protection diodes, with the board and base optionally combined into a single component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the submount is kept small to accommodate pins close to the laser chip, then the device complexity is reduced and pin connection is improved, but the heat-conducting area becomes insufficient creating a bottleneck
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extends the heat-conducting pathway from the traditional planar submount interface into the vertical dimension by incorporating a heat-conducting member that penetrates through the packaging structure. This allows heat to be conducted along the depth of the package rather than being confined to the limited surface area of the submount, effectively increasing the heat-conducting area without expanding the submount footprint.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the heat-conducting function into separate components: the submount for electrical connection, the heat-conducting member for thermal management, and the heat-dissipating structure. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently - the submount remains small for pin proximity while the heat-conducting member provides extended thermal pathways.
2Temperature
If the main surface of the heat-conducting base is enlarged to improve heat dissipation, then the heat-conducting efficiency is improved, but the available space for other components and integration is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of expanding the heat-conducting base surface area in the horizontal plane, the patent utilizes the vertical dimension by implementing a heat-conducting member that extends through the packaging structure. This allows effective heat dissipation while maintaining a compact horizontal footprint that preserves space for other components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a heat-conducting member with a porous or mesh-like structure that provides extensive surface area for heat conduction within a compact volume. This porous structure increases the effective heat-exchange area without proportionally increasing the overall volume occupied by the heat-conducting component.
3Temperature
If the faying plane area between submount and heat-conducting base is increased, then the heat conduction is improved, but the submount cannot be expanded due to space constraints from pins
Solution Approach 1:
The patent separates the heat-conduction function from the submount by introducing a dedicated heat-conducting member. This allows the submount to remain small and simple for pin connections while the heat-conducting member provides the extended thermal pathways needed for effective heat management.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-conducting member acts as an intermediary between the submount and the external heat-dissipating structures. It receives heat from the submount and conducts it through extended pathways to external heat sinks, effectively decoupling the submount size from the heat-conduction capability.
4Device complexity
If conventional packaging structure is used for high-power laser diodes, then the structure is simple and proven, but the heat dissipation is insufficient leading to reduced service life
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains the simplicity of conventional packaging for the laser chip and submount while segmenting out the heat-management functions into separate, optimized components. This allows the proven simple structure to be retained where needed while adding specialized thermal management components to improve reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated heat-management components that serve both structural and thermal purposes. The heat-conducting member is integrated into the packaging structure to provide both mechanical support and thermal pathways, improving reliability without significantly increasing overall complexity.
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
The solution significantly increases the heat-conducting area, improving heat dissipation efficiency, extending the service life of laser diodes, and allowing for increased optical power output while simplifying assembly and reducing costs by enabling the integration of additional components.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-conducting base (330) installed on a surface of the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board (320), which surface is used to conduct the heat generated by the laser diode chip (310) to the heat-conducting base (330) through the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board (320) for dissemination
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a packaging structure for a laser diode, comprising an electrically insulated, heat-conducting board having an electronic circuit thereon; a laser diode chip mounted on the electronic circuit of the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board and having an anode and a cathode, respectively connected to an external soldering pad for external electrical connections; and a heat-conducting base installed on a surface of the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board to conduct the heat generated by the laser diode chip to the heat-conducting base through the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board, wherein the laser diode chip emits the light from an edge of the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board and the area of a faying plane between the electrically insulated, heat-conducting board and the heat-conducting base is adjusted depending on the power requirements of the laser diode, and the area of the faying plane is from 6 to 5,000 mm2.