17:30 - 19130

TuEl5
Reliable 60 Watt Continuous Wave Power InGaAs /AlGaAs (915 nm)
Monolithic Laser Diode Arrays
X. He, S. Srinivasan, V. Zarate, R. Patel
Opt0 Power Corporation
3321 E. Global Loop, Tucson, AZ 85706, USA

Abstract: Higher than 180 W CW power has been demonstrated on a 1 cm wide, 48% packing
density InGaAdAlGaAs (9 15 nm) monolithic laser diode array. Reliable operation of the diode
arrays on conductively cooled heat sinks is evidenced on 5000 hours lifetest.
High power monolithic laser diode arrays lasing at 915 nm have been important for the
pumping of Yb doped double-clad fiber lasers and for materials processing. Previously, we
reported 155 W continuous wave (CW) power from a 1 cm wide (48% packing density) diode
array [l]. In this paper, higher than 180 W CW power has been demonstrated on the same
geometry diode array bonded on a water cooled cooper heat sink. CW lifetesting at 60W power
level has been conducted on conductively cooled heatsinks for 5000 hours. To our knowledge,
this is the first reliability data at these power levels that has been ever demonstrated .
The diode arrays used for is work were grown by MOCVD on n-type GaAs substrate.
AlGaAs is grown for waveguide and cladding layers and InGaAs is for the quantum well.
Figure 1 shows the CW light output power against current (LA) and wall plug efficiency
against current (qw/I)characteristics of a diode array on a water cooled cooper heat sink at coolant
temperature of 20 "C. Optical power greater than 180 W has been achieved. Optical power was
limited by the available current of the power supply. The wall plug efficiency is greater than 50
% at optical powers higher than 60 W.
Figure 2 shows the L/I and qJI curves of the diode arrays on a conductive cooled heat
sink. The measurement was done by mounting the device on a water cooled cooper block. The
temperature of the coolant is set so as to attain a device heat sink temperature of 25C at 60 W.
The slope efficiency is 1.09 W/A up to power of 60 W. Wall plug efficiency is about 55% at
power high than 50 W. The lasing spectra of the device at various currents is shown in figure 3.
Sharp lasing peak is observed. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the spectrum at 80
A is 2.79 nm.
In addition to the excellent performance of the diode arrays, reliable operation at powers
up to 60 W CW is evidenced on the 5000 hours lifetest shown in figure 4. Devices were tested in
constant current mode. Device tested at 25C has a degradation of 6.6% in power over 5000
hours, corresponding to a extrapolated lifetime of 1 . 4 ~ 1 hours.
0~
Device tested at 30C has a
degradation of 9.7%, corresponding to a extrapolated lifetime of 9300 hours at 30C. There was
no prescreening of devices prior to lifetest. Devices were removed from lifetest at 5000 hours so
as to investigate the degradation mechanism. Devices degraded mainly due to environment
related to lifetest and not due to the device material. The life test at 80 W CW power level will
also be presented.
In conclusion, record CW power from a 1 cm wide diode array has been demonstrated.
Reliable operation of the diode array at 60 W CW is evidenced in the 5000 hours lifetest.
(0-7803-4223-2/98/$10.00 1998 IEEE)
123

Reference:
[I]. X. He, M. Ung, S. Srinivasan, and R. Patel, Electronics Letters 33, 1221 (1997)

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40A

60A

Current (A)

Figure 1. L/I and qw/Icurves of a diode array on

a water cooled cooper heat sink. Coolant
temperature is 20 "C.

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Figure 2. L/I and qJI curves of a diode array on

a conductively cooled heat sink. Heat
sink temperature is 25 "C at 60 W.

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Figure 3. Lasing spectra of the diode array on

a conductively cooled heat sink at
driving currents 20 to 80 A. FWHM
of spectrum is also shown in the
middle of the figure.

Figure 4. Lifetest of the diode arrays on

conductively cooled heat sinks. Heat
sink temperature is 25 "C and 30 "C,
respectively.

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