Surface emitting laser with large area deflecting mirror
US5671243A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 19, 1996 |
| Grant date | Sep 23, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 19, 2016 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01S5/1082
- WIPO fieldOptics
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A surface-emitting laser system includes a laser that emits a vertically divergent beam generally parallel to the substrate on which it is formed, and a turning mirror in the path of the beam that extends up from the substrate to a level well above the laser height. The extended mirror area reflects a greater portion of the beam than prior planar designs, increasing the output efficiency and providing a smoother beam pattern. One fabrication method employs a masking and ion beam milling technique that uses an accumulation of redeposited material to form the additional mirror area, with a thick mask layer that is later removed guiding the redeposition. An alternate fabrication method involves epitaxial growth of an additional layer of material above the conventional laser epilayers, with the additional layer subsequently removed from the laser region but retained in the mirror region.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.