Patents Examined by Tod T. Van Roy
  • Patent number: 11316322
    Abstract: A laser diode module is described herein. In accordance with a first exemplary embodiment, the laser diode module includes a first semiconductor die including at least one electronic switch, and a second semiconductor die including at least one laser diode. The second semiconductor die is bonded on the first semiconductor die using a chip-on-chip connecting technology to provide electrical connection between the electronic switch and the laser diode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Maurizio Galvano, Gianmaria Furlan, Andrea Logiudice, Franco Mignoli
  • Patent number: 11316321
    Abstract: The present invention provides a device and method for a laser based light source using a combination of laser diode or waveguide gain element excitation source based on gallium and nitrogen containing materials and wavelength conversion phosphor materials designed for inherent safety. In this invention a violet, blue, or other wavelength laser diode source based on gallium and nitrogen materials is closely integrated with phosphor materials, such as yellow phosphors, to form a compact, high-brightness, and highly-efficient, light source with closed loop design features to yield the light source as an eye safe light source.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: KYOCERA SLD Laser, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Raring, Paul Rudy, Steve DenBaars, Troy Trottier
  • Patent number: 11309679
    Abstract: An external optical feedback element (108) for tuning an output beam of a gas laser (102) having multiple wavelengths includes a partially reflective optical element (108) positioned on a beam path of the output beam (106) outside of an internal optical cavity of the gas laser (102), and a stage (114) to support the optical element and adjust rotation, horizontal tilt angle, and vertical tilt angle of the optical element with respect to the beam path. The output beam (106) is partially reflected at the optical element (108) and fed back into the internal optical cavity of the gas laser (102), with the intensity varying for multiple wavelengths and adjusted by changing rotation, horizontal tilt angle and vertical tilt angle of the optical element. Thereby, a variable feedback of the output beam into the internal optical cavity of the gas laser is provided, which leads to a selective output wavelength of the gas laser, either at a single line or at multiple lines simultaneously.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Novanta Corporation
    Inventors: Jacob Litmanovic, Jason Bethel, Ross Wheeler, Patrick Kolsch
  • Patent number: 11303089
    Abstract: A combination of microvalves and waveguides may enable the creation of reconfigurable on-chip light sources compatible with planar sample preparation and particle sensing architecture using either single-mode or multi-mode interference (MMI) waveguides. A first type of light source is a DFB laser source with lateral gratings created by the light valves. Moreover, feedback for creating a narrowband light source does not have to be a DFB grating in the active region. A DBR configuration (Bragg mirrors on one or both ends of the active region) or simple mirrors at the end of the cavity can also be used. Alternately, ring resonators may be created using a valve coupled to a bus waveguide where the active gain medium is either incorporated in the ring or inside an enclosed fluid. The active light source may be activated by moving a fluid trap and/or a solid-core optical component defining its active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA
    Inventor: Holger Schmidt
  • Patent number: 11291372
    Abstract: In a laser device that emits pulsed laser light by emitting excitation light to a laser medium in a state in which a first voltage is applied to a Q switch and changing the voltage applied to the Q switch from a first voltage to a second voltage after the emission of the excitation light, the application start timing of the first voltage during a normal operation is set to a timing at which the intensity of the pulsed laser light periodically changing due to the vibration of the Q switch is maximized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: FUJIFILM Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroyasu Ishii, Kazuhiro Hirota
  • Patent number: 11276987
    Abstract: Vertical cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) includes a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser including a gain layer configured to generate light, a distributed Bragg reflector disposed on a first surface of the gain layer, and a nanostructure reflector disposed on a second surface of the gain layer opposite from the first surface, the nanostructure reflector including a plurality of nanostructures having a sub-wavelength dimension, wherein the plurality of nanostructures include a plurality of anisotropic nanoelements and are configured to emit a circularly polarized laser light through the nanostructure reflector based on distributions and arrangement directions of the plurality of anisotropic nanoelementss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO.. LTD.
    Inventors: Seunghoon Han, Byunghoon Na
  • Patent number: 11271365
    Abstract: A laser element includes a transparent substrate, a conductive layer on the transparent substrate, an adhesive layer, attached to the transparent substrate and having a first side surface, a laser unit, wherein the laser unit comprises a front conductive structure, attached to the adhesive layer and having a second side surface, a back conductive structure, which comprises a first detecting electrode and a second detecting electrode separated from the first detecting electrode, a passivation layer covering one of the first side surface and the second side surface, and first via holes extending from the back conductive structure to the conductive layer, wherein the first detecting electrode and the second detecting electrode are electrically connected to the conductive layer through the first via holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: iReach Corporation
    Inventors: Shou-Lung Chen, Hsin-Chan Chung
  • Patent number: 11264773
    Abstract: A laser apparatus including an optical element made of a CaF2 crystal and configured to transmit an ultraviolet laser beam obliquely incident on one surface of the optical element, the electric field axis of the P-polarized component of the laser beam propagating through the optical element coinciding with one axis contained in <111> of the CaF2 crystal, with the P-polarized component defined with respect to the one surface. A method for manufacturing an optical element, the method including causing a seed CaF2 crystal to undergo crystal growth along one axis contained in <111> to form an ingot, setting a cutting axis to be an axis inclining by an angle within 14.18±5° with respect to the crystal growth direction toward the direction of another axis contained in <111>, which differs from the crystal growth direction, and cutting the ingot along a plane perpendicular to the cutting axis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Gigaphoton Inc.
    Inventors: Daisuke Tei, Osamu Wakabayashi
  • Patent number: 11264780
    Abstract: A flip chip backside Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) package has a VCSEL pillar array. A first metal contact is formed over a top section of each pillar of the VCSEL pillar array. A second metal contact is formed on a back surface of the VCEL pillar array. An opening is formed in the second metal contact and aligned with the pillars of the VCSEL pillar array. Solder tip is applied on each pillar of the VCSEL pillar array to flip chip mount the VCSEL pillar array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: OEPIC SEMICONDUCTORS, INC.
    Inventor: Yi-Ching Pao
  • Patent number: 11258233
    Abstract: A quantum cascade laser has an active layer, a first and second cladding layer, and an optical guide layer. The active layer has a plurality of injection quantum well regions and a plurality of light-emitting quantum well regions. The each of the injection quantum well regions and the each of the light-emitting quantum well regions are alternatively stacked. The first and second cladding layers are provided to interpose the active layer from both sides, and have a refractive index lower than an effective refractive index of the each of the light-emitting quantum well regions. The optical guide layer is disposed to divide the active layer into two parts. The optical guide layer has a refractive index higher than the effective refractive index of the each of the light-emitting quantum well regions, and has a thickness greater than the thickness of all well layers of quantum well layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Shinji Saito, Tsutomu Kakuno, Rei Hashimoto, Kei Kaneko
  • Patent number: 11258226
    Abstract: A narrow linewidth laser in which an all-optical feedback line-up is used to improve the linewidth from a conventional laser source, such as a laser diode. The feedback line-up comprises an optical device having a controllable unbalanced optical coupler arranged on a cavity input path to couple a source signal from the laser source into the optical cavity, and to couple a seed signal received back from the optical cavity into the laser source. The seed signal has a lower power than the source signal. The unbalanced optical coupler may be an optical isolator arranged to couple the seed signal into the laser source at a power level selected to promote preferential stimulated emission within a narrower linewidth. By controlling the power of seed signal such that only a small portion thereof influences the lasing cavity, the narrowing effect of the preferential stimulated emission can be enhanced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Redwave Labs Ltd
    Inventor: Dmitri Permogorov
  • Patent number: 11245241
    Abstract: An optical fiber for a fiber laser includes a core to which a rare-earth element is added, a first cladding formed around the core; and a second cladding formed around the first cladding, and excitation light is guided from at least one end of the first cladding to excite the rare-earth element to output a laser oscillation light. An addition concentration of the rare-earth element to the core is different in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber for a fiber laser, and a core diameter and a numerical aperture of the optical fiber for a fiber laser are constant in the longitudinal direction of the optical fiber for a fiber laser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: FANUC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroshi Takigawa, Tetsuhisa Takazane
  • Patent number: 11245246
    Abstract: A semiconductor laser diode includes a semiconductor body having an emitter region; and a first connection element that electrically contacts the semiconductor body in the emitter region, wherein the semiconductor body is in contact with the first connection element in the emitter region, and at least in places in the emitter region, the semiconductor body has a structuring that enlarges a contact area between the semiconductor body and the first connection element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: OSRAM OLED GmbH
    Inventor: Wolfgang Reill
  • Patent number: 11239631
    Abstract: A method of forming a laser including device is provided that in one embodiment includes providing a laser chip including at least one ridge structure that provides an alignment features. The method further includes bonding a type IV photonics chip to the laser chip, wherein a vertical alignment feature from the type IV photonics chip is inserted in a recess relative to the at least one ridge structure that provides the alignment features of the laser structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tymon Barwicz, Yves C. Martin, Jason S. Orcutt
  • Patent number: 11239632
    Abstract: A laser driving apparatus includes a driver, a tracking circuit, a comparator and a control circuit. The driver includes a laser driving circuit, and the tracking circuit includes a reference current source and a replica circuit. The laser driving circuit generates a driving current to drive a laser. The reference current source generates a reference current as a reference for the laser driving apparatus. The replica circuit corresponds to at least a portion of the laser driving circuit, generates a sensing current according to the reference current and track the driving current. The comparator compares voltages respectively on the laser driving circuit and the replica circuit to generate a comparison signal. The control circuit adjusts the sensing current or the driving current according to the comparison signal. The laser driving apparatus can include multiple channels with multiple drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Artilux, Inc.
    Inventors: Ding-Shiuan Shen, Che-Fu Liang
  • Patent number: 11211767
    Abstract: A reflector structure for a tunable laser and a tunable laser. A super structure grating is used as a reflector structure, and a suspended structure is formed around a region in which the super structure grating is located, to implement, using the suspended structure, thermal isolation around the region in which the super structure grating is located, and increase thermal resistance, such that less heat is lost, and heat is concentrated in the region in which the super structure grating is located, thereby improving thermal tuning efficiency of the reflector structure. Moreover, lateral support structures are disposed on two sides of the suspended structure, to provide a mechanical support for the suspended structure. In addition, regions in the super structure grating that correspond to any two lateral support structures on a same side of the suspended structure fall at different locations in a spatial period of the super structure grating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Lin Wu, Hongmin Chen
  • Patent number: 11211769
    Abstract: A front facet of the semiconductor laser device includes a resonator facet portion containing an end of an active layer, and a protruding portion which protrudes beyond the resonator facet portion in a resonator length direction by a predetermined protrusion amount and has a stepped bottom surface portion. The resonator facet portion and the stepped bottom surface portion are connected to each other to form a corner portion. The distance from a thickness center position of the active layer to the stepped bottom surface portion is defined by a bottom surface portion depth. The bottom surface portion depth is set to be equal to a predetermined specific depth or deeper than the specific depth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Mitsubishi Electric Corporation
    Inventor: Naoki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11201450
    Abstract: In a Q-switched solid-state laser having a resonator (3, 30) in the form of a linear resonator or a ring resonator having an active laser material (1) and at least one first and one second mirror (4, 5) and a resonator length (a) of less than 50 mm, preferably less than 25 mm, in the case of the configuration as a linear resonator and of less than 100 mm, preferably less than 50 mm, in the case of the configuration as a ring resonator, at least substantially only one longitudinal mode oscillates in the resonator (3). The resonator (3, 30) is in the form of an unstable resonator, with one of the mirrors (4, 5) being a gradient mirror.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Inventor: Daniel Kopf
  • Patent number: 11189987
    Abstract: A light emitting device includes: one or more semiconductor laser elements; one or more light-reflecting parts, each having a light-reflecting surface configured to reflect laser light emitted from a corresponding one of the one or more semiconductor laser elements; and a fluorescent part having a light-receiving surface configured to be irradiated with the laser light reflected at the light-reflecting surface of each of the one or more light-reflecting parts. An irradiated region is formed on the light-reflecting surface when the light-reflecting surface is irradiated with the laser light, the irradiated region including a first end and a second end opposite the first end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: NICHIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Soichiro Miura
  • Patent number: 11183809
    Abstract: There is provided a passive Q-switch pulse laser device including a laser medium, and a saturable absorber. The laser medium is disposed between a pair of reflection means included in an optical resonator. The laser medium is excited by specific excitation light to emit emission light. The saturable absorber is disposed on an optical axis of the optical resonator and on a downstream side of the laser medium between the pair of reflection means. The saturable absorber has a transmittance increased by absorption of the emission light. At least one of the pair of reflection means is a polarizing element. The polarizing element has different reflectances with respect to the respective pieces of emission light in polarization directions orthogonal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masanao Kamata, Sumito Mizumura