Abstract: A method for packaging a hybrid device which has a semiconductor laser diode and photodetectors. The laser diode is mounted on a silicon chip (a "silicon submount") containing a photodetector for monitoring the laser power. An array of silicon submounts are mounted on a heat-sink plate which consists of a heat-sink substrate covered with a metal layer. The metal layer is cut in multiple places down to the heat-sink substrate to form multiple conductive strips. The heat-sink plate with the silicon submounts is then covered with a heat-sink cover plate which has identations formed to provide cavities for the silicon submounts. In addition, cavities are provided to allow connections to the conducting metal strips. The combined assembly is then sliced into bars exposing an opening for the laser diode and openings for connections to the conductive strips. The bars are turned on their sides and laminated to a glass substrate to form a front window for the laser diode assembly.

Abstract: An improved optical head for reading information recorded on a reflected medium. The optical head uses a hologram lens assembly having a transparent plate and a hologram lens, the transparent plate being obliquely positioned relative to a forward and a return beam paths. The transparent plate corrects beam aberrations in a laser beam emitted by a semiconductor laser on the forward beam path. The hologram lens diffracts the laser beam on the return beam path onto a photodetector. Both the transparent plate and the hologram lens add beam aberrations to the defracted laser beam on the return beam path for tracking purposes. The hologram lens assembly may also include a second hologram lens, preferably a three beam diffraction grating, for tracking purposes. The hologram lens and the diffraction grating may be located on the obliquely positioned transparent plate or on other transparent plates.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser assembly is provided with a photodetector module and a laser module mounted on orthogonal surfaces of a heatsink. The photodetector module includes a photodetector and two electrically isolated wire bond blocks, each with two surfaces parallel to the orthogonal surfaces of the heatsink. The laser module includes a laser diode bonded and a wire bond region with two surfaces also parallel to the orthogonal surfaces of the heatsink. Both of the wire bond block surfaces of the photodetector modules are thus parallel to the wire bond region surfaces on the laser module, allowing wire connections to be made between parallel surfaces before the heat sink is mounted on a header. One of the surfaces of each of the wire bond blocks and regions is parallel to the pins of a header, allowing attachment of wires from the photodetector module and the laser module to the pins without rotating the header and pins.