Patents by Inventor Satoru Sugawara

Satoru Sugawara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 7978739
    Abstract: In a surface emitting laser element, on an inclined substrate, a resonator structural body including an active layer, and a lower semiconductor DBR and an upper semiconductor DBR sandwiching the resonator structural body are stacked. A shape of a current passing-through region in an oxide confinement structure of the upper semiconductor DBR is symmetrical to an axis passing through a center of the current passing-through region parallel to an X axis and symmetrical to an axis passing through the center of the current passing-through region parallel to a Y axis, and a thickness of an oxidized layer surrounding the current passing-through region is greater in the +Y direction than in the +X and ?X directions. An opening width of a light outputting section in the X axis direction is smaller than another opening width of the light outputting section in the Y axis direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Satoru Sugawara, Toshihiro Ishii, Kazuhiro Harasaka, Shunichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20110115872
    Abstract: A disclosed surface-emitting laser element includes a substrate, multiple semiconductor layers stacked on the substrate including a resonator structure including an active layer, a semiconductor multilayer mirror on the resonator structure, and a confined structure where a current passage region is enclosed by at least an oxide generated by oxidation of part of a selective oxidation layer containing aluminum, an electrode provided around an emission region, and a dielectric film provided in a peripheral portion within the emission region and outside a central portion of the emission region to make a reflectance of the peripheral portion lower than that of the central portion. The dielectric film is arranged such that a reflectance of a high-order transverse mode in a second direction is higher than that in a first direction, and a width of the current passage region in the first direction is greater than that in the second direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro HARASAKA, Shunichi SATO, Naoto JIKUTANI, Satoru SUGAWARA
  • Publication number: 20110109713
    Abstract: An optical device including an optical element; a package member in which the optical element is held on a bottom surface of the package member in an area surrounded by walls; and a plate member that seals the area surrounded by the walls and the bottom surface in an airtight manner, the plate member being translucent and joined to the package member with a resin material. The walls have a structure including steps, the plate member is joined onto one of the steps of the walls, and at least a part of the walls facing side surfaces of the plate member includes a positioning part for positioning the plate member and a retaining part for retaining the resin material, in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2010
    Publication date: May 12, 2011
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Takayuki Yamaguchi, Satoru Sugawara, Kazuhiko Adachi, Masaki Hiroi
  • Publication number: 20110037825
    Abstract: A disclosed vertical cavity surface emitting laser device emits light orthogonally in relation to a substrate and includes a resonator structure including an active layer; and semiconductor multilayer reflectors disposed in such a manner as to sandwich the resonator structure between them and including a confinement structure which confines an injected current and transverse modes of oscillation light at the same time. The confinement structure has an oxidized region which surrounds a current passage region. The oxidized region is formed by oxidizing a part of a selective oxidation layer which includes aluminum and includes at least an oxide. The selective oxidation layer is at least 25 nm in thickness. The semiconductor multilayer reflectors include an optical confinement reducing section which reduces optical confinement in a transverse direction. The optical confinement reducing section is disposed on the substrate side in relation to the resonator structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Publication date: February 17, 2011
    Applicant: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Jikutani, Shunichi Sato, Satoru Sugawara, Hiroshi Motomura
  • Publication number: 20100328747
    Abstract: A surface emitting laser element is disclosed. The surface emitting laser element includes a resonator structural body including an active layer, first and second semiconductor distributed Bragg reflectors which sandwich the resonator structural body, and a confinement structure which can confine an injection current and a lateral mode of oscillation light at the same time by being formed with selective oxidation of a layer to be selectively oxidized containing aluminum in the first semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector. A thickness of the layer to be selectively oxidized is 28 nm, and a temperature when an oscillation threshold current becomes a minimum value is approximately 17° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Inventors: Naoto Jikutani, Satoru Sugawara, Shunichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20090310632
    Abstract: In a surface emitting laser element, on an inclined substrate, a resonator structural body including an active layer, and a lower semiconductor DBR and an upper semiconductor DBR sandwiching the resonator structural body are stacked. A shape of a current passing-through region in an oxide confinement structure of the upper semiconductor DBR is symmetrical to an axis passing through a center of the current passing-through region parallel to an X axis and symmetrical to an axis passing through the center of the current passing-through region parallel to a Y axis, and a thickness of an oxidized layer surrounding the current passing-through region is greater in the +Y direction than in the +X and ?X directions. An opening width of a light outputting section in the X axis direction is smaller than another opening width of the light outputting section in the Y axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2009
    Publication date: December 17, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Satoru SUGAWARA, Toshihiro Ishii, Kazuhiro Harasaka, Shunichi Sato
  • Publication number: 20090295902
    Abstract: A surface-emitting laser array includes a plurality of surface-emitting laser elements. Each surface-emitting laser element includes a first reflection layer formed on a substrate, a resonator formed in contact with the first reflection layer and containing an active layer, and a second reflection layer formed over the first reflection layer and in contact with the resonator. The second reflection layer contains a selective oxidation layer. The first reflection layer contains on the active layer side at least a low refractive index layer having an oxidation rate equivalent to or larger than an oxidation rate of a selective oxidation layer contained in the second reflection layer. The resonator is made of an AlGaInPAs base material containing at least In. A bottom of a mesa structure is located under the selective oxidation layer and over the first reflection layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2007
    Publication date: December 3, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Shunichi Sato, Akihiro Itoh, Satoru Sugawara, Hiroyoshi Shouji
  • Publication number: 20090285252
    Abstract: A disclosed surface-emitting laser includes a substrate and multiple semiconductor layers stacked on the substrate. A normal of the principal plane of the substrate is inclined with respect to one of crystal orientations <1 0 0> toward one of crystal orientations <1 1 1>. The semiconductor layers include a resonator structure including an active layer; and a semiconductor multilayer mirror stacked on the resonator structure. The semiconductor multilayer mirror includes a confined structure where a current passage area is surrounded by an oxidized area including at least an oxide generated by oxidation of a part of a selective oxidation layer containing aluminum. A strain field caused by the oxidation is present at least in a part of the vicinity of the oxidized area. In the strain field, the amount of strain in a first axis direction is different from the amount of strain in a second axis direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2009
    Publication date: November 19, 2009
    Applicant: RICOH COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: TOSHIHIRO ISHII, KENGO MAKITA, NAOTO JIKUTANI, KAZUHIRO HARASAKA, SHUNICHI SATO, SATORU SUGAWARA
  • Patent number: 7590159
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser diode includes a distributed Bragg reflector tuned to wavelength of 1.1 ?m or longer, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector includes an alternate repetition of a low-refractive index layer and a high-refractive index layer, with a heterospike buffer layer having an intermediate refractive index interposed therebetween with a thickness in the range of 5-50 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Jikutani, Shunichi Sato, Takashi Takahashi, Akihiro Itoh, Takuro Sekiya, Akira Sakurai, Masayoshi Katoh, Teruyuki Furuta, Kazuya Miyagaki, Ken Kanai, Atsuyuki Watada, Koei Suzuki, Satoru Sugawara, Shinji Satoh, Shuuichi Hikichi
  • Patent number: 7423953
    Abstract: An optical module has a first light source which emits a first light beam from a first light emission point in a predetermined direction, a second light source which emits a second light beam from a second light emission point in the predetermined direction, and an optical element. The optical element includes a plurality of reflection surfaces for reflecting the first and second light beams, and finally outputting the first and second light beams in the predetermined direction with a separation between the first and second light beams smaller than a distance between the first and second light emission points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20080043796
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser diode includes a distributed Bragg reflector tuned to wavelength of 1.1 ?m or longer, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector includes an alternate repetition of a low-refractive index layer and a high-refractive index layer, with a heterospike buffer layer having an intermediate refractive index interposed therebetween with a thickness in the range of 5-50 nm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Inventors: Naoto JIKUTANI, Shunichi Sato, Takashi Takahashi, Akihiro Itoh, Takuro Sekiya, Akira Sakurai, Masayoshi Katoh, Teruyuki Furuta, Kazuya Miyagaki, Ken Kanai, Atsuyuki Watada, Koei Suzuki, Satoru Sugawara, Shinji Satoh, Shuuichi Hikichi
  • Patent number: 7330157
    Abstract: This patent specification describes an antenna device which includes a non-directional antenna having a radiating element and a ground plate, a coaxial line configured to feed an electromagnetic power to the non-directional antenna, a dielectric film arranged on the ground plate, including a dielectric material, a short circuit line arranged on the dielectric film, formed of a conductive pattern and configured to connect an inner conductor of the coaxial line to an outer conductor of the coaxial line and a switch arranged at a portion of the short circuit line to switch a state between a non-shorted state and a shorted state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2008
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20070177488
    Abstract: An optical module has a first light source which emits a first light beam from a first light emission point in a predetermined direction, a second light source which emits a second light beam from a second light emission point in the predetermined direction, and an optical element. The optical element includes a plurality of reflection surfaces for reflecting the first and second light beams, and finally outputting the first and second light beams in the predetermined direction with a separation between the first and second light beams smaller than a distance between the first and second light emission points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Patent number: 7245647
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser diode includes a distributed Bragg reflector tuned to wavelength of 1.1 ?m or longer, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector includes an alternate repetition of a low-refractive index layer and a high-refractive index layer, with a heterospike buffer layer having an intermediate refractive index interposed therebetween with a thickness in the range of 5–50 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Naoto Jikutani, Shunichi Sato, Takashi Takahashi, Akihiro Itoh, Takuro Sekiya, Akira Sakurai, Masayoshi Katoh, Teruyuki Furuta, Kazuya Miyagaki, Ken Kanai, Atsuyuki Watada, Koei Suzuki, Satoru Sugawara, Shinji Satoh, Shuuichi Hikichi
  • Publication number: 20070013597
    Abstract: This patent specification describes an antenna device which includes a non-directional antenna having a radiating element and a ground plate, a coaxial line configured to feed an electromagnetic power to the non-directional antenna, a dielectric film arranged on the ground plate, including a dielectric material, a short circuit line arranged on the dielectric film, formed of a conductive pattern and configured to connect an inner conductor of the coaxial line to an outer conductor of the coaxial line and a switch arranged at a portion of the short circuit line to switch a state between a non-shorted state and a shorted state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2006
    Publication date: January 18, 2007
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Patent number: 7092345
    Abstract: An optical module has a first light source which emits a first light beam from a first light emission point in a predetermined direction, a second light source which emits a second light beam from a second light emission point in the predetermined direction, and an optical element. The optical element includes a plurality of reflection surfaces for reflecting the first and second light beams, and finally outputting the first and second light beams in the predetermined direction with a separation between the first and second light beams smaller than a distance between the first and second light emission points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Publication number: 20060093010
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser diode includes a distributed Bragg reflector tuned to a wavelength of 1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 8, 2005
    Publication date: May 4, 2006
    Inventors: Takuro Sekiya, Akira Sakurai, Masayoshi Katoh, Teruyuki Furuta, Kazuya Miyagaki, Ken Kanai, Atsuyuki Watada, Shunichi Sato, Koei Suzuki, Satoru Sugawara, Shinji Satoh, Shuuichi Hikichi, Naoto Jikutani, Takashi Takahashi, Akihiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 7002527
    Abstract: A variable-directivity antenna comprises an omnidirectional antenna element, a transmission line connected to the antenna element, and an electric field adjusting structure provided in a boundary region between the antenna element and the transmission line. The electric field adjusting structure is configured to change electric field distribution of the transmission line to a desired direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2006
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara
  • Patent number: 6975663
    Abstract: A surface-emission laser diode includes a distributed Bragg reflector tuned to wavelength of 1.1 ?m or longer, wherein the distributed Bragg reflector includes an alternate repetition of a low-refractive index layer and a high-refractive index layer, with a heterospike buffer layer having an intermediate refractive index interposed therebetween with a thickness in the range of 5-50 nm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Takuro Sekiya, Akira Sakurai, Masayoshi Katoh, Teruyuki Furuta, Kazuya Miyagaki, Ken Kanai, Atsuyuki Watada, Shunichi Sato, Koei Suzuki, Satoru Sugawara, Shinji Satoh, Shuuichi Hikichi, Naoto Jikutani, Takashi Takahashi, Akihiro Itoh
  • Patent number: 6937405
    Abstract: An integrated type optical pickup module apparently approximates a plurality of light-emitting points of semiconductor lasers. An optical element is interposed between first and second semiconductor lasers. The optical element has first and second reflecting surfaces perpendicular to each other. The first and second reflecting surfaces reflect laser beams projected from the first and second semiconductor lasers, respectively. The optical element further has a mounting surface perpendicular to both the first and second reflecting surfaces. The optical element is mounted, via the mounting surface of the optical element, to a submount having a top surface on which the first and second semiconductor lasers are mounted. Heterojunction surfaces of the first and second semiconductor lasers may be substantially perpendicular to the first and second reflecting surfaces, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2005
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Satoru Sugawara