LASER DIODE

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 LASER DIODE
■ INTRODUCTION

Laser Diode (LD) is a semiconductor device with p-n junction which emit laser radiation by
applying a current in forward direction. The term laser is an acronym that stands for "Light
Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation". The basic operating mechanisms of laser
diodes are similarly based on the electrical and optical properties of p-n junctions and
semiconductor materials. Laser diodes are devices emitting coherent light produced in a stimulated
emission process whereas LEDs under injection excitation emit light produced in a spontaneous
emission process. The light emission process in laser diodes is therefore more complicated than
that in LEDs. The materials used in laser diodes are quite similar to those used in LEDs, and the
lasing wave length ranges from the visible to the infrared wave length range depending on the
material of the active layer. The infrared 780 nm-band AlGaAs/AlGaAs and visible 635~650
nm-band AlGaInP/AlGaInP material systems are commonly used. Typical laser diodes emitting
visible light are composed of III-V compound semiconductors, but some II-Vi compound
semiconductors such as (Zn, Cd)Se/ZnSe are also used in laser diodes emitting visible light. On
the developmental stage of laser diodes, continuous-wave(cw) lasing at room temperature was
achieved in an AlGaAs/GaAs double-hetero structure has been a common one for laser diodes.

■ FEATURE AND APPLICATION

● Feature
- The product is a semiconductor device with p-n junction which emit laser radiation by applying
a current.
- The product is widely used in IT/AV/Industrial application.
- Lasing wave length of this products are 780nm, 650nm and 635nm.

● Application
- Pointer
- Laser Printer
- Barcode Scanner & Measuring Instrument
- Data Storage & Optical Pick-up : CD-P, CD-ROM, CD-RW, DVD-P, DVD-ROM

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 LASER DIODE
■ STRUCTURE

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 LASER DIODE
■ PART NUMBERING

SLD 650 18 2 7 1 X
●
1 ●
2 ●3 ●
4 ●
5 ●
6 ●
7

●
1 Samsung Laser Diode
●
2 Wave Length
●
3 Package Type
●
4 Optical Power
●
5 Operating Temperature
●
6 Pin Configuration
●
7 Suffix

●
1 Abbreviation of SAMSUNG Laser Diode

●
2 Wave Length

Symbol Wave Length

635 635㎚
650 650㎚
780 780㎚

●
3 Package Type

Symbol Package Type

09 φ9.0㎜ (TO-9 CAN)
18 φ5.6㎜ (TO-18 CAN)
38 φ3.8㎜ Small Package
※ The suffix 'F' symbol shows the lead-frame mold type package. (Example: 78018261F)

●
4 Optical Power

Symbol Optical Power

2 5㎽
3 7㎽
8 50㎽
9 90㎽

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 LASER DIODE

●
5 Operating Temperature

Symbol Optical Temperature

4 4℃
5 5℃
6 60℃
7 70℃

●
6 Pin Configuration

Symbol LD Lead ① PD Lead ② Drawing

0 anode cathode

1 anode anode

2 cathode anode

●
7 Suffix

This symbol shows the derivative parts.

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 LASER DIODE
■ PACKAGING

● Tray Packing

168㎜

o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o Tray Side Marking : (Ex.)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 48㎜
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o SLD65018371
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
LOT : 305-1

- Tray Packing Amount : 100EA LD/TRAY

- Tray Side Lot No. Marking : (Example)

Symbol 3 05 - 1
Manufactured Month
MOCVD
(ex) 3 : March
Meaning (Epitaxial Growth) Wafer No.
A : October
Batch No.
C : December

● Box Packing

▶ Inside Box ▶ Outside Box

362㎜
166㎜

LASER DIODE 240㎜ LASER DIODE

256㎜
336㎜
350㎜

- Inside Box Packing Amount : 60EA TRAYS/INSIDE BOX (10EA : Capping Trays)
→ 5,000EA LD/INSIDE BOX
- Outside Box Packing Amount : 2EA INSIDE BOXES/OUTSIDE BOX
→ 10,000EA LD/OUTSIDE BOX

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 LASER DIODE
● Labeling

▶ Top View

ESD Warning Label

SLD65018371

▶ Side View

Customer P/N

Customer P/N

Customer P/N

Customer P/N

Customer P/N

Semco P/N
Production Lot Number
Customer P/N

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 LASER DIODE
■ APPLICATION MANUAL (OPERATIONAL ATTENTION)

● Operating Characteristics

Laser Diode (LD) is a semiconductor device with p-n junction which emit laser / strong
coherency / radiation by applying a current in forward direction. However, in difference from
usually semiconductor diodes LD have the next peculiarities:

1. LD usually operates at operation current 20~40mA for a low power LD and 80~120mA for
a high power LD and low applied forward voltage (usually ~2Ⅴ). But, very important
peculiarity of LD is high current densities (~2000~4000A/cm2) during LD operation.
Therefore, LD operation generates a significant heat thin active layer.

2. In normal operation mode, LD has a relatively small volume for laser output power (3~7mW
for low power LD and 25~220mW for high power LD). But, they have a very high density
of laser radiation in a active layer and on output mirror facet (~1.0MW/cm2 and more).
Therefore, there is a optical power limit caused by optical damage of output mirror facet /
COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage) /.
(a) (b) (c)

Regular Lasing Regular Lasing

After COD
Operating Power
P
o
COD After COD
w
e Low Power
r

Ith Iop High Iop

[ Forward Current (mA) ]

Fig. 1 COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage)

Fig.1 shows us typical COD phenomenon of laser diode. When you operate LD after
occurrence of COD, operating current at a specific power would be much higher than before
COD -Fig.1(b)-. In the worst case, laser power could not reach a required power due to
COD -Fig.1(c)-. When you drive LD, please pay attention to LD operation under COD power
level.

3. LD has a very quick electrical and light response (lower than a few nano-second and less).
In connection with these features LD are extremely susceptible to damage caused by
current surges. It must be stressed here that even an instantaneous application extra
pulse current causes a rapid LD's deterioration. Whenever, You handle LD, please pay
strict attention to the following precautions.

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 LASER DIODE
● Electrostatic Surge Prevention

It is necessary to strike that LD are even more

sensitive to electrostatic discharge than Si-based
Laser
Ⅴ
semiconductor chips and require more careful
MM C=200pF Diode
preventive measures. COD also could be
happened by small surge due to electrostatic
discharge. Fig. 2 shows us a static electricity test
Fig. 2 Static Electricity Test Circuit
circuit of Samsung. When shipping the laser
diodes, they would be inserted in anti-static bags
to prevent electrostatic charging by transportation.
D B Example of a typical workbench for operation with
Laser Diode Fig. 3 :
D
A
1. Ground work tables and floors using
C
1 MOhm conductive table mats and floor mats;
E 2. Ground operators using conductive wrist
1 MOhm
bands;
A- Conductive floor mat
3. All used tools as well as soldering irons
B- Conductive table mat
C- Antistatic shoes
should be ground
D- Wrist strap
1 MOhm
E- Grounded soldering iron

The grounding should be connected through a

Fig. 3 Workbench for LD Operation resistor of approximately 1㏁.

● Precautions for Current Driving Circuits

AC100V LD

1 2 3

1- AC Noise Filter; 2- Slow Starter; 3- APC Driver

Fig. 4 General LD Operation Circuit

1. While operating, LD can be easily damaged by surge currents which may occur during power
on and off of the drive circuit or while adjusting the optical power output.
2. If possible, for standard testing process, we recommend to use the special industrial laser
diode current driver, for example, the Melles Griot current source 06 DLD 201 or other type.
3. When you use nonindustrial self designed drivers, please make it sure that the spike current
generated in on-off switching of power supplies does not exceed the maximum LD operation
current. It is recommended to insert an appropriate filter consisting of a appropriate CR circuit

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 LASER DIODE
or other slow start circuit when chattering or overshoot shown in Fig. 4. Care must also be
taken to prevent surge currents from entering the circuit from external sources. Use an AC
noise filter.

Po In pulse mode operation, overshoot in

Output Laser Power
Maximum optical power output is sometimes observed.
Power Rating In this case, try to suppress the overshoot
or lower the overshoot power level below

0 t the maximum LD operation current shown

Ith
in Fig. 5.

Pumping Pulse Current

4. Make all electrical connections secure.
t An open or short circuit while the LD is
on, will result in deterioration. It is
Fig. 5 LD Pulse Mode Operation desirable to use shielded cables.
5. Use a reliable control for setting the operation current. Improper contacts may result in current
surges.
6. While LD is powered up, don't touch probes from a oscilloscope or volt-meter against the
circuit or LD terminals.
7. Don't CONNECT OR DISCONNECT the laser diode terminals while the POWER is ON.

● Heat Diffusion Precautions

1. All main LD's parameters depend on a temperature. Because of LD in operation during

generation of heat at the p-n junction/ active layer/ it is necessary to provide a good heat
conduction mechanism. Usually, LD chip is mounted on a heat sink within the package to
facilitate effective heat diffusion. Because the heat sink conducts the generated heat to the
package flange, it is advisable LD to attach a heat radiator to the LD package flange for
better heat diffusion. Thermal contact between the package flange and the heat radiator plate
must be good. Furthermore heat diffusion also depends on the design of the radiator plate, i.e.
, shape, size and material. An appropriate design is required for each industrial application.

2. Ineffective heat diffusion can cause a positive feed back of driving current and limit the
usability of the LD. Namely, high temperature of LD package reduces an optical output power
below an expected level, which requires higher driving current to maintain the nominal output.
As a result, this raises the temperature and requires more higher current. Thus excessive
driving current can destroy LD.

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 LASER DIODE
● On the Safety of Laser Light

Avoid to look into the laser light directly or directly

D AN G ER !
V is ib le L a s e r R a d ia tio n
A v o id D ire c t E y e E x p o s u re
CLASS 3B LASER PRODUCT
their power density can reach 1㎿/㎠. For observing laser beam safely, you always have to use
safety goggles that block infrared rays.
through an optical system. It is very DANGEROUS!
Samsung red and IR laser diodes correspond to the
class III B of the International Radiation Standard of
the Laser Products.
Although the typical optical output power of Samsung
low power laser ranges from a several mW to 5mW,

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 LASER DIODE
■ NOTICE

● Electrical & Optical Parameters & Definitions

Parameter Symbol Definition

Typical optical output power in pulse or CW mode. Up to this output

Output optical power Pop
level, there are no kinks in the Light- Current curve.

The forward current through the LD which necessary for the LD to

Operating current Iop
produce its specified typical optical output power

Operating voltage Vop The forward voltage across the LD by forward operating current

Wavelength λp The wavelength of the laser spectral line with the greatest intensity

Watt-ampere The value of the incremental change in laser beam power for an
SE
/ Slope / Efficiency incremental change in forward current above the threshold current.

The monitoring photodiode current is proportional to LD laser output

Monitoring current Im
power [ at a specified reverse bias voltage ]

The forward current value at which the LD begins to produce laser

Threshold current Ith
output

The laser beam's full angular at the half-maximum intensity

Laser beam divergency
θ // points(FWHM), measured in horizontal plane [ parallel to the LD p-n
in horizontal plane
junction plane ]

The laser beam's full angular at the half-maximum intensity

Laser beam divergency
θ ⊥ points(FWHN), measured in vertical plane
in vertical plane
[ perpendicular to the LD p-n junction plane ]

Maximum admissible reverse bias voltage, which may be applied to

LD reverse voltage VR
the LD without a damage

Maximum admissible reverse bias voltage, which may be applied to

PD bias voltage VRp
the monitoring PD without a damage

Operating temperature Topr Range of the case temperature within which LD may be safety stored

Range of the ambient temperature within which LD may be safety

Storage temperature Tstg
stored

Forward current If Current through the forward biased LD

Forward bias voltage Vf Laser diode voltage by an applied forward bias

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