JP6379755B2 - Light source module, optical scanning device, image forming apparatus, and light source module manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a light source module, an optical scanning device, an image forming apparatus, and a method for manufacturing the light source module, and more specifically, a light source module including a light emitting element, an optical scanning device including the light source module, and the optical scanning device. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and a method for manufacturing the light source module.

  Conventionally, a surface emitting laser module in which a package on which a surface emitting laser array (light emitting element) is mounted and a lid in which a cover glass is bonded so as to cover an opening via a bonding material is bonded via a seal member is known. (See, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  However, in the surface emitting laser module disclosed in Patent Document 1, the airtightness may be impaired.

The present invention provides a light emitting element, a package on which the light emitting element is mounted, a light transmission window member positioned on an optical path of light from the light emitting element, and a peripheral portion of a region in which the light emitting element is mounted in the package A frame-shaped sealing member having one surface joined thereto, a collar portion joined to a part of the other surface of the sealing member, a cylindrical portion having one end continuous with the collar portion, and the cylinder And a lid including an attachment portion to which the light transmission window member is attached via a bonding material, and the attachment portion is inclined with respect to the emission direction of the light emitting element. And the lid is bent at the other end side of the cylindrical portion with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion, and outside the base end portion of the collar portion. Has a portion that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion, and a base of the collar portion. The portion includes a first portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the attachment portion, a second portion corresponding to the other end in the inclination direction, and a third portion corresponding to one end in the direction perpendicular to the inclination direction. And the maximum protruding amount in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion of the first portion and the second portion with respect to a portion that is substantially perpendicular to the collar portion is that of the third portion with respect to the tip portion of the collar portion. The light source module is characterized in that it is larger than the maximum protruding amount in the axial direction, and the first part and the second part of the base end part of the collar part are not in contact with the seal member.

  According to this, it can prevent that airtightness is impaired.

1 is a diagram for describing a schematic configuration of a color printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 1) for describing the optical scanning device in FIG. 1; 3A and 3B are diagrams (No. 2 and No. 3) for explaining the optical scanning device in FIG. 1, respectively. FIG. 4 is a diagram (part 4) for explaining the optical scanning device in FIG. 1; It is FIG. (1) for demonstrating the light source module of a comparative example. FIGS. 6A and 6B are views (No. 2 and No. 3) for explaining a light source module of a comparative example, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are views (No. 4 and No. 5) for explaining a light source module of a comparative example, respectively. FIG. 8A to FIG. 8E are views (No. 6 to No. 10) for explaining a light source module of a comparative example, respectively. FIGS. 9A to 9E are views (No. 11 to No. 15) for explaining the light source module of the comparative example. FIGS. 10A to 10E are views (No. 1 to No. 5) for explaining the light source module of the first embodiment. FIG. 11A to FIG. 11C are views (No. 6 to No. 8) for explaining the light source module of Example 1, respectively. FIGS. 12A to 12E are views (Nos. 9 to 13) for explaining the light source module of Example 1, respectively. FIGS. 13A and 13B are views (No. 1 and No. 2) for explaining the alignment of the lid with respect to the seal member bonded to the package, respectively. It is a figure for demonstrating the arrangement | sequence of the light emission part in a surface emitting laser array chip. FIGS. 15A to 15E are views (No. 1 to No. 5) for explaining the light source module of the second embodiment. FIGS. 16A to 16C are views (Nos. 6 to 8) for explaining the light source module of Example 2, respectively. FIGS. 17A to 17E are views (No. 1 to No. 5) for explaining the light source module of the third embodiment. 18A to 18C are views (Nos. 6 to 8) for explaining the light source module of Example 3, respectively. FIGS. 19A to 19E are views (No. 1 to No. 5) for explaining the light source module of Example 4, respectively.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a color printer 2000 according to an embodiment.

  The color printer 2000 is a tandem multi-color printer that forms a full-color image by superimposing four colors (black, cyan, magenta, and yellow), and includes an optical scanning device 2010, four photosensitive drums (2030a, 2030b, 2030c, 2030d), four cleaning units (2031a, 2031b, 2031c, 2031d), four charging devices (2032a, 2032b, 2032c, 2032d), four developing rollers (2033a, 2033b, 2033c, 2033d), 4 Toner cartridges (2034a, 2034b, 2034c, 2034d), transfer belt 2040, transfer roller 2042, fixing device 2050, paper feed roller 2054, paper discharge roller 2058, paper feed tray 2060, paper discharge tray 2070 A printer control device 2090 for controlling the communication control unit 2080, and the above units overall.

  Here, in the XYZ three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system, the direction along the longitudinal direction (rotation axis direction) of each photosensitive drum is defined as the X-axis direction, and the direction along the arrangement direction of the four photosensitive drums is defined as the Z-axis direction. explain.

  The communication control device 2080 controls bidirectional communication with a host device (for example, a personal computer) via a network or the like.

  The printer control device 2090 includes a CPU, a ROM described in a program written in code readable by the CPU, various data used when executing the program, a RAM as a working memory, an analog data An AD conversion circuit for converting the signal into digital data. Then, the printer control device 2090 notifies the optical scanning device 2010 of multi-color image information from the host device received via the communication control device 2080.

  The photosensitive drum 2030a, the charging device 2032a, the developing roller 2033a, the toner cartridge 2034a, and the cleaning unit 2031a are used as a set and form an image forming station (hereinafter also referred to as “K station” for convenience) that forms a black image. Configure.

  The photosensitive drum 2030b, the charging device 2032b, the developing roller 2033b, the toner cartridge 2034b, and the cleaning unit 2031b are used as a set and form an image forming station (hereinafter also referred to as “C station” for convenience) that forms a cyan image. Configure.

  The photosensitive drum 2030c, the charging device 2032c, the developing roller 2033c, the toner cartridge 2034c, and the cleaning unit 2031c are used as a set, and form an image forming station (hereinafter also referred to as “M station” for convenience) that forms a magenta image. Configure.

  The photosensitive drum 2030d, the charging device 2032d, the developing roller 2033d, the toner cartridge 2034d, and the cleaning unit 2031d are used as a set, and form an image forming station (hereinafter also referred to as “Y station” for convenience) that forms a yellow image. Configure.

  Each photosensitive drum has a photosensitive layer formed on the surface thereof. That is, the surface of each photoconductive drum is a surface to be scanned. Each photosensitive drum is rotated in the direction of the arrow in the plane of FIG. 1 by a rotation mechanism (not shown).

  Each charging device uniformly charges the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum.

  The optical scanning device 2010 is charged correspondingly with a light beam modulated for each color based on multicolor image information (black image information, cyan image information, magenta image information, yellow image information) from the printer control device 2090. The surface of the photosensitive drum is scanned. Thereby, a latent image corresponding to the image information is formed on the surface of each photosensitive drum. The latent image formed here moves in the direction of the corresponding developing device as the photosensitive drum rotates. The configuration of the optical scanning device will be described later.

  As each developing roller rotates, the toner from the corresponding toner cartridge is thinly and uniformly applied to the surface thereof. Then, when the toner on the surface of each developing roller comes into contact with the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum, the toner moves only to a portion irradiated with light on the surface and adheres to the surface. In other words, each developing roller causes toner to adhere to the latent image formed on the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum so as to be visualized. Here, the toner-attached image (toner image) moves in the direction of the transfer belt 2040 as the photosensitive drum rotates.

  The yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toner images are sequentially transferred onto the transfer belt 2040 at a predetermined timing, and are superimposed to form a color image.

  Recording paper is stored in the paper feed tray 2060. A paper feed roller 2054 is disposed in the vicinity of the paper feed tray 2060. The paper feed roller 2054 takes out the recording paper one by one from the paper feed tray 2060. The recording paper is sent out toward the gap between the transfer belt 2040 and the transfer roller 2042 at a predetermined timing. As a result, the color image on the transfer belt 2040 is transferred to the recording paper. The recording paper on which the color image is transferred is sent to the fixing device 2050.

  In the fixing device 2050, heat and pressure are applied to the recording paper, thereby fixing the toner on the recording paper. The recording paper on which the toner is fixed is sent to the paper discharge tray 2070 via the paper discharge roller 2058 and is sequentially stacked on the paper discharge tray 2070.

  Each cleaning unit removes toner (residual toner) remaining on the surface of the corresponding photosensitive drum. The surface of the photosensitive drum from which the residual toner has been removed returns to the position facing the corresponding charging device again.

  Next, the configuration of the optical scanning device 2010 will be described.

  2 to 4, as an example, the optical scanning device 2010 includes four light source modules (2200a, 2200b, 2200c, 2200d), four coupling lenses (2201a, 2201b, 2201c, 2201d), four Aperture plate (2202a, 2202b, 2202c, 2202d), four cylindrical lenses (2204a, 2204b, 2204c, 2204d), optical deflector 2104, four scanning lenses (2105a, 2105b, 2105c, 2105d), six folding mirrors (2106a, 2106b, 2106c, 2106d, 2108b, 2108c) and a scanning control device (not shown). In FIG. 2, the light source module 2200a, the coupling lens 2201a, the aperture plate 2202a, the cylindrical lens 2204a, the scanning lens 2105a, the light source module 2200d, the coupling lens 2201d, the aperture plate 2202d, the cylindrical lens 2204d, and the scanning lens 2105d are illustrated. , Has been omitted.

  In the following, for convenience, the direction corresponding to the main scanning direction is abbreviated as “main scanning corresponding direction”, and the direction corresponding to the sub scanning direction is abbreviated as “sub scanning corresponding direction”.

  The light source module 2200a, the coupling lens 2201a, the aperture plate 2202a, the cylindrical lens 2204a, the scanning lens 2105a, and the folding mirror 2106a are optical members for forming a latent image on the photosensitive drum 2030a.

  The light source module 2200b, the coupling lens 2201b, the aperture plate 2202b, the cylindrical lens 2204b, the scanning lens 2105b, the folding mirror 2106b, and the folding mirror 2108b are optical members for forming a latent image on the photosensitive drum 2030b.

  The light source module 2200c, the coupling lens 2201c, the aperture plate 2202c, the cylindrical lens 2204c, the scanning lens 2105c, the folding mirror 2106c, and the folding mirror 2108c are optical members for forming a latent image on the photosensitive drum 2030c.

  The light source module 2200d, the coupling lens 2201d, the aperture plate 2202d, the cylindrical lens 2204d, the scanning lens 2105d, and the folding mirror 2106d are optical members for forming a latent image on the photosensitive drum 2030d.

  The configuration of each light source module will be described in detail later.

  Each coupling lens is arranged on the optical path of the light beam emitted from the corresponding light source module, and makes the light beam a substantially parallel light beam.

  Each aperture plate has an opening, and shapes the light beam via the corresponding coupling lens.

  Each cylindrical lens forms an image of the light beam emitted from the corresponding light source unit in the vicinity of the polarization reflection surface of the optical deflector 2104 in the Y-axis direction.

  The optical deflector 2104 has a two-stage polygon mirror. Each polygon mirror has four polarization reflecting surfaces. The light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204a and the light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204d are respectively polarized in the first-stage (lower) polygon mirror, and the light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204b and the cylindrical lens 2204c are polarized in the second-stage (upper) polygon mirror. Are arranged such that each of the luminous fluxes from is polarized. Note that the first-stage polygon mirror and the second-stage polygon mirror rotate with a phase shift of approximately 45 ° from each other, and writing scanning is alternately performed in the first and second stages.

  The light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204a polarized by the optical deflector 2104 is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 2030a through the scanning lens 2105a and the folding mirror 2106a, thereby forming a light spot. This light spot moves in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 2030 a as the optical deflector 2104 rotates.

  The light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204b polarized by the optical deflector 2104 is irradiated to the photosensitive drum 2030b through the scanning lens 2105b and the two folding mirrors (2106b and 2108b), thereby forming a light spot. The This light spot moves in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 2030b as the optical deflector 2104 rotates.

  The light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204c polarized by the optical deflector 2104 is irradiated to the photosensitive drum 2030c through the scanning lens 2105c and the two folding mirrors (2106c and 2108c), thereby forming a light spot. The This light spot moves in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 2030c as the optical deflector 2104 rotates.

  The light beam from the cylindrical lens 2204d polarized by the optical deflector 2104 is irradiated to the photosensitive drum 2030d through the scanning lens 2105d and the folding mirror 2106d, thereby forming a light spot. This light spot moves in the longitudinal direction of the photosensitive drum 2030d as the optical deflector 2104 rotates.

  The moving direction of the light spot on each photosensitive drum is the “main scanning direction”, and the rotating direction of the photosensitive drum is the “sub-scanning direction”. Hereinafter, the direction corresponding to the main scanning direction is abbreviated as “main scanning corresponding direction”, and the direction corresponding to the sub scanning direction is abbreviated as “sub scanning direction”.

  An optical system disposed on the optical path between the optical deflector 2104 and each photosensitive drum is also called a scanning optical system.

  The four light source modules (2200a, 2200b, 2200c, 2200d) have substantially the same configuration as an example. Therefore, hereinafter, each light source module is generically referred to as a light source module 2200.

  Here, prior to the light source module 2200 of the present embodiment, the light source module 100 of the comparative example will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following, the αβγ three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG.

《Comparative example》
In the light source module 100 of the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 5 to FIG. 7B, the most γ side (lowermost level) of the three-level stepped recess 110a formed in the ceramic package 110 that is a flat package. A surface emitting laser array 112 (VCSEL array) is mounted on the bottom surface of the recess. A flange 116a of a metal lid 116 to which a cover glass 114 as a light transmission window member is attached via a bonding material 115 has a frame-like seal on the bottom surface of the recess on the most + γ side (uppermost stage) of the stepped recess 110a. It is attached via a member 118. In the following, in the metal lid 116, a cylindrical portion that is continuous with the flange portion 116a is referred to as a “cylindrical portion 116b”, and a portion that is continuous with the cylindrical portion 116b and the cover glass 114 is attached is referred to as an “attachment portion 116c”. .

  FIG. 5 is an αγ cross-sectional view of the light source module 100. FIG. 6A is an αγ cross-sectional view of the metal lid 116 to which the cover glass 114 is attached. FIG. 6B is an αγ cross-sectional view of the ceramic package 110 on which the surface emitting laser array 112 is mounted and the seal member 118 is joined. FIG. 7A is a perspective view of the metal lid 116 as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 7B is a perspective view of the ceramic package 110 on which the surface emitting laser array 112 is mounted and the seal member 118 is bonded as seen from the + γ side.

  The attachment portion 116c is inclined with respect to the emission direction (γ-axis direction) of the surface emitting laser array 112, and the cover glass 114 is similarly inclined (see FIG. 5).

  In the light source module 100, the ceramic package 110 and the metal lid 116 are sealed by seam welding to the −γ side surface and the + γ side surface of the seal member 118, respectively, and the cover glass 114 is bonded to the metal lid 116. The reliability of sealing is ensured by joining via a material (for example, low melting glass). In the seam welding described here, a resistance heating method using a general roller, a laser heating method, and other methods may be used.

  By the way, in a VCSEL array (surface emitting laser array), since the number of beams output is larger than that of a single laser device, a cover glass larger than the package of a single laser device is provided on the metal lid, Multiple lasers oscillate simultaneously in one chip and generate heat more than a single laser device, which may require countermeasures against heat generation, a special feature not found in edge-emitting lasers or single-channel VCSEL devices Have various circumstances.

  As one countermeasure against heat generation, there is a case where an AlAs layer having good thermal conductivity is used in the layer structure of the VCSEL array. However, since the AlAs material is easily corroded by moisture, the AlAs layer is particularly preferable. In the case of using a VCSEL array using the above, it is desirable to hermetically seal the inside of the package on which the VCSEL array is mounted.

  However, after the ceramic package and the metal lid are fixed by welding, the cover glass and the bonding material (for example, low-melting glass) may crack and the airtightness may be impaired.

  The reason why such a problem occurs will be described below.

  When the shape of the metal lid 116 which is a constituent member of the light source module 100 was examined, it was found that the collar portion of the metal lid 116 was not flat.

  More specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A to 8E, the flange portion 116a of the metal lid 116 has a base end portion that is perpendicular to the axis (γ axis) of the cylindrical portion 116b. To the base end so that the portion other than the base end (intermediate portion and tip) is substantially perpendicular to the axis (γ axis) of the cylindrical portion 116b. It is continuous (see FIG. 8D and FIG. 8E).

  The “base end portion of the flange portion 116a” means the entire area around the γ-axis of the inner edge portion (inner end portion) of the flange portion 116a.

  FIG. 8A is a perspective view of the metal lid as viewed from the −γ side. FIG. 8B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 8C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 8D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 8E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

In particular, the base end portion of the collar portion 116a is a portion other than the base end portion (intermediate portion and tip end portion) of the first portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the attachment portion 116c and the second portion corresponding to the other end. It was found that the maximum protrusion amount on the −γ side with respect to () was significantly larger than other portions (see FIGS. 8B to 8E). More specifically, the maximum protrusion amount on the −γ side of the other portion of the base end portion of the collar portion in FIG. 8D with respect to the portion other than the base end portion is represented by h _{A-A ′} , and the collar portion in FIG. If the maximum protrusion amount on the −γ side of the second part of the base end part of the part with respect to the parts other than the base end part (intermediate part and tip part) is h _{B−B ′} , h _{A−A ′} << h _{B -B '} was found. As for the first part, as in the second part, it was found that the maximum protrusion amount on the −γ side with respect to the part other than the base end part was larger than that of the other part. As described above, the collar portion 116a is not flat as a whole, and the flatness is lower as it is closer to the first and second portions of the base end portion.

  In this case, when the distal end portion of the flange portion 116 a is welded to the outer end portion (outer edge portion) of the seal member 118 with the base end portion of the flange portion 116 a being in contact with the inner end portion (inner edge portion) of the seal member 118. The collar portion 116a is corrected so as to follow the seal member 118, and the metal lid 116 is distorted. (See FIGS. 9A to 9E). As a result, after welding, stress and distortion may occur in the bonding material 115 and the cover glass 114, and cracks may occur.

  FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the light source module 100 as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 9B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 9C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 9D is a partially enlarged view of the broken line region in FIG. FIG. 9E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

  In addition, since the VCSEL array is an array device, a larger emission window must be secured as compared with the case where an end face laser or a single channel surface emitting laser is used as a light source, and a large cover glass must be used. Glass is a brittle material, and as the volume (amount) used increases, it becomes more sensitive to stress and strain as described above, and cracks are more likely to occur.

  The non-flatness of the collar portion 116a described above is considered to occur when the metal lid 116 is molded by press working or the like. Further, the maximum protrusion amount of the base end portion of the collar portion 116a differs depending on the portion. When the metal lid 116 is formed by the cylindrical portion 116b having a portion having a long axial direction and a short portion. It is thought that it is generated due to processing circumstances.

  The non-flat brim portion 116a of the metal lid 116 is pressed and fixed to the relatively flat seal member 118 joined to the ceramic package 110 during welding with the seal member 118, thereby causing distortion in the metal lid 116 ( 9D and 9E).

  When the maximum protruding amount of the base end portion of the collar portion 116a was examined for the plurality of molded metal lids 116, the base end portion of the collar portion 116a had the longest axial length of the tubular portion 116b. The maximum protrusion amount of the first part, which is a part that continues to a short part, and the second part, which is a part that is continuous to the part where the axial length of the cylindrical portion 116b is the longest, is larger than that of other parts. It was always bigger.

  Therefore, the inventors have developed the light source module 200 of Example 1, which is an example of the light source module 2200 of the present embodiment, in order to cope with the problem exposed in the comparative example. In the following, description will be made by appropriately using the αβγ three-dimensional orthogonal coordinate system shown in FIG.

Example 1
As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10E, the light source module 200 according to the first embodiment includes, as an example, a package 10, a lid 20 (also referred to as a cap, a cover, or a lid), a seal member 30, and a plurality of seal members. A surface emitting laser array chip 40 (light emitting element) having a light emitting portion, a cover glass 41 (light transmission window member), and the like are included.

  FIG. 10A is a perspective view of the light source module 200 viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 10D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 10E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

  For example, the package 10 is a small flat package called CLCC (Ceramic Leaded Chip Carrier) having excellent heat dissipation and formed by laminating a plurality of ceramic layers. As an example, the package 10 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape with a planar shape (a shape viewed from the + γ side), for example, a square having a side length L (for example, 13 mm) and a thickness D (for example, 2 mm). (See FIG. 10A). Here, the main component of the package 10 is alumina.

  More specifically, the package 10 includes, as an example, a plurality of ceramic layers and a plurality of metallized wiring members (lead wirings) disposed in an insulated state in the ceramic layers. Note that the material of the package 10 may be other than ceramics as long as it is an insulating material, and more preferably has excellent heat resistance and heat dissipation.

  As an example, as shown in FIGS. 10B and 10C, the package 10 is disposed in parallel with the αβ plane, and a stepped recess 10a is formed at the center. This stepped recess 10a is also called a cavity region. Here, the number of steps of the stepped recess 10a is three. That is, in the cavity region, cavities (dents) are formed at three different positions in the γ-axis direction. Hereinafter, for convenience, the three cavities are also referred to as a first cavity, a second cavity, and a third cavity in order from the −γ side to the + γ side.

  Therefore, the package 10 includes, as an example, a chip mount portion 11, a package side secondary electrode region 13, a seal member joint portion 12, and the like.

  The chip mount unit 11 is the bottom surface of the first cavity, and the chip mount unit 11 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted is provided with a metal film. This metal film is also called a die attach area and serves as a common electrode.

  More specifically, the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is die-bonded on the metal film using a solder material paste such as AuSn or Ag adhesive on the metal film. That is, the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is attached to the bottom surface of the first cavity so that the emission direction is the + γ direction. The configuration of the surface emitting laser array chip 40 will be described in detail later.

  The package-side secondary electrode region 13 is the bottom surface of the second cavity, and a plurality of (for example, 40) connection terminals (not shown) are arranged. The plurality of (for example, 40) connection terminals are individually connected to the plurality of metallized wiring members.

  The seal member joining portion 12 is a bottom surface of the third cavity, and a gold plating layer is formed on the bottom surface, and a frame-like seal member 30 is joined to the gold plating layer.

  Here, Kovar (Kovar: Fe—Ni—Co alloy, trade name of Westinghouse) whose thermal expansion coefficient approximates that of the ceramic material of the package 10 is used as the material of the seal member 30. The surface of the sealing member 30 is gold plated. The seal member 30 is welded (welded) to the gold plating layer. Note that the material of the seal member 30 can be changed as appropriate. The seal member 30 will be described in detail later.

  As an example, the lid 20 is made of a substantially silk hat-shaped metal or alloy member, and the collar portion 20a is joined to the + γ side surface of the seal member 30 by seam welding. Note that the shape of the cylindrical portion 20b having one end (the end on the −γ side) continuous with the collar portion 20a of the lid 20 is not limited to a substantially cylindrical shape, and may be, for example, a substantially rectangular tube shape. Here, the aforementioned Kovar is used as the material of the lid 20. In addition, it is preferable that the material of the lid 20 contains a metal, and it can change suitably.

  As an example, the mounting portion 20c that is continuous with the other end (+ γ side end) of the cylindrical portion 20b of the lid 20 is a flat plate-like portion that is inclined, for example, by 10 ° to 40 ° with respect to the αβ plane as viewed from the −β direction. (See FIG. 10C), an opening 20d is formed at the center (position on the + γ side of the surface emitting laser array chip 40). Here, the inclination direction of the attachment portion 20c is parallel to the αγ plane.

  As an example, a cover glass 41 having a substantially flat outer shape is attached to the attachment portion 20c via a bonding material 50 (for example, low-melting glass) so as to cover the opening 20d from the inside. Therefore, the light emitted from each light emitting portion of the surface emitting laser array chip 40 enters the cover glass 41.

  As a result, the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is sealed (shielded from the outside) by the package 10, the lid 20, the sealing member 30, the cover glass 41, the bonding material 50, and the like, and the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is accommodated. The airtightness of the interior space is enhanced.

  Further, a part of the light from each light emitting portion of the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is transmitted through the cover glass 41 and the remaining portion is reflected by the cover glass 41 in a direction intersecting the incident direction. The transmitted light here is light emitted from the light source module 200.

  In this case, the reflected light from the cover glass 41 can be prevented from returning to the surface emitting laser array chip 40, and the output fluctuation can be suppressed.

  The cover glass 41 may be attached so as to cover the opening 20d formed in the attachment portion 20c from the outside, or may be fitted into the opening 20d. The light transmission window member may be made of resin, for example, instead of glass.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 11 (A) to 11 (C), the seal member 30 has two sides facing each other in the α-axis direction (on one end and the other end in the inclination direction of the mounting portion 20c). Two notches 30a and 30b are individually provided at corresponding positions. Note that the two notches 30a and 30b can be regarded as two recesses formed individually on the inner surface of the two sides.

  FIG. 11A is a perspective view of the package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted and the seal member 30 is joined, as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 11C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.

  As in the case of the comparative example described above, the lid 20 has a first portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the mounting portion 20c at the base end portion of the collar portion 20a and the second portion corresponding to the other end. It protrudes to the −γ side from the portion (see FIGS. 12A to 12E).

  The “base end portion of the collar portion 20a” means the entire area around the γ-axis of the inner edge portion (inner end portion) of the collar portion 20a.

  FIG. 12A is a perspective view of the lid 20 as viewed from the −γ side. FIG. 12B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 12C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 12D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 12E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 12 (D) and 12 (E), the base end portion of the collar portion 20a has a maximum protrusion amount _{hB-B 'of} the first and second portions. This is larger than the maximum protrusion amount h _{A-A ′} of the portion. Here, h _{A-A ′} <10 μm and h _{B-B ′} = (20 to 50) μm.

  Therefore, in the first embodiment, when the lid 20 and the seal member 30 are seam welded, the first portion of the lid 20 and the seal member 30 is inserted into the notch 30a, and the second portion is the notch. Alignment (positioning) around the γ-axis is performed so as to be inserted into 30b. In this case, a part of the first and second portions including the portion closest to the cylindrical portion 20b (a boundary portion with the cylindrical portion 20b) does not contact the seal member 30 (see FIG. 10E). .

  Thereby, even if the brim part 20a of the lid 20 and the seal member 30 joined to the package 10 are welded, the distortion is hardly generated in the lid 20 after welding, and the joining material 50 and the cover glass 41 are cracked. It can be prevented from entering. As a result, it is possible to prevent the airtightness in the package 10 from being impaired. In addition, although the other part (refer FIG.10 (D)) of the base end part of the collar part 20a is considerably contacting the seal member 30, since the largest protrusion amount is small compared with the 1st and 2nd part. The lid 20 is unlikely to be a factor that distorts the lid 20.

  It should be noted that the contact area between the first and second portions and the seal member 30 can be adjusted by adjusting the size of each notch according to the size of the first and second portions. The degree of distortion can be adjusted. For example, the first and second portions and the seal member 30 can be prevented from contacting each other (the distortion of the lid 20 can be minimized).

  Here, a supplementary description will be given of the alignment of the lid 20 around the γ axis with respect to the seal member 30 described above. In the first embodiment, the lid 20 has the mounting portion 20c that holds the cover glass 41 in an inclined state, and the non-flatness of the flange portion 20a has variations around the γ axis, and therefore the seal member 30 joined to the package 10 is used. When the lid 20 and the lid 20 are welded, it is necessary to position the lid 20 around the γ axis with respect to the seal member 30.

  FIG. 13A shows an example in which the lid 20 is aligned in an appropriate direction with respect to the seal member 30 joined to the package 10, and FIG. 13B shows the seal joined to the package 10. An example is shown in which the lid 20 is aligned 90 ° with respect to the member 30 so as to be shifted from an appropriate direction.

  In the first embodiment, an appropriate orientation can be confirmed by looking at the cutout portions 30a and 30b provided in the seal member 30 even during the alignment around the γ axis. Even if the alignment is performed in the wrong direction, the backlash increases when the seal member 30 and the lid 20 joined to the package 10 are combined, so that the operator can easily notice the alignment error.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the surface emitting laser array chip 40 includes a plurality of (for example, 40) surface emitting laser arrays 240 including a plurality of (for example, 40) light emitting units 140 arranged two-dimensionally along the αβ plane. A plurality of (for example, 40) electrode pads (not shown) corresponding to the light emitting unit 140 are provided.

  Each light emitting unit is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) having an oscillation wavelength of 780 nm band. A surface-emitting laser is a semiconductor laser that emits light in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, and has a lower cost and higher performance than conventional edge-emitting lasers, and is easily arrayed.

  A plurality of (for example, 40) electrode pads are arranged around the plurality of light emitting units 140 and are electrically connected to the corresponding plurality of light emitting units via bonding wires. Further, the plurality (for example, 40) of electrode pads are individually electrically connected to the plurality (for example, 40) of connection terminals. As a result, a plurality of (for example, 40) light emitting units are individually connected to the plurality of metallized wiring members.

  In the surface emitting laser array chip 40, 40 light emitting portions 140 are formed on the same substrate parallel to the αβ plane by a semiconductor manufacturing process. That is, the surface emitting laser array 240 is a 40 channel surface emitting laser array. The 40 light emitting units are arranged at equal intervals d2 when all the light emitting units are orthogonally projected onto a virtual line extending in the β-axis direction (sub-scanning corresponding direction). In the present specification, the distance between the centers of the two light emitting units is also referred to as “light emitting unit interval”. Further, FIG. 14 shows a case where the number of light emitting units is 40, but the number of light emitting units may be plural, for example, 32 light emitting units may be used.

  As described above, the 40 light emitting units 140 are 40 surface emitting lasers formed on the same substrate by a semiconductor manufacturing process, and the surface emitting laser array 240 has a uniform polarization direction between the light emitting units. A plurality of laser beams having a single fundamental transverse mode can be emitted. As a result, it is possible to form 40 light spots that are circular and have high density on the corresponding photosensitive drum.

  Further, in the surface emitting laser array 240, since the interval between the light emitting portions of two light emitting portions adjacent in the sub-scanning corresponding direction (β-axis direction) is an equal interval d1, it is possible to cope by adjusting the lighting timing of each light emitting portion. Forty light spots can be formed at equal intervals in the sub-scanning direction on the photosensitive drum, and a plurality of light emitting portions are opposed to the photosensitive drum and arranged at equal intervals in the sub-scanning direction. Can be regarded as a simple structure.

  For example, if the interval d1 is 2.65 μm and the magnification of the entire optical system of the optical scanning device 2010 is doubled, high-density writing of 4800 dpi (dots / inch) can be performed. Of course, the number of light emitting portions in the main scanning correspondence direction is increased, the light emitting portions are arranged so that the pitch d2 in the sub scanning correspondence direction is narrowed and the interval d1 becomes smaller, or the magnification of all the optical systems of the optical scanning device 2010 If the value is lowered, the writing density can be increased, and a higher quality image can be formed. The writing interval in the main scanning direction can be easily controlled by adjusting the lighting timing of each light emitting unit.

  Below, the manufacturing method of the light source module 200 is demonstrated easily.

<Element mounting process>
The surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted on the chip mount portion 11 of the package 10 by die bonding. Further, the plurality of electrode pads and the plurality of connection terminals are connected by wire bonding. Further, the plurality of connection terminals and the plurality of metallized wiring members are connected by wire bonding.

《Cover glass attaching process》
The cover glass 41 is attached to the inclined wall of the lid 20 via a bonding material (for example, low melting point glass) so as to cover the opening 20d from the inside.

《Lid joining process》
The lid 20 and the seal member 30 joined (welded) to the package 10 are arranged such that the first and second portions of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a individually face the notches 30a and 30b of the seal member 30. (To be inserted), positioning (alignment) around the γ-axis is performed, and the tip end portion (outer edge portion) of the flange portion 20a of the lid 20 and the outer edge portion of the seal member 30 are seam welded.

  The light source module 200 is manufactured as described above.

  In addition, the inventors have developed a light source module of another example which is another example of the light source module 2200 of the present embodiment. The light source modules of other embodiments will be described below. However, differences from the light source module 200 of the first embodiment will be mainly described, and members having the same configurations as those of the light source module 200 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Therefore, the description is omitted. The light source module of another embodiment is manufactured by a manufacturing method substantially similar to that of the light source module 200 of the first embodiment.

Example 2
As shown in FIGS. 15A to 15E, the light source module 300 according to the second embodiment is different from the light source module 200 according to the first embodiment in the sealing member.

  FIG. 15A is a perspective view of the light source module 300 as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 15B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 15C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 15D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 15E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 16A to 16C, the seal member 330 of the light source module 300 according to the second embodiment has a surface on the + γ side of the two sides facing the α axis direction of the seal member 330. Concave portions 330a and 330b are provided on the inner side (positions corresponding to one end and the other end in the inclination direction of the mounting portion 20c).

  FIG. 16A is a perspective view of the package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted and the seal member 330 is bonded as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 16B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 16C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12D and 12E, the base end portion of the collar portion 20a of the lid 20 has a maximum protrusion amount _{hB-B 'of} the first and second portions other than the other portions. _Is larger than the maximum protrusion amount h _{A-A ′} . Here, h _{A−A ′} <10 μm and h _{B−B ′} = (20 to 50) μm are set.

  Therefore, in the second embodiment, the lid 20 and the seal member 330 are arranged such that the first portion of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a is inserted into the recess portion 330a and the second portion is inserted into the recess portion 330b. Aligned (positioned) around. In this case, as for the 1st and 2nd part, a part including the site | part (boundary part with the cylindrical part 20b) most cylindrical part 20b does not contact the sealing member 330 (refer FIG.15 (E)). .

  In this case, even if the flange portion 20a of the lid 20 and the seal member 330 bonded to the package 10 are welded, the lid 20 is hardly distorted after welding, and the bonding material 50 and the cover glass 41 are cracked. It can be prevented from entering. As a result, it is possible to prevent the airtightness in the package 10 from being impaired. In addition, although the other part (refer FIG.15 (D)) of the base end part of the collar part 20a is considerably contacting the seal member 330, since the largest protrusion amount is small compared with the 1st and 2nd part. The lid 20 is unlikely to be a factor that distorts the lid 20.

  The contact area between the first and second portions and the seal member 330 can be adjusted by adjusting the size and depth of each recess according to the size and the protruding amount of the first and second portions, and thus The degree of distortion of the lid 20 can be adjusted. For example, the first and second portions and the seal member 330 can be prevented from contacting each other (the distortion of the lid 20 can be minimized).

Example 3
As shown in FIGS. 17A to 17E, the light source module 400 of the third embodiment is different from the light source module 400 of the third embodiment in the sealing member.

  FIG. 17A is a perspective view of the light source module 400 viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 17B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 17C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 17D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 17E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C, the seal member 430 of the light source module 400 according to the third embodiment has an inner side (attachment portion 20 c) of two opposite sides of the seal member 430 in the α-axis direction. Inclined recesses 430a and 430b are provided at positions corresponding to one end and the other end in the tilt direction.

  FIG. 18A is a perspective view of the package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted and the seal member 430 is joined as viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 18B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 18C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 12D and 12E, the base end portion of the flange portion 20a of the lid 20 has the maximum protrusion amount _{hB-B '} of the first and second portions as other portions. _Is larger than the maximum protrusion amount h _{A-A ′} . Here, h _{A−A ′} <10 μm and h _{B−B ′} = 20 to 50 μm are set.

  Therefore, in the third embodiment, the lid 20 and the seal member 430 are arranged around the γ-axis so that the first portion of the collar portion 20a is inserted into the inclined recess portion 430a and the second portion is inserted into the inclined recess portion 430b. Aligned (positioned). In this case, as for the 1st and 2nd part, a part including the site | part (boundary part with the cylindrical part 20b) most cylindrical part 20b does not contact the sealing member 430 (refer FIG.17 (E)). .

  In this case, even if the flange portion 20a of the lid 20 and the seal member 430 bonded to the package 10 are welded, the lid 20 is hardly distorted after welding, and the bonding material 50 and the cover glass 41 are cracked. It can be prevented from entering. As a result, it is possible to prevent the airtightness in the package 10 from being impaired. In addition, although the other part (refer FIG.17 (D)) of the base end part of the collar part 20a is considerably contacting the seal member 430, since the largest protrusion amount is small compared with the 1st and 2nd part. The lid 20 is unlikely to be a factor that distorts the lid 20.

  The contact area between the first and second portions and the seal member 430 can be adjusted by adjusting the size and inclination angle of each inclined recess according to the size and the protruding amount of the first and second portions, As a result, the degree of distortion of the lid 20 can be adjusted. For example, the first and second portions and the seal member 330 can be prevented from contacting each other (the distortion of the lid 20 can be minimized).

  The light source module 2200 of the present embodiment described above (the light source modules 200, 300, and 400 of Examples 1 to 3) includes the surface emitting laser array chip 40, the package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted, A cover glass 41 positioned on the optical path of light from the surface emitting laser array chip 40 and a frame-like shape in which the surface on the -γ side is bonded to the periphery of the region where the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted in the package 10. A seal member, a flange portion 20a joined to a part of the + γ side surface of the seal member, a tubular portion 20b having an end on the −γ side continuous with the flange portion 20a, and + γ of the tubular portion 20b. And a lid 20 including a mounting portion 20c to which the cover glass 41 is attached via the bonding material 50. At least a part of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a Not in contact with the sealing member.

  In addition, the light source module 200 according to the first embodiment includes a surface emitting laser array chip 40, a package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted, and a cover positioned on an optical path of light from the surface emitting laser array chip 40. Glass 41, a frame-like seal member 30 having a −γ-side surface bonded to the periphery of a region of the package 10 where the surface-emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted, and a + γ-side surface of the seal member 30 A flange portion 20a joined to the flange portion, a tubular portion 20b having an end on the -γ side continuous with the flange portion 20a, and an end on the + γ side of the tubular portion 20b. And a lid 20 including an attachment portion 20c attached via a cutout portion (insertion portion) into which a part of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a is inserted at the inner edge portion of the seal member 30. There.

  The light source modules 300 and 400 according to the second and third embodiments include a surface emitting laser array chip 40, a package 10 on which the surface emitting laser array chip 40 is mounted, and an optical path of light from the surface emitting laser array chip 40. , A frame-like seal member in which the surface of the surface emitting laser array chip 40 in the package 10 is mounted on the periphery thereof, and a surface on the + γ side of the seal member. A flange portion 20a bonded to a part of the tube portion, a cylindrical portion 20b having an end on the -γ side continuous with the flange portion 20a, and an end on the + γ side of the cylindrical portion 20b. A lid 20 including an attachment portion 20c attached via a material 50, and a recess (insertion portion) into which a part of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a is inserted is provided on the inner edge portion of the seal member. Have

  According to the light source modules 200, 300, and 400 of the first to third embodiments, it is possible to prevent the lid 20 from being distorted due to the shape (non-flatness) of the collar portion 20a, and thus the bonding material 50 and the cover glass 41. It is possible to prevent cracks from occurring.

  As a result, it is possible to prevent the airtightness from being impaired.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the joining material 50 and the cover glass 41 can be prevented from being damaged, a light source module that can improve the manufacturing yield can be provided.

  Further, the attachment portion 20c is inclined with respect to the emission direction of the surface emitting laser array chip 40, and a first recess is provided at a position corresponding to one end of the attachment portion 20c in the inclination direction on the inner edge portion of the seal member. The 2nd recessed part is provided in the position corresponding to the other end of the inclination direction of the attaching part 20c.

  And the base end part of the collar part 20a corresponds to the other end of the inclination direction of the attachment part 20c by inserting at least a part of the first part corresponding to one end of the attachment part 20c in the inclination direction. At least a part of the second portion to be inserted is inserted into the second recess.

  Further, the lid 20 is bent at the other end side (+ γ side) of the tubular portion 20b with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion 20b, and the base end portion of the collar portion 20a. The portion other than the end portion is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylindrical portion 20b, and the maximum protrusion amount in the axial direction (γ-axis direction) of the cylindrical portion 20b of the first and second portions with respect to the portion other than the base end portion is It is formed so as to be larger than the maximum protruding amount in the axial direction of the tubular portion 20b of the other portion of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a relative to the portion other than the base end portion.

  In this case, when the flange portion 20a and the seal member 30 are welded, the first and second portions that protrude most toward the seal member 30 side in the flange portion 20a are inserted into the corresponding first and second recesses. Therefore, distortion generated in the lid 20 can be reliably reduced.

  Further, the method of manufacturing the light source module 2200 of the present embodiment includes a step of mounting the surface emitting laser array chip 40 on the package 10, a step of bonding the cover glass 41 to the lid 20 via the bonding material 50, The lid 20 and the sealing member 30 joined to the package 10 so that the first and second portions of the base end portion of the collar portion 20a are inserted into the corresponding first and second recesses (insertion portions). A step of positioning, and a step of joining the flange portion 20a and the seal member 30 to each other.

  In this case, the lid 20 having the inclined mounting portion 20c and the seal member 30 can be joined in an appropriately aligned state, and a light source module with high manufacturing yield and reliability can be easily manufactured.

  The optical scanning device 2010 includes a light source module 2200, an optical deflector 2104 that deflects light from the light source module 2200, and scanning optics that guides the light deflected by the optical deflector 2104 to the surface of each photosensitive drum. Therefore, the surface of each photoconductive drum can be stably and accurately scanned with multi-beam light with little fluctuation in light amount.

  The color printer 2000 includes a plurality of photosensitive drums (image carriers) and an optical scanning device 2010 that scans the plurality of photosensitive drums with light modulated according to image information. The quality of the output color image can be stably improved.

  By the way, in the color printer 2000, color misregistration may occur due to manufacturing error or position error of each component. Even in such a case, color misregistration can be reduced by selecting a light emitting unit to be lit.

  In the above embodiment, after the seal member is joined to the package 10 to produce the package body, the seal member of the package body and the lid 20 are welded. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, after a seal member is joined to the lid 20 to which the cover glass 41 is attached to produce a cover glass holder, the seal member of the cover glass holder and the package 10 may be welded.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the recessed part was provided in the sealing member, it is not restricted to this. For example, like the light source module 500 of the modified example shown in FIGS. 19A to 19E, the entire region around the γ-axis of the inner edge portion of the seal member 530 and the base end portion of the collar portion 20a of the lid 20 You may set the magnitude | size of the opening part of the sealing member 530, and the magnitude | size (inner diameter) of the cylindrical part 20b of the lid 20 so that it may not contact (the whole area around the gamma axis of an inner edge part). Further, for example, a recess (insertion portion) into which the base end portion (the entire region of the inner edge portion around the γ axis) is inserted may be formed in the entire region of the inner edge portion of the seal member around the γ axis.

  FIG. 19A is a perspective view of the light source module 500 viewed from the + γ side. FIG. 19B is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA ′ of FIG. FIG. 19C is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB ′ of FIG. FIG. 19D is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG. FIG. 19E is a partially enlarged view of a broken line region in FIG.

  Moreover, the structure of the light source module of the said embodiment can be changed suitably.

  Moreover, in the said Example 2, a part including the site | part (boundary part with the cylindrical part 20b) of the most cylindrical part 20b side of the 1st and 2nd part of the base end part of the collar part 20a is a sealing member. Although it is not in contact with 330, for example, it may be in contact with the bottom surfaces of the corresponding recesses 330a and 330b. Also in this case, it is possible to prevent the lid 20 from being distorted after welding as compared with the case where the recesses 330a and 330b are not formed.

  Moreover, in the said Example 3, a part including the site | part (boundary part with the cylindrical part 20b) of the most cylindrical part 20b side of the 1st and 2nd part of the base end part of the collar part 20a is a sealing member. Although it is not in contact with 430, for example, it may be in contact with the inclined surfaces of the corresponding inclined recesses 430a and 430b. Also in this case, it is possible to prevent the lid 20 from being distorted after welding as compared with the case where the inclined concave portions 430a and 430b are not formed.

  For example, the configuration of the package can be changed as appropriate. For example, the number of stepped recesses constituting the cavity region of the package 10 of the light source module 2200 of the above embodiment is three, but it may be one, two, four or more.

  In the above embodiment, four light source modules 2200 are provided corresponding to the four photosensitive drums individually, but the present invention is not limited to this.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the surface emitting laser array chip | tip 40 is employ | adopted as a light emitting element, it is not restricted to this. For example, it may be a laser element including at least one laser (for example, an edge emitting laser) other than a surface emitting laser, an LED element including at least one LED (light emitting diode), or at least one organic EL element.

  In addition, the arrangement of the plurality of light emitting units in the surface emitting laser array chip is not limited to that described in the above embodiment (see FIG. 14). In short, it is preferable that the plurality of light emitting portions of the surface emitting laser array are two-dimensionally arranged so that the positions in the sub-scanning corresponding direction (β-axis direction) are different from each other. For example, a surface emitting laser array chip having a plurality of light emitting units arranged in a matrix may be arranged by rotating around the emission direction (γ axis direction).

  In the above embodiment, the case where the oscillation wavelength of the surface emitting laser is in the 780 nm band has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the 650 nm band, the 850 nm band, the 980 nm band, the 1.3 μm band, the 1.5 μm band, and the like. Other wavelength bands using different active layer materials may be used. The substrate may be a substrate other than GaAs. Further, the oscillation wavelength of the light emitting unit may be changed according to the characteristics of the photoconductor.

  The surface-emitting laser array chip can be used for applications other than the image forming apparatus. In that case, the oscillation wavelength may be a wavelength band such as a 650 nm band, a 780 nm band, an 850 nm band, a 980 nm band, a 1.3 μm band, or a 1.5 μm band depending on the application. In this case, a mixed crystal semiconductor material corresponding to the oscillation wavelength can be used as the semiconductor material constituting the active layer. For example, an AlGaInP mixed crystal semiconductor material can be used in the 650 nm band, an InGaAs mixed crystal semiconductor material can be used in the 980 nm band, and a GaInNAs (Sb) mixed crystal semiconductor material can be used in the 1.3 μm band and the 1.5 μm band.

  In the above embodiment, the case of the color printer 2000 as the image forming apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, an image forming apparatus that directly irradiates laser light onto a medium (for example, paper) that develops color with laser light may be used.

  For example, the medium may be a printing plate known as CTP (Computer to Plate). That is, the optical scanning device 2010 is also suitable for an image forming apparatus that directly forms an image on a printing plate material by laser ablation to form a printing plate.

  For example, the medium may be so-called rewritable paper. For example, a material described below is applied as a recording layer on a support such as paper or a resin film. Then, reversibility is imparted to color development by thermal energy control by laser light, and display / erasure is performed reversibly.

  There are a transparent cloudy type rewritable marking method and a color developing / erasing type rewritable marking method using a leuco dye, both of which can be applied.

  The transparent cloudy type is a polymer thin film in which fine particles of fatty acid are dispersed. When heated to 110 ° C. or higher, the resin expands due to melting of the fatty acid. Thereafter, when cooled, the fatty acid becomes supercooled and remains in a liquid state, and the expanded resin solidifies. Thereafter, the fatty acid solidifies and shrinks to become polycrystalline fine particles, and voids are formed between the resin and the fine particles. Light is scattered by this gap and appears white. Next, when heated to an erasing temperature range of 80 ° C. to 110 ° C., the fatty acid partially melts, and the resin thermally expands to fill the voids. If it cools in this state, it will be in a transparent state and an image will be erased.

  The rewritable marking method using a leuco dye utilizes a reversible color development and decoloration reaction between a colorless leuco dye and a developer / decolorant having a long-chain alkyl group. When heated by laser light, the leuco dye and the developer / decolorant react to develop color, and when rapidly cooled, the colored state is maintained. Then, when it is slowly cooled after heating, phase separation occurs due to the self-aggregating action of the long-chain alkyl group of the developer / decolorant, and the leuco dye and developer / decolorizer are physically separated and decolored.

  In addition, when the medium is exposed to ultraviolet light, it develops in C (cyan) and is decolored by visible R (red) light, and when exposed to ultraviolet light, it develops in M (magenta). A photochromic compound that is decolored by G (green) light, a photochromic compound that develops color when exposed to ultraviolet light (Y) and is decolored by visible B (blue) light. So-called color rewritable paper provided on the body may be used.

  This is a method of expressing full color by controlling the color density of the three types of materials that develop color in Y, M, and C by the time and intensity of applying R, G, and B light once it is made black by applying ultraviolet light. However, if the strong light of R, G, and B is continuously applied, all three types can be decolored to become pure white.

  A device that imparts reversibility to color development by such light energy control can also be realized as an image forming apparatus including an optical scanning device similar to the above-described embodiment.

  Further, an image forming apparatus using a silver salt film as the image carrier may be used. In this case, a latent image is formed on the silver salt film by optical scanning, and this latent image can be visualized by a process equivalent to a developing process in a normal silver salt photographic process. Then, it can be transferred to photographic paper by a process equivalent to a printing process in a normal silver salt photographic process. Such an image forming apparatus can be implemented as an optical plate making apparatus or an optical drawing apparatus that draws a CT scan image or the like.

  The light source module can also be used for applications other than the image forming apparatus. In that case, the oscillation wavelength may be a wavelength band such as a 650 nm band, an 850 nm band, a 980 nm band, a 1.3 μm band, and a 1.5 μm band depending on the application.

  In the above embodiment, the case of a color printer as the image forming apparatus has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a monochrome printer may be used.

  The process that led to the present invention is described below.

  By the way, a surface emitting laser (vertical cavity surface emitting laser, VCSEL) is a semiconductor laser that emits light in a direction perpendicular to a substrate and can be easily two-dimensionally integrated. Further, since the power consumption is about an order of magnitude smaller than that of the edge type laser, and it is advantageous for two-dimensional integration of more light sources, it is a semiconductor laser that has been attracting attention in recent years.

  Hereinafter, the two-dimensionally integrated surface emitting laser is referred to as a VCSEL array. The present invention is a light source module including a light emitting element such as a VCSEL array, for example. In particular, a light source module including a VCSEL array has the following characteristics.

  First, because the VCSEL array has more beams output than a single laser device, the package used has a larger glass window than the package of a single laser device.

  Further, in order to prevent unstable operation of the laser due to the reflected light from the surface of the glass window returning to the laser, the glass window is often arranged obliquely with respect to the emission direction.

  Further, in the VCSEL array, since a plurality of surface emitting lasers oscillate simultaneously in one chip, heat is generated more than a single laser device, and measures against heat generation are required. One countermeasure against heat generation is the use of an AlAs layer with good thermal conductivity in the layer structure of a VCSEL array. However, since an AlAs material is easily corroded by moisture, a VCSEL using an AlAs layer is used. The array is preferably hermetically sealed.

  The light source module including the VCSEL array has the above-described characteristics, but uses a glass window disposed obliquely with respect to the emission direction, and therefore, in the module assembly process, alignment around the γ axis. (The lid is not rotationally symmetric (has direction)), and the airtightness is impaired.

  The present invention has been made to solve the problem by paying attention to a problem peculiar to a light source module including such a light emitting element as a VCSEL array.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Package, 20 ... Lid, 20a ... Brim part, 20b ... Cylindrical part, 30a, 30b ... Notch part (recessed part), 330a, 330b ... Recessed part, 430a, 430b ... Inclined recessed part (recessed part), 30, 330, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 430 ... Seal member, 40 ... Surface emitting laser array chip (light emitting element), 41 ... Cover glass (light transmission window member), 50 ... Bonding material, 200, 300, 400 ... Light source module, 2104 ... Optical deflector (deflector) , 2010... Optical scanning devices, 2030a to 2030d... Photosensitive drum (image carrier), 2000... Color printer (image forming apparatus).

JP2011-216852A JP 2011-216856 A

Claims (13)

A light emitting element;
A package on which the light emitting element is mounted;
A light transmissive window member positioned on an optical path of light from the light emitting element;
A frame-shaped seal member in which a surface on one side is joined to a peripheral portion of a region where the light emitting element is mounted in the package;
A collar portion joined to a part of the other surface of the seal member, a cylindrical portion having one end continuous with the collar portion, and a second end of the cylindrical portion, the light transmitting window member being joined. A lid including an attachment part attached via a material,
The attachment portion is inclined with respect to the emission direction of the light emitting element,
The lid is bent to the other end side of the tubular portion with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion, and the flange is disposed outside the proximal end portion of the collar portion. And having a portion that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion,
A base end portion of the collar portion corresponds to a first portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the attachment portion, a second portion corresponding to the other end in the inclination direction, and one end in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction. A third part to
The maximum protruding amount in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion of the first portion and the second portion with respect to the substantially vertical portion of the collar portion is the axis of the third portion with respect to the tip portion of the collar portion. Greater than the maximum amount of protrusion in the direction,
The light source module, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the base end portion of the collar portion are not in contact with the seal member. The inner edge of the front Symbol seal member, a first recess is provided at a position corresponding to the inclination direction of one end of the mounting portion, the second recess at a position corresponding to the inclination direction of the other end of the mounting portion The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the light source module is provided. A base end portion of the flange portion, before Symbol is inserted into at least part of the first recess of the first portion, at least a part of the previous SL second portion is inserted into the second recess The light source module according to claim 2. The light source module according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a tip portion of the collar portion is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the cylindrical portion. The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting element is a surface emitting laser array including a plurality of surface emitting lasers.   The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the collar portion is made of a material containing metal. The package includes a light source module according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that is made of Se la Mick.   The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the bonding material is low-melting glass.   The light source module according to claim 1, wherein the light transmission window member is made of glass. An optical scanning device that scans a surface to be scanned with light,
The light source module according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A deflector for deflecting light from the light source module;
And an optical system for guiding the light deflected by the deflector to the surface to be scanned. At least one image carrier;
An image forming apparatus comprising: at least one optical scanning device according to claim 10 that scans the at least one image carrier with light modulated according to image information. It is a manufacturing method of the light source module according to claim 2,
Mounting the light emitting element on the package;
Bonding the light transmission window member to the lid via the bonding material;
A first portion of the base end portion of the collar portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the attachment portion is inserted into the first recess, and the other end of the base end portion of the collar portion in the inclination direction of the attachment portion. Positioning the lid and the seal member joined to the package so that a second portion corresponding to the second portion is inserted into the second recess;
A method of manufacturing a light source module, comprising: joining the collar portion and the seal member. A light emitting element;
A package on which the light emitting element is mounted;
A light transmissive window member positioned on an optical path of light from the light emitting element;
A frame-shaped seal member in which a surface on one side is joined to a peripheral portion of a region where the light emitting element is mounted in the package;
A collar portion joined to a part of the other surface of the seal member, a cylindrical portion having one end continuous with the collar portion, and a second end of the cylindrical portion, the light transmitting window member being joined. A lid including an attachment part attached via a material,
The attachment portion is inclined with respect to the emission direction of the light emitting element,
The lid is bent to the other end side of the tubular portion with respect to a virtual plane perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion, and the flange is disposed outside the proximal end portion of the collar portion. And having a portion that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the tubular portion,
A base end portion of the collar portion corresponds to a first portion corresponding to one end in the inclination direction of the attachment portion, a second portion corresponding to the other end in the inclination direction, and one end in a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction. A third part to
The maximum protruding amount in the axial direction of the cylindrical portion of the first portion and the second portion with respect to the substantially vertical portion of the collar portion is the axis of the third portion with respect to the tip portion of the collar portion. Greater than the maximum amount of protrusion in the direction,
The light source module, wherein an insertion portion into which at least a part of a base end portion of the collar portion is inserted is provided at an inner edge portion of the seal member.

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