KR20230076348A - High Power Laser Output Apparatus and Laser Diode Optic Module for Easy Maintenance and Cooling - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed are a high-power laser output device and laser diode optical module for easy maintenance and cooling. According to one aspect of the present invention, the laser output device comprises: an optical cable; a condensing lens disposed in front of the optical cable and concentrating incident laser beams onto a core of the optical cable; and a plurality of laser diode optical modules for each generating a laser beam and reflecting the laser beam to the condensing lens. The laser diode optical module comprises: a laser diode for generating a laser beam; a cooling unit disposed below the laser diode to cool the laser diode; a FAC lens disposed in front of the laser diode on the optical axis emitted by the laser diode and suppressing dispersion of the laser beam in the vertical direction; a SAC lens for receiving the laser beam that has passed through the FAC lens and suppressing dispersion of the laser beam in the horizontal direction; a mirror for reflecting the laser beam passing through the SAC lens to the condensing lens; and a sub-mount for arranging and fixing each component in the laser diode optical module.

Description

High Power Laser Output Apparatus and Laser Diode Optic Module for Easy Maintenance and Cooling

The present invention relates to a high-power laser output device and a laser diode optical module in which maintenance of each component and cooling of a laser diode are facilitated.

In general, a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, LASER) refers to light emitted from a medium by an external stimulus and amplified by a resonator.

These lasers are composed of an amplification medium, a resonator, and a pump source, and are classified into, for example, gas lasers, solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, and fiber lasers according to the type of medium.

In particular, since lasers are easy to use, clean, and provide rapid processing results, they are applied to various industrial fields, and new industrial lasers are being developed steadily due to an increase in demand for high-power lasers.

The fiber laser mentioned above has unparalleled high light-to-optical conversion efficiency among solid-state lasers, and not only has good beam quality, but also can form a resonator in the optical fiber itself, so it does not have a resonator separated from the medium like a general laser. Because it does not require maintenance, it is in the limelight as an industrial light source.

Currently, the development of fiber lasers in the market is being developed as high-power continuous operation lasers, pulse operation lasers, and ultra-high-speed light sources, and many companies have been manufacturing KW-class lasers for industrial use over the past few years.

On the other hand, conventional high power laser output devices have operated with all components mounted on one submount. Each laser diode chip, a FAC (Fast Axis Collimator) lens, a SAC (Slow Axis Collimator) lens, and a mirror are disposed on an optical axis irradiated by each laser diode chip at an appropriate position on the submount to radiate light in an appropriate direction.

At this time, since all components are mounted and operated in one submount, when a problem occurs in one element, the entire device has to be replaced. Accordingly, the conventional high-power laser output device had a problem in that there was considerable inconvenience in maintenance/repair and a lot of cost was consumed.

In addition, a laser diode generating a laser beam in a high power laser output device generates considerable heat in generating and outputting the laser beam. However, conventional high-power laser output devices have a problem in that heat generated from a laser diode is not smoothly dissipated.

An object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a high-power laser output device and a laser diode optical module that facilitate maintenance/repair by modularizing components capable of performing one operation and enabling attachment/detachment. there is.

In addition, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a high-power laser output device and a laser diode optical module with improved cooling efficiency of a laser diode generating a laser beam.

According to one aspect of the present invention, an optical cable and a condensing lens disposed in front of the optical cable to condense incident laser beams into the core of the optical cable, and a plurality of condensing lenses each generating and reflecting the laser beam to the condensing lens. It includes a laser diode optical module, wherein the laser diode optical module includes a laser diode generating a laser beam, a cooling unit disposed below the laser diode to cool the laser diode, and a laser diode on an optical axis irradiated by the laser diode. A FAC lens disposed in front of and suppressing dispersion of the laser beam in the vertical direction and a SAC lens for receiving a laser beam passing through the FAC lens and suppressing dispersion in the horizontal direction of the laser beam, and the SAC lens It provides a laser output device characterized in that it includes a mirror for reflecting the passing laser beam to the condensing lens and a submount for arranging and fixing each component in the laser diode optical module.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit is characterized in that it is disposed between the submount and the laser diode.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit includes an upper plate, a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, and a lower plate, and each plate is characterized in that a first hollow and a second hollow are formed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the laser diode is characterized in that disposed on the upper plate.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit intensively cools a position where the laser diode is disposed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the first plate is characterized in that it includes a plurality of passages through which the cooling water introduced into the first hollow to the lower end of the position where the laser diode is disposed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, in a laser diode optical module disposed in a laser output device to output a laser to an optical cable through a condensing lens, a laser diode generating a laser beam and a laser diode disposed below the laser diode A cooling unit for cooling the laser diode and a FAC lens disposed in front of the laser diode on the optical axis irradiated by the laser diode to suppress the dispersion of the laser beam in the vertical direction and receiving the laser beam passing through the FAC lens , a SAC lens for suppressing the dispersion of the laser beam in the horizontal direction, a mirror for reflecting the laser beam passing through the SAC lens to the condensing lens, and a submount for arranging and fixing each component in the laser diode optical module. It provides an optical module characterized in that.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit is characterized in that it is disposed between the submount and the laser diode.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the cooling unit includes an upper plate, a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, and a lower plate, and each plate is characterized in that a first hollow and a second hollow are formed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the first plate may include a plurality of first passages through which cooling water introduced into the first hollow is introduced to a lower end of a position where the laser diode is disposed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the third plate is characterized in that it includes a plurality of second flow passages through which cooling water is discharged to the outside through the second hollow at the lower end of the position where the laser diode is disposed.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the second plate is configured to allow the cooling water flowing into the first flow path to flow into the third flow path or to allow the cooling water flowing into the third flow path to flow into the first flow path. It is characterized in that it comprises a through hole of.

As described above, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage of facilitating maintenance/repair by modularizing components capable of performing one operation and enabling attachment/detachment.

In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is an advantage of improving the operating efficiency of the laser diode by improving the cooling efficiency of the laser diode that generates and outputs the laser beam.

1 is a diagram showing a high power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram showing a laser beam output from a high-power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical module included in a high-power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view showing a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a diagram illustrating a process of inserting a laser diode and a FAC lens into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a laser beam is output from a laser diode in a state in which a FAC lens is inserted into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a diagram illustrating a process of additionally inserting a SAC lens into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a laser beam is output from a laser diode in a state in which an SAC lens is inserted into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view showing a state in which a plurality of optical modules are disposed according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooling unit in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Since the present invention can make various changes and have various embodiments, specific embodiments are illustrated in the drawings and described in detail. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, and should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals have been used for like elements throughout the description of each figure.

Terms such as first, second, A, and B may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, a first element may be termed a second element, and similarly, a second element may be termed a first element, without departing from the scope of the present invention. The terms and/or include any combination of a plurality of related recited items or any of a plurality of related recited items.

It is understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another element, it may be directly connected or connected to the other element, but other elements may exist in the middle. It should be. On the other hand, when an element is referred to as “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another element, it should be understood that no intervening element exists.

Terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should be understood that terms such as "include" or "having" in this application do not exclude in advance the possibility of existence or addition of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification. .

Unless defined otherwise, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs.

Terms such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning in the context of the related art, and unless explicitly defined in the present application, they should not be interpreted in an ideal or excessively formal meaning. don't

1 is a diagram showing a high power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a high power laser output device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of high power laser diode optical modules 110 , a condensing lens 120 and an optical cable 130 .

A plurality of high-power laser diode optical modules 110 (hereinafter referred to as 'optical modules') are arranged to generate and irradiate laser beams for output. Since it is difficult to generate a laser beam with sufficient intensity in one optical module 110, each of the plurality of optical modules 110a to 110c generates a laser beam. Each optical module 110 minimizes the divergence angle of the laser beam and outputs it to the condensing lens 120 . Since each optical module 110 irradiates laser at different heights, it can output to the condensing lens 120 without overlapping with each other. A laser beam irradiated from each optical module 110 is illustrated in FIG. 2 .

2 is a diagram showing a laser beam output from a high-power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2. Laser beams irradiated from each optical module 110 and passed through the condensing lens 120 are prevented from overlapping each other due to a height difference. Accordingly, excessive heating of a specific portion of the core of the optical cable can be prevented.

Referring back to FIG. 1 , the condensing lens 120 condenses the laser beam output from each optical module 110 to the core of the optical cable 130 .

The optical cable 130 receives an incident laser beam and transmits it to another device or outputs it to the outside.

At this time, the optical module 110 is implemented as a minimum unit including essential elements capable of generating a laser beam and radiating it through the condensing lens 120 . Each optical module may generate a part of a laser beam, including a submount, a laser diode, a FAC lens, a SAC lens, and a mirror, which will be described later. As each is implemented in a modularized manner, when any one element is out of order, only the optical module including the faulty element needs to be replaced, and the remaining optical modules can be fully operated. Also, the operation can be performed again by being separated from the output device 100 and replacing only the corresponding optical module, or by being replaced with another optical module and mounted in the output device 100. In this way, as each component is modularized into the minimum unit required for operation, maintenance/repair of each element can be remarkably facilitated.

In addition, a device generating and outputting a laser beam generates considerable heat in the process of generating the laser beam. If the cooling of the heat is not smooth, it may be difficult for the device to fully operate. To prevent this, the optical module 110 includes a cooling unit (to be described later with reference to FIG. 3 ) to cool the corresponding element. In particular, the cooling unit intensively cools a portion where an element for irradiating a laser beam (to be described later with reference to FIG. 3) is disposed. Accordingly, each optical module 110 can ensure maximum efficiency in generating a laser beam as well as maintenance/repair of each element.

3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an optical module included in a high-power laser output device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3 , an optical module 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a submount 310, a laser diode 320, a FAC lens 330, a SAC lens 340, a mirror 350, and cooling. includes section 360 .

The submount 310 arranges and fixes each component included in the optical module 110 at an appropriate position. The submount 310 arranges and fixes each component at an appropriate position so that the laser beam emitted from the laser diode 320 can be irradiated to the condensing lens 120 without being dispersed as much as possible.

The laser diode 320 is seated on the submount 310 and receives a current from the outside (not shown) to output a laser beam. When current is applied to the laser diode 320, a laser beam is output from an active layer in the diode. The output laser beam is output in an oval shape that is longer in the Fast Axis axis (vertical direction) and shorter in the Slow Axis axis (horizontal direction). More specifically, the laser beam is diverged at an angle of about 35 degrees in the vertical direction, and diverged at an angle of about 5 to 8 degrees in the horizontal direction. The diverging laser beam passes through the FAC lens 330 and the SAC lens 340, and divergence is minimized.

The FAC lens 330 is disposed in front of the laser diode 320 on the optical path where the laser diode 320 in the submount 310 outputs the laser beam, and disperses the laser beam in the Fast Axis axis (vertical direction). suppress The FAC lens 330 is disposed on the submount 310 according to the structure of the submount 310 and is disposed at the above-described location, and can suppress dispersion of the laser beam.

The SAC lens 340 receives a laser beam that has passed through the FAC lens 340 in the submount 310 and suppresses dispersion of the laser beam in the Slow Axis axis (horizontal direction).

The mirror 350 receives a laser beam that has passed through the SAC lens 340 in the submount 310 and changes the path so that the laser beam proceeds to the condensing lens 120 .

The cooling unit 360 is disposed on the submount 310 between the submount and the laser diode 320 to cool the laser diode 320 . The cooling unit 360 receives cooling water from the outside, allows the cooling water to flow mainly in a specific part (the part where the laser diode is disposed), and discharges the cooling water to the outside. The cooling unit 360 intensively cools the laser diode 320 at the corresponding location. By the cooling unit 360, the laser diode 320 can output a laser beam with maximum efficiency. A detailed structure of the cooling unit 360 will be described later with reference to FIG. 10 .

4 is a view showing a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , a submount 310 in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first insertion part 414 , a second insertion part 418 and a third insertion part 425 .

The submount 310 may be implemented in a stepped shape having a height difference. A first insertion part 414 and a second insertion part 418 are disposed on the upper part 410, so that a laser diode 320 and a FAC lens 330 may be disposed. A third insertion part 425 is disposed at the lower end 420, so that the SAC lens 340 may be disposed.

The upper end 410 and the lower end 420 of the submount 310 are formed to have a height difference. Even a laser beam output from the laser diode 320 and passing through the FAC lens 330 may have a certain length along the Fast Axis axis (vertical direction). Thus, if a height difference is not formed between the upper part 410 and the lower part 420, the traveling path of the laser beam passing through the FAC lens 330 is hindered by the lower part 420. In order to solve this problem, the submount 310 has a height difference and is separated into an upper part 410 and a lower part 420.

The first insertion part 414 is implemented on the upper part 410 so that the laser diode 320 can be disposed on the upper part 410 . The first insertion part 414 may have a groove having a predetermined depth, so that when the laser diode 320 is disposed in the first insertion part 414, it may be fixed so as not to move left and right.

The second insertion part 418 is implemented on the upper part 410 so that the FAC lens 330 can be disposed on the upper part 410 . The second insertion part 418 is formed in front of the direction in which the laser diode 320 irradiates the laser beam from the first insertion part 414, so that the FAC lens 330 is disposed in front of the laser diode 320. make it possible In particular, the second insertion part 418 is formed adjacent to the first insertion part 414 so that the laser beam output from the laser diode 320 can directly pass through the FAC lens 330 .

The third insertion part 425 is implemented on the lower part 420 so that the SAC lens 340 can be disposed on the lower part 420 . The third insertion part 425 is formed in front of the direction in which the laser diode 320 irradiates the laser beam from the second insertion part 418, and the SAC lens can completely reduce the width of the laser beam passing through the FAC lens. , formed at the position of the lower end 420.

Each component (high power laser diode, FAC lens, and SAC lens) inserted into each insertion part (first to third insertion part) is UV cured using epoxy and can be firmly fixed while being inserted into the insertion part.

5 is a diagram illustrating a process of inserting a laser diode and a FAC lens into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a diagram showing a state in which a laser beam is output from a laser diode in a state in which a lens is inserted.

Referring to FIG. 5 , as described above, the cooling unit 360 and the laser diode 320 are disposed in the first insertion part 414 of the upper part 410 and the second insertion part 418 of the upper part 410 A FAC lens 330 is disposed. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 10 , a laser diode 320 is disposed on a predetermined position (a position where cooling is concentrated) of the cooling unit 360 to efficiently cool and oscillate a laser beam.

As each component is arranged in this way, the beam irradiated from the laser diode 320 can pass through the FAC lens 330 without a separate alignment process, and the irradiated beam is prevented from being dispersed in the Fast Axis axis (vertical direction) can do.

Referring to FIG. 6 , it can be seen that the laser beam irradiated from the laser diode 320 and FAC lens 330 is irradiated with minimized dispersion in the Fast Axis axis (vertical direction). However, since only the FAC lens 330 is mounted on the sub-mount 310, it can be confirmed that the irradiated laser beam is dispersed along the Slow Axis axis. In order to solve this problem, the high power laser diode chip additionally arranges the SAC lens 340 in the third insertion part 425 of the submount 310 .

7 is a diagram illustrating a process of additionally inserting a SAC lens into a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8 is a view showing a SAC lens in a submount in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention It is a diagram showing a state in which a laser beam is output from a laser diode in a state where is inserted.

As described above, the SAC lens 340 is disposed in the third insertion portion 425 of the lower portion 420 .

As the SAC lens 340 is disposed in the third insertion part 425, the divergence angle of the laser beam dispersed along the Slow Axis axis is reduced.

After the SAC lens 340 is disposed in this way, a mirror (not shown) is disposed at a position (on the lower end of the submount) suitable for reflecting the laser beam passing through the SAC lens 340 and making it incident to the condensing lens 120. . A laser beam having minimized dispersion by a mirror (not shown) is reflected to the condensing lens 120 .

9 is a view showing a state in which a plurality of optical modules are arranged according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 9 , each of the optical modules manufactured through the processes of FIGS. 4 to 8 are disposed adjacent to each other, and a laser beam may be irradiated to the condensing lens 120 . At this time, the heights of the upper ends 410 of the submounts 310 of each optical module are different from each other, so that the laser beams irradiated from each optical module do not overlap with each other as shown in FIG. 2 .

10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a cooling unit in an optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 10 , the cooling unit 360 in the optical module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an upper plate 1010a, a first plate 1010b, a second plate 1010c, a third plate 1010d, and a lower plate. (1010e).

Each plate 1010a to 1010e includes a first hollow 1020 and a second hollow 1025 .

A laser diode is disposed at a predetermined position 1040 on the top plate 1010a. An O-ring (not shown) is disposed in a portion of the top plate 1010a where the first hollow and the second hollow are formed to prevent coolant from flowing into the top plate 1010a.

The first plate 1010b includes a passage 1030 through which cooling water flows from the first hollow 1020 to the lower end of the position 1040 where the laser diode is to be disposed. A plurality of flow channels 1030 are formed so that cooling water can flow into any flow path 1030 and flow from a specific flow path to another flow path.

The second plate 1010c is at a position corresponding to the flow path 1030, and the cooling water rises from the first plate 1010b to the third plate 1010c or descends from the third plate 1010c to the first plate 1010b. It includes a through hole 1034 that allows The through holes 1034 are included in the same number as the passages 1030 at positions corresponding to the passages 1030 .

The third plate 1010d includes a passage 1038 through which coolant introduced through the through hole 1034 is discharged into the second hollow 1025 . The flow path 1038 is formed at a position corresponding to the flow path 1030 and the through hole 1034 in the third plate 1010d, and coolant flowing into the flow path 1030 and rising through the through hole 1034 is introduced. receive In a situation in which cooling water continuously flows in, the cooling water flowing into the passage 1038 flows into another passage 1038 adjacent to itself and proceeds to the (adjacent) passage 1030 via the through hole 1034 . Alternatively, the cooling water introduced into the passage 1038 may be discharged to the outside through the second hollow 1025 along the passage 1038 .

Since each component of the cooling unit 360 receives cooling water and flows it as described above, the position 1040 where the laser diode is to be disposed can be intensively cooled by the flowing cooling water. Accordingly, the laser diode 320 is cooled smoothly and can efficiently oscillate a laser beam.

The above description is merely an example of the technical idea of the present embodiment, and various modifications and variations can be made to those skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiments are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present embodiment, but to explain, and the scope of the technical idea of the present embodiment is not limited by these embodiments. The scope of protection of this embodiment should be construed according to the claims below, and all technical ideas within the scope equivalent thereto should be construed as being included in the scope of rights of this embodiment.

100: high power laser output device
110: high power laser diode optical module
120: condensing lens
130: optical cable
310: submount
320: laser diode
330: FAC lens
340: SAC lens
350: mirror
360: cooling unit
410: upper part
414: first insertion part
418: second insertion part
420: lower part
425 third insert
1010: plate
1020, 1025: hollow
1030, 1038: Euro
1034: through hole

Claims (12)

optical cable;
a condensing lens disposed in front of the optical cable to condense incident laser beams into the core of the optical cable; and
It includes a plurality of laser diode optical modules each generating a laser beam and reflecting the laser beam to the condensing lens;
The laser diode optical module,
a laser diode for generating a laser beam;
a cooling unit disposed below the laser diode to cool the laser diode;
a FAC lens disposed in front of the laser diode on an optical axis irradiated by the laser diode and suppressing dispersion of the laser beam in a vertical direction;
a SAC lens that receives the laser beam that has passed through the FAC lens and suppresses dispersion of the laser beam in a horizontal direction;
a mirror for reflecting the laser beam passing through the SAC lens to the condensing lens; and
and a submount for arranging and fixing each component in the laser diode optical module. According to claim 1,
the cooling unit,
A laser output device characterized in that disposed between the submount and the laser diode. According to claim 1,
the cooling unit,
A laser output device comprising an upper plate, a first plate, a second plate, a third plate and a lower plate, wherein a first hollow and a second hollow are formed in each plate. According to claim 3,
The laser diode,
A laser output device, characterized in that disposed on the top plate. According to claim 4,
the cooling unit,
A laser output device characterized by intensively cooling a position where the laser diode is disposed. According to claim 3 or 5,
The first edition,
and a plurality of passages through which the cooling water flowing into the first hollow is introduced to a lower end of the position where the laser diode is disposed. A laser diode optical module disposed in a laser output device to output a laser to an optical cable through a condensing lens,
a laser diode for generating a laser beam;
a cooling unit disposed below the laser diode to cool the laser diode;
a FAC lens disposed in front of the laser diode on an optical axis irradiated by the laser diode and suppressing dispersion of the laser beam in a vertical direction;
a SAC lens that receives the laser beam passing through the FAC lens and suppresses dispersion of the laser beam in a horizontal direction;
a mirror for reflecting the laser beam passing through the SAC lens to the condensing lens; and
An optical module comprising a submount for arranging and fixing each component in the laser diode optical module. According to claim 7,
the cooling unit,
An optical module characterized in that disposed between the submount and the laser diode. According to claim 7,
the cooling unit,
An optical module comprising an upper plate, a first plate, a second plate, a third plate, and a lower plate, wherein a first hollow and a second hollow are formed in each plate. According to claim 9,
The first edition,
The optical module comprising a plurality of first passages through which the cooling water introduced into the first hollow is introduced to a lower end of the position where the laser diode is disposed. According to claim 9,
The third edition,
The optical module comprising a plurality of second passages through which the cooling water is discharged to the outside through the second hollow at the lower end of the position where the laser diode is disposed. According to claim 10 or 11,
The second edition,
The optical module comprising a plurality of through-holes through which the cooling water flowing into the first channel flows into the third channel or through which the cooling water flowing into the third channel flows into the first channel.

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