FEASIBILITY OF LOW-COST FABRICATION APPROACHES FOR SUPERIOR ALGAAS LASER ARRAYS

THIS PROPOSAL ADDRESSES A THREE-PHASE PROGRAM FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE COST OF ALGAAS DIODE LASER ARRAYS. THE INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES TO BE PURSUED INCLUDE IMPROVED WAFER PROCESSING TO REDUCE THE COST OF THE LASER DEVICES, AND FABRICATION OF A NOVEL HEADER, TO REDUCE THE ASSEMBLY COST OF THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL ARRAYS. THIS HEADER IS ALSO EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THE POWER OUTPUT OF THE LASER ARRAY. THE PROPOSAL HEADER IS BASED ON THE USE OF ANISOTROPICALLY-ETCHED SILICON TO PRECISELY LOCATE THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL LASER ARRAYS IN A TWODIMENSIONAL CONFIGURATION. AN INTERCONNECT TECHNIQUE IS PROPOSED THAT COMPRISES USE OF AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO SOLDERING. IN PHASE I, THE FEASIBILITY OF THE PROPOSED CONCEPTS WILL BE TESTED. IN PHASE II, IN-DEPTH RESEARCH INTENDED TO RESOLVE PROBLEMS IN ARRAY FABRICATION WILL BE CARRIED OUT, AND PROTOTYPES WILL BE FABRICATED. PHASE III WILL INVESTIGATE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE TECHNIQUES.