Nuvoton launches 4.5 W violet laser
402 nm laser with a 4.5 W output expands Nuvoton’s portfolio of light sources for maskless lithography
Nuvoton Technology has started mass production of high-power violet laser diodes. Its 402 nm, 4.5 W source is claimed to deliver an industry-leading optical output in a 9.0 mm diameter CAN package (TO-9).
According to the company, this violet laser provides 50 percent more optical output than a conventional product (the Panasonic KLC432FL01WW (402 nm, 3.0 W, TO-9 CAN package). The higher output power, realised with a proprietary device structure and heat dissipation design technology, contributes to increasing production throughput in optical equipment, such as maskless lithography systems.
Nuvoton says that the addition of this product to it lineup enables its product portfolio to support major photosensitive materials used in advanced semiconductor packaging.
Violet laser diodes generally suffer from a relatively low wall-plug efficiency and significant self-heating, and are also prone to short-wavelength-induced degradation, hampering stable high-power operation.
To address these challenges, Nuvoton has developed a device structure that enhances wall-plug efficiency, and the high thermal conduction package technology that effectively dissipates heat. Both technologies were employed in its 379 nm, 1 W high-power ultraviolet laser diode, announced as a new product in January 2026, and now feature in its 402 nm laser
Another strength of the latest laser is its proprietary facet coating technology, which suppresses degradation factors at the laser facets, leading to improved lifetime performance during high-power operation.
The 402 nm source also features a monolithic molded structure, using high heat dissipation materials for the package. This is said to improve heat dissipation performance.
According to Nuvoton, by combining high-power and high reliability, its 4.5 W laser enhances production throughput in industrial optical equipment where high quality is required.
It is claimed that this latest product will deliver significant value in maskless lithography for advanced semiconductor packaging, a market that is rapidly growing, driven by expanding demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and other applications.
In circuit formation for advanced semiconductor packages, maskless lithography technology that directly exposes (draws) wiring patterns based on design data has been attracting attention, as it enables not only cost reduction and a shortening of the development period, but also high-precision patterning correction in response to substrate warpage and distortion.
For laser diodes, which are one of the main light sources in this maskless lithography technology, there has been a demand for compatibility with wavelengths close to the i-line (365 nm) and h-line (405 nm), which are the emission lines of mercury lamps, in order to correspond to the main photosensitive materials, as well as higher output for the purpose of improving the production throughput of equipment.
With the two releases this year, Nuvton now has products for i-line and h-line applications. The h-line (405 nm) is used in a wide range of fields such as photocuring, 3D printing, sensing, biomedical applications, and marking.
