Blue Sky Research produces red laser diodes
California-based laser manufacturer Blue Sky Research has released three new 635nm red laser diodes, the first to be made at its in-house semiconductor foundry.
Available in 5, 10, and 15mW versions, the BRLD-635 family of semiconductor lasers feature low operating current, a compact 5.6mm TO can housing, a wide operating temperature range, and an estimated MTTF (Mean Time to Failure) of over 150,000 hours at 25°C. Applications for the BRLD-635 include construction and alignment equipment, biomedical and metrology instrumentation, and bar code readers.
“The release of the BRLD-635 laser diode marks a significant expansion of capabilities,” said Al Shugart, the Blue Sky Research chairman. “[Blue Sky] is one of a select few US-based laser manufacturers with integrated facilities for everything from semiconductor fabrication and optical systems development, to control system design and electronic packaging.”
Blue Sky says that the BRLD-635 red laser diodes employ a unique design and structure that maximizes power output over lifetime while increasing device reliability via low operating current.
Test results demonstrate 5, 10, and 15mW power output at operating temperatures up to 50°C with a minimum MTTF of 10,000 hours. This equates to over 150,000 hours at 25°C. The laser is housed in a small DVD-grade 5.6mm TO can with integrated monitor photodiode, hermetically sealed for high reliability.
“This expansion of our in-house foundry allows us to better service our custom laser manufacturing operations, which demand a lean manufacturing infrastructure and consistent, on-time delivery,” said Chris Gladding, president and CEO of Blue Sky Research.
“We can now develop customer-specific lasers quickly, fab the chips internally, and integrate them into any platform the client requires. Combined with our partnerships with high volume manufacturers, we are able to cost-effectively span the range between limited quantity, R&D volumes, or large OEM quantities.”
Blue Sky Research’s existing product lines include fiber-coupled lasers, free-space lasers, and circularized or VPSLs (virtual point source) lasers, and OEM laser diode sub-assemblies. In addition to the BRLD-635, Blue Sky Research manufactures its 980nm laser at the Silicon Valley foundry, and says it will continue to expand in-house capabilities to include wavelengths from visible to near-infrared.
