Thermal management of a semiconductor laser array based on a graphite heat sink

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermal Engineering
• Optoelectronics

Background:

• High-power semiconductor laser arrays generate significant heat during operation, impacting performance and lifespan.
• Effective thermal management is crucial for reliable operation of laser diode bars.
• Existing heat sink solutions may not adequately address temperature non-uniformity across emitters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and analyze a novel composite heat sink structure for high-power semiconductor laser arrays.
• To investigate the impact of copper-implanted graphite microholes on thermal performance.
• To optimize heat sink design for improved temperature uniformity among laser emitters.

Main Methods:

• Establishing a packaging structure model for semiconductor laser array thermal analysis.
• Utilizing numerical simulation to analyze microhole parameters and their effect on junction temperature.
• Optimizing the graphite heat sink structure for enhanced thermal distribution.

Main Results:

• The proposed composite heat sink effectively reduces the maximum operating temperature by 4.52 K.
• The design significantly improves temperature uniformity across the semiconductor laser array emitters, reducing the temperature difference from 7.68 K to 2 K.
• The placement and number of microholes were found to be critical factors in thermal management.

Conclusions:

• The novel composite heat sink with copper-implanted graphite microholes offers superior thermal management for semiconductor laser arrays.
• This optimized structure enhances device reliability and performance by ensuring more uniform emitter temperatures.
• The findings provide a viable solution for thermal challenges in high-power laser applications.