Regensburg, Germany--A project coordinated by OSRAM Opto Semiconductors and including DILAS Diode Laser (Mainz, Germany) and the Max Born Institute (Berlin, Germany ) seeks to improve performance of integrated microoptical and microthermal elements for diode lasers of high brilliance (IMOTHEB). The project, which runs from October 2012 through September 2015, is supported by the German Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF).

The goal of the IMOTHEB project is to investigate new approaches and technologies that may ultimately lead to significant reductions in the costs for the pump modules, which include not only the semiconductor lasers but also cooling elements, optics, and sensors. There are also plans to increase the output of the semiconductor lasers by 40 percent while retaining the same high beam quality. IMOTHEB maps the entire value added chain from the semiconductor chip to the complete laser system.

Simulations are being subcontracted to the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering. DILAS is responsible for the assembly technology with improved thermal resistance and higher integration in laser modules, and for automation in module production. The Max Born Institute is acting as a scientific partner, analyzing and characterizing the chips and modules.

"If these high outputs are achieved they will make laser chips ideal for fiber laser pump modules and for fiber-coupled diode lasers," says Alexander Bachmann, project leader at Osram. “We need results that bring not only technical but also economic benefits to strengthen our competitive position. Based on results from the project, our brilliant laser diodes should provide more output into the fibers so that fewer chips are needed in the system and the laser systems therefore become more efficient and more cost-effective.”