Modular diode laser assembly

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(12) United States Patent

Schulte et al.

(io) Patent No.: (45) Date of Patent:

US 7,586,963 B2 *Sep. 8, 2009

(54) MODULAR DIODE LASER ASSEMBLY

(75) Inventors: Derek E. Schulte, Portland, OR (US);

Yu Yan, Vancouver, WA (US); Robert J.
Martinsen, West Linn, OR (US); Aaron
L. Hodges, Hillsboro, OR (US); Scott R.
Karlsen, Battle Ground, WA (US)

(73) Assignee: nLight Photonics Corporation,

Vancouver, WA (US)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

(21) Appl.No.: 11/378,697

(22) Filed: Mar. 17, 2006

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2007/0116074 Al May 24, 2007

Related U.S. Application Data

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 11/313,068, filed on Dec. 20, 2005, now Pat. No. 7,436,868.

(60) Provisional application No. 60/739,185, filed onNov. 22, 2005.

(Continued)
FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
JP 04 264789 9/1992

(Continued)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS

R. P. Edwin, Stripe Stacker for Use with Laser Diode Bars, Optics
Letters, Jan. 15, 1995, pp. 222-224, vol. 20, No. 2, Publisher: Optical
Society of America.

Primary Examiner—Minsun Harvey
Assistant Examiner—Joshua King

(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Patent Law Office of David G. Beck

3,622,906 A 11/1971 Nyul 3,827,059 A 7/1974 Rambauske 4,716,568 A 12/1987 Scifresetal.

An extremely versatile diode laser assembly is provided, the assembly comprised of a plurality of diode laser subassemblies mounted to a stepped cooling block. The stepped cooling block allows the fabrication of a close packed and compact assembly in which individual diode laser subassembly output beams do not interfere with one another.

8 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets

Page 2

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FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

WO WO 2004/034113 4/2004
WO WO 2005/039001 4/2005

WO WO 2005/119863 12/2005

* cited by examiner