Material Survey for Packaging Semiconductor Diode Lasers

We present results from a survey of materials used for packaging semiconductor lasers, including Cu, CuW, BeO, diamond composite and other advanced materials. We present the results of residual bonding stress from various solders and consider the direct effects on wavelength and spectral width. We also provide data on the second order effects of threshold current and slow axis divergence. Additionally, we consider the heat spreading through different materials for a laser bar and present modeled and experimental data on the thermal performance. Finally, we consider the reliability under on-off life-testing and thermal cycling tests.