Vixar, Inc.

Matthew Dummer

Klein L Johnson

Mary K Brenner

Mary K Hibbs-Brenner

William Hogan

Dadi Setiadi

Benjamin F Olson

Garrett D Cole

Mary Hibbs Brenner

Benjamin Olson

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and VCSEL arrays having small size and small pitch are provided. Particularly, the present disclosure relates to novel and advantageous chip layouts for ensuring low resistance devices with good yield for small pitch arrays. More particularly, the present disclosure describes approaches for reducing the area consumed by a VCSEL structure so that a higher density VCSEL device may be achieved.

Small pitch VCSEL array

Systems and methods disclosed herein include an illumination module for 3D sensing applications. The illumination module may include an array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) emitting light, a driver configured to provide current to the array of VCSELs, and an optical element configured to receive the light emitted by the array of VCSELs and output a light pattern from the illumination module.

3D and LiDAR sensing modules

A segmented VCSEL array having a plurality of individually addressable segments, each segment comprising one or more VCSELs. In some cases, at least two of the plurality of individually addressable segments may be driven in combination. The plurality of individually addressable segments, in some embodiments, may be centered around the same central point. An optical element may be used in conjunction with the segmented VCSEL array, and in some cases may be aligned to the central point. The optical element may be configured such that light passing therethrough may be directed according to which of the plurality of individually addressable segments is activated. In some embodiments, the optical element is a grating or diffractive optical element. The grating or diffractive optical element could be patterned with optical segments that each correspond to at least one the plurality of individually addressable segments.

VCSELs and VCSEL arrays designed for improved performance as illumination sources and sensors

A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, each having more than two modes, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs. A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, each having an aperture size of at least about 6 &#x3bc;m, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs. A VCSEL array having a plurality of VCSELs, wherein the spectral width of each VCSEL is at least about 0.5 nm, and the optical emission from each of the VCSELs overlaps in a far field of the VCSELs.

VCSELS and VCSEL arrays designed for improved performance as illumination sources and sensors

VCSELs and methods having improved characteristics. In some embodiments, these include a semiconductor substrate; a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) on the substrate; a first electrical contact formed on the VCSEL; a second electrical contact formed on the substrate, wherein the VCSEL includes: a first resonating cavity having first and second mirrors, at least one of which partially transmits light incident on that mirror, wherein the first second mirrors are electrically conductive. A first layer is between the first mirror and the second mirror and has a first aperture that restricts the path of current flow. A second layer is between the first layer and the second mirror and also restricts the electrical current path. A multiple-quantum-well (MQW) structure is between the first mirror and the second mirror, wherein the first and second apertures act together to define a path geometry of the current through the MQW structure.

Method and apparatus including improved vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers

VCSEL apparatus having a substrate, a solid-state gain medium, a reflective mirror on one side of the medium, a movable reflective mirror on an opposite side of the medium, and a mechanism configured to move the movable mirror to tune a characteristic wavelength. Also described is a VCSEL apparatus having a silicon substrate having a slot therethrough and electrical connections formed on a first face, a substrate having VCSELs thereon and mounted across the slot and electrically connected to the electrical connections on the silicon substrate, and a glass substrate affixed to a second face of the silicon substrate. Also described is a VCSEL apparatus having a graded-index lens array having GRIN lenses mounted adjacently in a staggered arrangement, a PCB mounted to the lens array, and VCSEL chips mounted adjacently on the PCB and arranged so as to emit laser light through the lenses.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Matthew Dummer