Trumpf Photonic Components Gmbh

Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.V.

Eos Gmbh Electro Optical Systems

Philips Photonics Gmbh

Robert Boschgmbh

Philips Gmbh

Stephan Gronenborn

Holger Joachim Moench

Gero Heusler

Jochen Philippi

Stefan Paternoster

Thomas Mattes

Gerd Cantzler

Ralf Conrads

Ralf Gordon Conrads

Michael Miller

Pascal Jean Henri Bloemen

Pavel Pekarski

Armand Pruijmboom

Holger Moench

Petrus Theodorus Jutte

Alexander Marc Van Der Lee

Thomas Alexander Schlebusch

Hans Perret

Johannes Meyer

Mark Carpaij

Andreas Petersen

Hans Spruit

Guenther Hans Derra

Alexander Weigl

Nicholas Walker

Raimond Louis Dumoulin

Ralph Engelbertus Theodorus Gudde

Johanna Sophie Kolb

Jochen Hellmig

Jan Jasper Van Den Berg

Matthew John Lawrenson

Peter Dannberg

Mark Schuermann

Holger Möench

Holger Joachim Mönch

A method of forming an optical structure in a semiconductor substrate includes applying a layer of photoresist on a surface of the semiconductor substrate, exposing the photoresist with exposure light, and subsequently developing the photoresist. After developing, a remaining layer of the photoresist has a photoresist relief profile. The method further includes etching the photoresist and the semiconductor substrate to transfer the photoresist relief profile into the semiconductor substrate to obtain the optical structure in one or more first sub-areas and a support structure in one or more second sub-areas. A thickness of the layer of the photoresist applied to the surface of the semiconductor substrate is greater than a product of a maximum height difference of a relief profile of the optical structure and a ratio between etch rates of the photoresist and of the semiconductor substrate.

Method of lithographically forming an optical structure in a semiconductor substrate

An optoelectronic apparatus is adapted to generate a structured light pattern. The optoelectronic apparatus has: a first array of vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs); a first homogenization optics arrangement associated with the first array of VCSELs; a second array of VCSELs; a second homogenization optics arrangement associated with the second array of VCSELs; and a pattern optics arrangement configured to generate a structured light pattern based on a common homogeneous intensity distribution in an intermediate plane. The first homogenization optics arrangement and the second homogenization, each associated with a different one of the first array of VCSELs or the second array of VCSELs, are arranged such that their intensity distributions add up to the common homogeneous top-hat intensity distribution in the intermediate plane.

Vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) based pattern projector

A light source comprises an array of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSELs) and an optical member. The array comprises at least two sub-arrays. The sub-arrays are displaced with respect to one another along a first axis. The optical member is configured as a single optical element and configured to transform light emitted by the sub-arrays into substantially parallel illumination lines in a target area. The illumination lines are arranged along the first axis. Each illumination line has a width in a direction of the first axis and a length in a direction of a second axis perpendicular to the first axis. The width is smaller than the length. The optical member has facets in the direction of the second axis. Each facet has a size in the direction of the second axis which is smaller than a size of a sub-array in the direction of the second axis.

Light source, sensor and method of illuminating a scene

A diffuser lens includes a first annular lens segment and a second annular lens segment. The first and the second lens segments are concentric. A refractive index of the first and second lens segments in a cross-section along a plane including an optical axis of the diffusor lens is described by a refractive index profile which varies in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis. The refractive index profile includes a first sub-profile, which describes the refractive index profile of the first lens segment, and a second sub-profile, which describes the refractive index profile of the second lens segment. The first sub-profile transitions to the second sub-profile at an interface. These first and second sub-profiles have slopes with opposite signs.

Diffusor lens, light source, method of fabricating a light source and method of illuminating a scene

A laser sensor includes a laser source configured to emit a laser beam, and optics configured to project the laser beam as a one- or two-dimensional patterned laser beam onto an object to be examined, such that a distance of the patterned laser beam from the laser source varies along the patterned laser beam projected on the object. The laser sensor further includes a detector configured to determine a self-mixing interference signal generated by laser light of the patterned laser beam reflected from the object back into the laser source, and circuitry configured to analyze a spectrum of the self-mixing interference signal and extract from the spectrum of the self-mixing interference signal multiple frequencies that are indicative of at least one of the following: multiple distances along the patterned laser beam from the laser source, or multiple velocities along the patterned laser beam with respect to the laser source.

Laser sensor, system and method for self-mixing interferometry

A laser arrangement for time-of-flight measurements includes an optical filter adjacent to a laser. The laser and optical filter each have a substrate and an active layer arranged between a first and second mirror. The laser emits laser light in a first direction through its first mirror. The optical filter receives the laser light reflected from an object through its first mirror. The laser's and the optical filter's first mirrors have an equal reflectivity. The laser's and the optical filter's second mirrors have an equal reflectivity, or the reflectivity of the optical filter's second mirror is reduced with respect to that of the laser. The optical filter filters the received light such that laser light reflected from the object and received from the first direction passes the optical filter.

Laser arrangement with optical filter

The invention describes a laser printing system () for illuminating an object moving relative to a laser module of the laser printing system () in a working plane (), the laser module comprising at least two laser arrays of semiconductor lasers and at least one optical element, wherein the optical element is adapted to image laser light emitted by the laser arrays, such that laser light of semiconductor lasers of one laser array is imaged to one pixel in the working plane of the laser printing system, and wherein the laser printing system is a 3D printing system for additive manufacturing and wherein two, three, four or a multitude of laser modules () are provided, which are arranged in columns (c, c) perpendicular to a direction of movement () of the object in the working plane (), and wherein the columns are staggered with respect to each other such that a first laser module () of a first column of laser modules (c) is adapted to illuminate a first area (y) of the object and a second laser module () of a second column (c) of laser modules is adapted to illuminate a second area (y) of the object, wherein the first area (y) is adjacent to the second area (y) such that continuous illumination of the object is enabled.

Laser printing system

A laser arrangement includes a laser array including a plurality of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting lasers and an optical structure including a diffuser arranged to change a distribution of the laser light. The optical structure is configured to transform the laser light to transformed laser light such that an overlap of the emission cones of at least a group of the plurality of lasers is increased in field-of-view in comparison to perfectly collimated laser light diffused to a flat-top intensity profile in the field-of-view. The optical structure is arranged to redirect the laser light emitted at angles of the emission cone to the field-of-view so as to increase the overlap of the emitted laser light in the field-of-view. The optical structure is also configured to provide a slope angle α of an intensity profile along a direction of the field-of-view that is smaller than a divergence angle of the laser.

Energy efficient laser arrangement

A guiding system guides an autonomous movable object. The guiding system has a time-of-flight imaging system, which has a first light source to illuminate a first field of detection; and a light sensor. The light sensor detects first and second reflected light. The first reflected light has light emitted by the first light source reflected at the first field of detection. The second reflected light originates from a second field of detection illuminated by a second light source, which is independent from the first light source and is coupled to a different movable object. The imaging system differentiates between the first and second reflected light, determines a depth map of the first field of detection based on the detected first reflected light, and generates feedback. The imaging system has a motion controller that receives the feedback, and modifies a motion of the autonomous movable object based on the feedback.

Time-of-flight imaging system for autonomous movable objects

A VCSEL device includes a first electrical contact, a substrate, a second electrical contact, and an optical resonator arranged on a first side of the substrate. The optical resonator includes a first reflecting structure comprising a first distributed Bragg reflector, a second reflecting structure comprising a second distributed Bragg reflector, an active layer arranged between the first and second reflecting structures, and a guiding structure. The guiding structure is configured to define a first relative intensity maximum of an intensity distribution within the active layer at a first lateral position such that a first light emitting area is provided, to define at least a second relative intensity maximum of the intensity distribution within the active layer at a second lateral position such that a second light emitting area is provided, and to reduce an intensity in between the at least two light-emitting areas during operation.

Segmented vertical cavity surface emitting laser

A laser arrangement includes a laser array, and an optical arrangement. The laser array includes lasers in a first pattern emitting a same laser emission profile around a first optical axis with a divergence angle &#x3b8;/2. The optical arrangement has a diffusor with an array of optical elements in a second pattern, with a second optical axis, and with an illumination pattern along a first illumination axis in a field-of-view if laser light is received within a defined range smaller than or equal to a range of angles between &#x2212;/+&#x3b8; with respect to the second optical axis. A row of lasers parallel to the first illumination axis has a pitch p. A row of m optical elements is parallel to the first axis. Each optical element has a diameter L, and contacts its neighbor. The n lasers and the m optical elements satisfy n*p=m*L with a deviation smaller than +/&#x2212;5%.

Laser arrangement with reduced building height

A laser arrangement includes a laser array including a multitude of lasers and an optical device configured to provide a defined illumination pattern in a defined field-of-view. The optical device includes a multitude of localized optical structures, each respective localized optical structure being associated with at least one respective laser of the laser array and being arranged to redirect laser light emitted by the at least one respective laser such that laser light emitted by the at least one respective laser appears to be emitted from at least one apparent position of the laser array. The localized optical structures are arranged such that laser light emitted by at least one respective selected laser appears to be emitted from at least two apparent positions of the laser array. The optical device is arranged such that the apparent positions are distributed in an irregular pattern.

Laser arrangement with irregular emission pattern

An exposure optics serves as an equipping and/or retrofitting optics for a device for producing a three-dimensional object by selectively solidifying building material, layer by layer. The exposure optics includes at least a first object-sided lens system having a first focal length fand a second image-sided lens system having a second focal length f, which lens systems can be arranged in the beam path of the radiation emitted by the radiation source. The focal plane of the first lens system and the focal plane of the second lens system coincide in a plane between the two lens systems. The focal length fof the first lens system is equal to or greater than the focal length fof the second lens system. The exposure optics is designed and can be arranged such that the electromagnetic radiation is incident substantially perpendicular on the working surface.

Exposure optics and device for producing a three-dimensional object

Growing community of inventors

Aachen, Germany

Stephan Gronenborn