The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 21, 2003
Filed:
May. 25, 2001
Applicant:
Inventor:
Robert Jens Martinsen, Morgan Hill, CA (US);
Assignee:
Novalux, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01S 3/04 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01S 3/04 ;
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for reducing thermal gradients in optical devices. According to an embodiment of the invention, the size of the heat sink interface is adapted to correspond to a region of principal heat generation within the device. Doing so can make the heat generating region within the device have a more laterally uniform temperature gradient. The reduction (or elimination) of such temperature gradients can lead to a marked reduction in thermal lensing and greatly diminish the change in lensing with applied current, thereby improving the performance of the optical device over a wide operating range.