Month: December 2014

Compact system and assembly process for producing high volume, low cost, “eye safe” lasers

Peabody, Mass. – December 16, 2014 – SemiNex Corporation, a Peabody, Massachusetts-based manufacturer of high power infrared lasers, was awarded Patent 8,811,439 on August 19, 2014 for a compact laser system and the associated self-aligning assembly and packaging process.

“The laser engine system we’ve designed provides an efficient means of integrating a laser and a cooling system into a very small form factor,” explained Vice President of Design & Engineering John Callahan, PhD. “It’s well suited for applications where overall system cost and space are at a premium.” The patented system consists of a semiconductor laser, cooling mechanism, and optics.

SemiNex’s laser diode technology delivers low-cost, high-power laser sub-systems. The laser engine patent adds to the company’s patents related to their chip technology and laser systems. SemiNex-patented technology is used throughout various industries; including medical, military, and aerospace.

Patent 8,811,439 covers technology that addresses the needs of the consumer market, where high volume and low cost are key factors in design. In addition to the design of the system, the patent covers the assembly and packaging processes. These are designed to be self-aligning to reduce manufacturing cost while increasing manufacturing throughput. “SemiNex took an innovative approach to reducing manufacturing time through elegant engineering,” explained Chief Executive Officer David Bean.

The technology is currently in use at SemiNex, and the company has additional patents pending.

SemiNex laser diodes leave Earth in 2014

Peabody, Mass. – December 9, 2014 –Fiber coupled laser diodes manufactured by SemiNex Corporation recently completed a mission to the International Space Station. Two SemiNex 4-Pin lasers were used in LiDAR systems for navigation and range finding. The lasers performed flawlessly and returned to Earth following the flight.

The SemiNex lasers were chosen for their rugged design and established long term reliability. SemiNex provides 4-Pin lasers at a variety of wavelengths; however, for this application, 1550 nm was chosen due to the “eye safety” requirements. This achievement was the culmination of an effort that started in August 2013, when the modules were first qualified for launch.

Prior to their maiden voyage, the lasers underwent extensive qualification testing. The qualification included approximately one hundred billion laser pulses over a three week period. Throughout testing, 100% of the packaged laser diodes performed as expected, with no degradation in performance. SemiNex founder and Chief Executive Officer David Bean said, “Having our off-the-shelf laser products perform well under such rigorous testing exemplifies our lasers’ high performance, quality and reliability.”

SemiNex’s lasers are also under evaluation and qualification for point-to-point, secure, space-based communications. Fiber-coupled devices, TO can-packaged devices and laser chips are all under consideration. SemiNex continues to work with its customers on engineering the most reliable, long-term solution for this new space application.

In addition to being deployed into space, SemiNex lasers are used in a host of applications, including range finding, LiDAR, targeting, telecommunications testing, and surgical procedures. Wavelengths used most commonly for these applications are between 1300 nm and 1650 nm.