Semiconductor Laser Equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser apparatus having a structure for preventing the corrosion of a refrigerant flow path in a heat sink and for cooling a semiconductor laser array stably over a long period of time. The semiconductor laser apparatus comprises a semiconductor laser stack in which a plurality of semiconductor laser units are stacked, a refrigerant supplier, a piping for connecting these components, and a refrigerant flowing through these components. The refrigerant supplier supplies the refrigerant to the semiconductor laser stack. The refrigerant is comprised of fluorocarbon. Each of the semiconductor laser units is constituted by a pair of a semiconductor laser array and a heat sink. The heat sink has a refrigerant flow path.

1 . A semiconductor laser apparatus, comprising:
 a semiconductor laser array;   a heat sink having a refrigerant flow path;   a refrigerant including fluorocarbon and flowing through said refrigerant flow path; and   a refrigerant supplier for supplying the refrigerant to said heat sink.   
     
     
         2 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flowing through said refrigerant flow path is controlled to have a flow velocity of 10 m/s or less. 
     
     
         3 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant flowing through said refrigerant flow path is controlled to have a flow velocity of 1 m/s or more. 
     
     
         4 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the change in the cross-sectional area of said refrigerant flow path along the direction in which the refrigerant flows is within ±30%. 
     
     
         5 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat sink includes a microchannel-type or jet-cooling-type heat sink. 
     
     
         6 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said refrigerant flow path includes a fine flow path with a width of 1 mm or less. 
     
     
         7 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said heat sink comprises:
 a first plate-shaped member having a first depressed portion formed in one surface thereof;   a second plate-shaped member provided on said first plate-shaped member and having a second depressed portion formed in the surface facing the one surface of said first plate-shaped member;   a partition plate provided between said first plate-shaped member and said second plate-shaped member and having a plurality of holes each making said first depressed portion and said second depressed portion become in communication with each other;   a refrigerant supply port penetrating through said first plate-shaped member, said partition plate, and said second plate-shaped member, in order to be communicated with said first depressed portion while preventing a communication with said second depressed portion; and   a refrigerant discharge port penetrating through said second plate-shaped member, said partition plate, and said first plate-shaped member, in order to be communicated with said second depressed portion while preventing a communication with said first depressed portion, and   wherein said refrigerant flow path is constituted by said refrigerant supply port, said first depressed portion, said plurality of holes, said second depressed portion, and said refrigerant discharge port.   
     
     
         8 . A semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said semiconductor laser array is mounted on a surface facing the one surface, on which said first depressed portion is formed, of said first plate-shaped member in said heat sink, a semiconductor laser unit being constituted by said semiconductor laser array and said heat sink. 
     
     
         9 . A semiconductor laser apparatus comprising a plurality of semiconductor laser units each having the same structure as that of said semiconductor laser unit in a semiconductor laser apparatus according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein said plurality of semiconductor laser units are stacked such that refrigerant supply ports in heat sinks of said respective semiconductor laser units are in communication with each other, and that refrigerant discharge ports in said heat sinks of said respective semiconductor laser units are in communicated with each other.