A laser is an opto-electronic device that excites atoms, molecules or crystals to produce a highly coherent and focused beam of light. It is the core component of laser processing equipment, and its quality and power have a critical impact on the effectiveness and efficiency of laser processing.

With the continuous progress of science and technology, the market size of lasers is also expanding. In recent years, China's laser market size to maintain the growth trend, the market size in 2020 has reached $ 10.91 billion, a year-on-year growth of 7.16%, accounting for 66.12% of the global laser market share. It is expected to continue to maintain growth in 2023, and the market size will reach 16.95 billion U.S. dollars.

Source: China Business Intelligence Net

Due to their high stability, high energy density, high light quality and other advantages, lasers have a wide range of applications in many fields, such as communications, medical, LIDAR, advanced manufacturing, and military industry. In the field of communication, lasers can be used as a signal source, which is a key device in fiber optic communication systems. In the industrial field, lasers are widely used in cutting, welding, marking and other processes. In the field of medicine, lasers can be used for surgery, healing procedures, etc. In the field of scientific research, lasers are used as research tools in the fields of physics, chemistry and biology. In addition, lasers are used in the fields of military defense, meteorology, astronomy, environmental monitoring and energy.

Source: China Business Intelligence Net

In the era of artificial intelligence, the application scope of semiconductor lasers is expanding, involving such as face recognition, automatic driving, industrial robotics and other fields. Among them, semiconductor lasers are playing an increasingly important role in the emerging application market. With the continuous progress of high-power semiconductor laser technology, the performance of high-power semiconductor laser chips has been significantly improved, which has led to the enhancement of their efficiency and reliability in various applications.

However, despite the improved performance of the laser chip itself, its packaging technology remains one of the key factors limiting its performance. The quality and design of the laser chip package directly affects its output power, high brightness, and the stability of its spectral characteristics. Therefore, improving the packaging technology of laser chips is crucial for enhancing the overall laser performance.

In addition, the packaging of laser chips is even more crucial in high-rate optical modules and photonic integrated devices. High-precision and high-reliability packaging technology can improve the performance of optical modules and integrated devices and reduce manufacturing costs. Therefore, the continuous innovation and improvement of laser chip packaging technology is of great significance in promoting the development of the optoelectronics industry.

Laser chips are packaged in various forms, commonly including TO (metal package), DFB (distributed feedback), FP (intracavity type), VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting laser) and so on. The packaging process of the laser is mainly:

Die Bonding: This is the first step in packaging and involves soldering the laser chip to the heat sink. A specific solder (usually soft or hard, such as gold-tin solder) is used to join the chip to the heat sink. The eutectic process requires precise control of temperature and time to ensure solder flow and reliability of the connection.

For different laser package designs, the high precision requirements for laser chip packages are usually between 1.5um and 5um. This high precision requirement is to ensure that the stability and performance of the laser can meet the design requirements in terms of both optical and electrical characteristics. However, the precision requirements for other components may be relatively low because they do not directly affect the core function of the laser. In general, most edge laser chips are connected using a eutectic process. The eutectic process is a common packaging technique that provides a reliable connection by melting eutectic metal between the chip and the substrate. This type of connection provides good electrical connection and thermal conductivity while ensuring package reliability and stability.

Bozhon Semiconductor MicroStar series EF8621 Eutectic die bonder adopts double table structure with both eutectic, epoxy and Flip Chip placement functions, which can meet the needs of multi-chip placement, and realize more efficient eutectic efficiency while realizing high-precision bonding of laser chips. Adopting pulse heating, the temperature rise rate can reach 50°C/S, which can realize the precise control of the temperature during the welding process, thus ensuring the welding quality and stability. The uniquely designed horizontal turret placement head can realize dynamic automatic replacement of 12 nozzles during the placement process, with a high degree of automation, which can realize fast and accurate welding operation, significantly improving production efficiency and product quality.

By improving the precision of laser chips and packages, we can expect to see higher performance and more reliable laser products in a variety of emerging application markets. These advances will bring more possibilities in the fields of artificial intelligence, optical communications, and photonic integration, helping to drive the development of science and technology and the advancement of society.