JP7316098B2 - Semiconductor laser module and laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor laser module and a laser processing apparatus.

For example, the development of light source units that emit extremely high-power light with an optical output exceeding 1 watt is progressing. In particular, light source units that efficiently emit light with excellent directivity are being studied for application to various uses. As a light source used in a light source unit that emits light with such excellent directivity, a semiconductor light emitting device can be cited. A semiconductor light emitting device includes a semiconductor light emitting element having an optical waveguide, typically a semiconductor laser element, and a package on which the semiconductor light emitting element is mounted. For example, semiconductor light emitting devices using compound semiconductors such as InAlGaP and InAlGaAs are used as light sources for industrial processing equipment such as welding equipment, processing equipment, laser scribing equipment, and thin film annealing equipment, long wavelength light sources for displays, and LiDAR. (Light Detection and Ranging) is being developed as an infrared light source. Semiconductor light-emitting devices using nitride semiconductors such as InAlGaN-based semiconductors are being developed as light sources for image display devices such as laser displays and projectors for projection mapping, and as excitation light sources for white solid-state light sources. For example, a light source unit that combines a semiconductor light emitting device as an excitation light source and a phosphor can emit white light with high brightness. For this reason, such light source units are being developed as light sources for projectors, vehicle headlights, and the like.

These light source units are required to emit very high power light, for example over several watts in total, from small emitters. In order to obtain light of such high power, a configuration using multiple light sources may be employed. In this case, it is necessary to devise a structure for efficiently combining the light emitted from the plurality of light sources arranged in the light source unit.

In order to address the above problems, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes a structure of a laser light source in which a plurality of semiconductor laser elements are combined.

In the laser light source disclosed in Patent Document 1, a plurality of semiconductor laser elements are arranged on a plurality of stepped support portions. Accordingly, while suppressing interference between each of the plurality of laser beams from the plurality of semiconductor laser elements and the optical element arranged in the optical path of the other laser beam, the plurality of laser beams are directed to each other in the fast axis direction. A plurality of laser beams are being bundled and propagated adjacent to each other, that is, in the fast axis direction.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-170881

However, in the laser light source described in Patent Document 1, since a plurality of semiconductor laser elements are arranged on stepped support portions having different heights, it is difficult to mount the semiconductor laser elements.

An object of the present disclosure is to solve such problems, and to facilitate mounting of a semiconductor laser element in a semiconductor laser module that bundles and emits a plurality of laser beams.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure is a housing having a bottom surface, a first base disposed on the bottom surface and having a first top surface, and a first base disposed on the first top surface. a first semiconductor laser element having a first light emitting point; a second semiconductor laser element disposed on the first upper surface and having a second light emitting point; and deflecting the first laser light emitted from the first light emitting point. and a second deflection element for deflecting the second laser beam emitted from the second light emitting point, wherein the first top surface is inclined by a first angle larger than 0 with respect to the bottom surface. and the distance of the first light emitting point from the bottom surface is greater than the distance of the second light emitting point from the bottom surface, and the near field pattern of each of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point The longitudinal direction is parallel to the first upper surface.

In this manner, since the first semiconductor laser element and the second semiconductor laser element are mounted on the same surface, mounting can be facilitated. In addition, by making the distances of the light emitting points different from the bottom surface, it is possible to prevent the two laser beams from overlapping each other when the two laser beams are propagated in a direction parallel to the bottom surface.

The longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the semiconductor layers of each semiconductor laser device. perpendicular to the face. Therefore, by making the longitudinal directions of the near-field patterns of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point parallel to the first upper surface, the main surface of the substrate of the semiconductor laser element and the first upper surface are made parallel. , each semiconductor laser element can be mounted. Therefore, mounting of each semiconductor laser element on the first upper surface can be facilitated.

Further, one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure includes a housing having a bottom surface, a first base arranged on the bottom surface and having a first upper surface, a first light emitting point arranged on the first upper surface, and a semiconductor laser element having a second light emitting point; a first deflection element for deflecting the first laser light emitted from the first light emitting point; and a second light emitting point for deflecting the second laser light emitted from the second light emitting point. 2 deflection elements, wherein the first top surface is inclined at a first angle greater than 0 with respect to the bottom surface, and the distance of the first light emitting point from the bottom surface is the distance of the second light emitting point from the bottom surface; A longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is parallel to the first top surface, which is greater than the distance from the bottom surface.

Since the semiconductor laser element having a plurality of light emitting points is mounted on the first upper surface in this manner, mounting can be made easier than when a plurality of semiconductor laser elements are mounted. In addition, by making the distances of the light emitting points different from the bottom surface, it is possible to prevent the two laser beams from overlapping each other when the two laser beams are propagated in a direction parallel to the bottom surface.

In general, the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is perpendicular to the stacking direction of the semiconductor layers of the semiconductor laser device, and the stacking direction is the main surface of the substrate of the semiconductor laser device. is perpendicular to Therefore, by making the longitudinal directions of the near-field patterns of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point parallel to the first upper surface, the main surface of the substrate of the semiconductor laser element and the first upper surface are made parallel. A semiconductor laser element can be mounted on the substrate. Therefore, mounting of the semiconductor laser element on the first upper surface can be facilitated.

Moreover, since the semiconductor laser element has each light emitting point, the distance between the light emitting points can be reduced, so that the size of the semiconductor laser module can be reduced. Moreover, since the semiconductor laser element has each light emitting point, it is possible to reduce the relative positional deviation between the light emitting points.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first angle may be smaller than 57 degrees.

As a result, it is possible to prevent the height from the bottom surface of the semiconductor laser module from becoming too large.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point may be positioned on the same plane parallel to the first upper surface.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first laser beam and the second laser beam may propagate parallel to the bottom surface.

Thereby, the distance from the bottom surface of each of the first laser beam and the second laser beam can be kept constant. Here, since the distances from the bottom surface of the first light-emitting point and the second light-emitting point are different, the respective laser beams propagate parallel to the bottom surface, so that the respective laser beams overlap each other, and the respective laser beams overlap the bottom surface. can be prevented from interfering with Further, when the inclination of the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each laser beam is the first angle, each laser beam propagates parallel to the bottom surface, so that each laser beam extends a certain distance from the first top surface. It can be propagated while maintaining.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first polarized light deflected by the first deflecting element and the second polarized light deflected by the second deflecting element propagate parallel to the bottom surface. may

By propagating each polarized light parallel to the bottom surface, each polarized light can be suppressed from interfering with the bottom surface. If the distances from the bottom surface of each polarized light are different, it is possible to prevent the polarized lights from overlapping each other.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first polarized light may propagate above the second deflection element parallel to the bottom surface.

This makes it possible to arrange the two polarized light beams in the height direction.

Moreover, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, a first condensing element that condenses the first polarized light and the second polarized light may be further provided.

Thereby, the first polarized light and the second polarized light can be converged in a narrower area.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first polarized light and the second polarized light are condensed into an elongated shape by the first condensing element, and the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape is the It may be inclined at the first angle with respect to the bottom surface.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, an optical fiber connected to the housing is further provided, and the first polarized light and the second polarized light are the light arranged inside the housing. It may be focused on one end face of the fiber.

Thereby, the first polarized light and the second polarized light can be propagated to the outside of the housing through one optical fiber.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, it may have a second condensing element arranged between the first light emitting point and the first deflection element.

Thereby, divergence of the first laser light can be suppressed.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the second light collecting element may collimate the first laser light.

As a result, the beam diameter of the first laser light can be maintained at a predetermined value, so that interference of the first laser light with the first upper surface and the like can be suppressed. In addition, since it is necessary to match the size of the first deflecting element with the beam diameter, it is possible to suppress an increase in the size of the first deflecting element by maintaining the beam diameter.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the second light collecting element includes a fast-axis collimator lens that reduces divergence of the first laser light in a direction perpendicular to the first upper surface; a slow-axis collimator lens for reducing divergence of laser light in a direction parallel to the first top surface, the slow-axis collimator lens being disposed between the fast-axis collimator lens and the first deflection element. good.

By providing the fast-axis collimator lens and the slow-axis collimator lens in this way, the first laser light can be collimated in both the fast-axis direction and the slow-axis direction. Also, by arranging the fast-axis collimator lens at a position closer to the light emitting point than the slow-axis collimator lens, the beam diameter in the fast-axis direction, which has a large divergence angle, can be reduced.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the second base is arranged on the bottom surface and has a second upper surface, and the first deflection element and the second deflection element are arranged on the second upper surface. may be placed.

By providing the first base and the second base in this way, each base can be made smaller, and the degree of freedom in the configuration of each base can be increased.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the second top surface may be inclined with respect to the bottom surface.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the second top surface may be inclined at the first angle with respect to the bottom surface.

As a result, the inclination angles of the first upper surface and the second upper surface can be made uniform, thereby facilitating the design and positioning of each element.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first base and the second base may be integrally formed.

As a result, positional deviation between the semiconductor laser element and the deflection element can be suppressed.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the distance from the bottom surface at the position on the second top surface where the first deflection element is arranged is the second distance on which the second deflection element is arranged. It may be greater than the distance from the bottom surface at a location on the top surface.

As a result, each deflection element can be made smaller and the dimensional difference between the deflection elements can be reduced as compared with the case where each deflection element is directly arranged on the bottom surface.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, a surface of the first deflecting element facing the second upper surface and a surface of the second deflecting element facing the second upper surface are arranged with respect to the bottom surface. It may be slanted.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the first deflection element and the second deflection element may be integrally formed.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, each of the first deflection element and the second deflection element may be a mirror.

In one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, each of the first deflection element and the second deflection element may be a prism.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the housing may have a top surface.

Further, in one aspect of the semiconductor laser module according to the present disclosure, the inside of the housing may be an airtight space.

As a result, it is possible to reduce the entry of dust and the like into the housing. Moreover, since the atmosphere in the housing can be stabilized, deterioration of each element can be suppressed.

In one aspect of the laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, the semiconductor laser module is provided, and the first polarized light and the second polarized light are emitted from the other end surface of the optical fiber.

This makes it possible to realize a high-output laser processing apparatus capable of condensing a plurality of laser beams and emitting them from one optical fiber.

According to the present disclosure, in a semiconductor laser module that bundles and emits a plurality of laser beams, mounting of a semiconductor laser element can be facilitated.

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first upper surface of the semiconductor laser module according to the first embodiment. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first semiconductor laser device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the configuration and mounting mode of the first semiconductor laser device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the fast-axis collimator lens according to Embodiment 1. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the slow-axis collimator lens according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser module according to a comparative example. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing features of the configuration of the semiconductor laser module according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing optical paths of laser beams near deflection elements of the semiconductor laser module according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light incident on one end face of the optical fiber according to the first embodiment. 11A is a first side view showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 11B is a plan view of the first upper surface showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 11C is a second side view showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 12A and 12B are diagrams showing the shape of the first deflection element according to Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. FIG. 13 is a side view showing a configuration of a second base on which deflection elements of the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 2 of Embodiment 1 are arranged. FIG. 14 is a side view showing the configuration of each deflection element and the second base of the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 3 of Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 15 is a plan view of the first upper surface of the semiconductor laser module according to the second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing optical paths of laser beams near deflection elements of the semiconductor laser module according to the second embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light incident on one end surface of the optical fiber according to the second embodiment. 18A is a plan view of the first upper surface of the semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 18B is a first side view showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 18C is a second side view showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 19 is a side view showing the position of each light emitting point according to Embodiment 3. FIG. 20A is a plan view of the first upper surface of the semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 20B is a first side view showing the shape of the deflection element array according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 20C is a second side view showing the shape of the deflection element array according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 21 is a side view showing the position of each light emitting point according to Embodiment 4. FIG. 22 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 5. FIG. 23 is a top view showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 5. FIG.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that each of the embodiments described below is a specific example of the present disclosure. Therefore, the numerical values, shapes, materials, constituent elements, and arrangement positions and connection forms of the constituent elements shown in the following embodiments are examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure.

Each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily strictly illustrated. Therefore, the scales and the like are not always the same in each drawing. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the substantially same structure, and the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment 1)
A semiconductor laser module and a laser processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described.

[1-1. overall structure]
First, the overall configuration of the semiconductor laser module according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of a semiconductor laser module 1 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, a perspective view of a disassembled top surface portion 95 of a housing 90 of the semiconductor laser module 1 is shown. In FIG. 1, the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b of the housing 90 of the semiconductor laser module 1 is defined as the Y-axis direction. The direction parallel to the light emission direction is defined as the Z-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Y-axis direction and the Z-axis direction is defined as the X-axis direction. In each figure, the positive direction of the X-axis, the positive direction of the Y-axis, and the positive direction of the Z-axis are drawn in a right-handed coordinate system. The same applies to the figures shown below.

A semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment is a module that bundles and emits a plurality of laser beams. The semiconductor laser module 1 includes a housing 90 , a first base 61 , a first semiconductor laser element 11 , a second semiconductor laser element 12 , a first deflection element 51 and a second deflection element 52 . In this embodiment, the semiconductor laser module 1 includes a third semiconductor laser element 13, a third deflection element 53, submounts 21 to 23, fast axis collimator lenses 31 to 33, slow axis collimator lenses 41 to 43. , a first condensing element 71 , an optical fiber 80 , and an optical fiber holding portion 84 .

The housing 90 is a case that has a bottom surface 93b and accommodates each optical element arranged on the bottom surface 93b. In this embodiment, the inside of the housing 90 is an airtight space. As a result, entry of dust into the housing 90 can be reduced. Moreover, since the atmosphere in the housing 90 can be stabilized, deterioration of each element can be suppressed. The atmosphere inside the housing 90 may be, for example, dry air. The housing 90 is made of, for example, Cu or a Cu-based alloy. The housing 90 has a main body 91 and a top portion 95 . The main body 91 is a bottomed tubular member having an opening, and has a side wall portion 92 and a bottom portion 93 .

The bottom portion 93 is a plate-like portion positioned at the bottom of the housing 90 . The bottom portion 93 has a bottom surface 93 b located inside the housing 90 . In this embodiment, the bottom surface 93b is a rectangular flat surface.

The side wall portion 92 is a wall-like portion erected perpendicularly to the bottom surface 93b on the periphery of the bottom surface 93b. In this embodiment, it is a cylindrical member having a rectangular cross section. An optical fiber 80 held by an optical fiber holding portion 84 is connected to the side wall portion 92 . More specifically, the side wall portion 92 is provided with a hole having a diameter approximately equal to the diameter of the optical fiber holding portion 84 , and the optical fiber holding portion 84 is fixed to the hole. An optical fiber 80 is inserted in the center of the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. One end face of the optical fiber 80 is arranged inside the housing 90 .

The top surface portion 95 is a plate-like portion that covers the opening of the main body 91 . In this embodiment, the top surface portion 95 is a rectangular plate member.

The first base 61 is a member arranged on the bottom surface 93b of the housing 90 and having a first top surface 61t. The first base 61 further has a first bottom surface 61b arranged to face the bottom surface 93b of the housing 90 . The first top surface 61t is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b of the housing 90 by a first angle θ1 greater than zero. In the present embodiment, the first base 61 has a wedge shape (or triangular prism). Here, the first angle θ1 is not particularly limited as long as it is greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, but may be less than 57 degrees. This can prevent the height of the semiconductor laser module 1 from the bottom surface 93b from becoming too large. Also, the first angle θ1 may be 2 degrees or more. By increasing the inclination of the first top surface 61t in this way, the first top surface necessary for making the difference in distance from the bottom surface 93b of the first semiconductor laser element 11 and the second semiconductor laser element 12 to a predetermined value or more is increased. The size of 61t can be reduced.

Although the first upper surface 61t has a planar shape in the present embodiment, it may not be a perfect plane, and may have concave portions, convex portions, or the like formed in part thereof. For example, an alignment mark or the like indicating the arrangement position of each element may be formed on the first upper surface 61t.

The material forming the first base 61 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper.

The configuration of each optical element included in the semiconductor laser module 1 will be described below with reference to FIG. 2 in addition to FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the first upper surface 61t of the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis and parallel to the first upper surface 61t is defined as the X1-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to the Z-axis and the X1-axis is defined as the Y1-axis direction. That is, the angle between the X axis and the X1 axis and the angle between the Y axis and the Y1 axis are the first angle θ1. The same applies to the following figures.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12, and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are arranged on the first upper surface 61t, and have a first light emitting point 11r and a second light emitting point 11r, respectively. 12r and a third light emitting point 13r. From the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r, the first laser light L11, the second laser light L12, and the third laser light L13 are directed parallel to the bottom surface 93b (Fig. 1 and the Z-axis direction in FIG. 2).

In this specification, the state represented by the description “parallel” includes not only a completely parallel state but also a substantially parallel state. For example, the state represented by the description “parallel” also includes a state in which the angle is shifted by about 5 degrees or less from the completely parallel state. The same applies to the description of "perpendicular", and the state represented by the description of "perpendicular" includes not only a completely vertical state but also a substantially vertical state. For example, the state represented by the description “perpendicular” also includes a state in which the angle is shifted by about 5 degrees or less from the completely vertical state.

In this embodiment, the first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12 and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are arranged on the first upper surface 61t via the submounts 21, 22 and 23, respectively. At this time, the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r are arranged at equal intervals in the X1 axis direction. As shown in FIG. 2, an alignment mark Am may be formed on the first upper surface 61t, and each semiconductor laser element may be positioned according to the alignment mark Am.

The first semiconductor laser element 11 will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first semiconductor laser device 11 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing the configuration and mounting mode of the first semiconductor laser device 11 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 shows the emission surface 11e side of the first semiconductor laser element 11 arranged on the first upper surface 61t with the submount 21 interposed therebetween.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the first semiconductor laser element 11 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape and is mounted on a submount 21 . As shown in FIG. 4, the first semiconductor laser element 11 includes an n-side electrode 11en, an n-side semiconductor layer 11n, an active layer 11a, a p-side semiconductor layer 11p, a p-side electrode 11ep, and a current blocking layer. 11i.

The n-side electrode 11en is an electrode connected to the n-side semiconductor layer 11n. The n-side semiconductor layer 11n is a layer mainly including an n-type semiconductor layer. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the n-side semiconductor layer 11n includes a substrate made of an n-type semiconductor. The active layer 11 a is a light emitting layer of the first semiconductor laser element 11 . The p-side semiconductor layer 11p is a layer mainly including a p-type semiconductor layer. The p-side electrode 11ep is an electrode connected to the p-side semiconductor layer 11p. The current blocking layer 11i is an insulating layer for current confinement.

In this embodiment, the first semiconductor laser element 11 is junction-down mounted on the submount 21 . That is, the p-side electrode 11ep on the far side from the n-type substrate is connected to the electrode 21p formed on the submount 21. FIG. On the other hand, the n-side electrode 11en is connected to an electrode 21n formed on the submount 21 via a bonding wire 21w, as shown in FIG. A high potential and a low potential are applied to electrodes 21p and 21n formed on the submount 21 and insulated from each other, respectively. As a result, a voltage is applied to the first semiconductor laser element 11, and the first laser light L11 is emitted from the first light emitting point 11r. Here, the fast axis direction and the slow axis direction of the first laser beam L11 are directions parallel to the Y1 axis and the X1 axis, respectively.

The second semiconductor laser element 12 and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are also mounted on submounts 22 and 23, respectively, in the same manner as the first semiconductor laser element 11. As shown in FIG.

The first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12, and the third semiconductor laser element 13 may each have the same configuration, or may have different configurations. For example, each semiconductor laser element may have semiconductor layers made of different materials and emit laser light with different wavelengths. In this embodiment, each semiconductor laser element is a nitride semiconductor laser element that emits laser light in the ultraviolet or blue wavelength band. As shown in FIG. 2, the cavity length L1 of each semiconductor laser element is, for example, about 4.0 mm, and the width (dimension in the X1-axis direction in FIG. 2) W1 of each semiconductor laser element is, for example, 0 mm. 0.4 mm. Also, the distance D1 between adjacent light emitting points is, for example, about 3.5 mm. Thus, when the distance D1 is relatively large, the difference in height between the light emitting points can be increased even if the first angle θ1 of the first base 61 is small. As in this embodiment, when the distance D1 is 3.5 mm or more, the first angle θ1 may be 3 degrees or more and 12 degrees or less.

The submounts 21 to 23 are members on which semiconductor laser elements are mounted. In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the submount 21 has a plate-like shape, and electrodes 21p and 21n are formed on the upper surface. The submount 21 is made of an insulating material having high thermal conductivity, such as a diamond substrate, a SiC substrate, an AlN substrate, or the like. Although not shown, the submounts 22 and 23 also have the same configuration as the submount 21 . The length of each submount (the length of each semiconductor laser element in the resonator length direction) L2 and the width (dimension in the X1-axis direction in FIG. 2) W2 are, for example, about 4.5 mm and about 2 mm, respectively. 0 mm.

As shown in FIG. 4, the width direction of the submount 21, the width direction of the first semiconductor laser element 11, and the longitudinal direction of the first light emitting point 11r of the first semiconductor laser element 11 are arranged in the same direction as the bottom surface 93b. It is tilted by one angle θ1.

The first deflection element 51 is an element that deflects the first laser beam L11 emitted from the first light emitting point 11r. In the present embodiment, the first deflection element 51 is a mirror, and as shown in FIG. 2, deflects the first laser beam L11 by about 90 degrees in a plane parallel to the bottom surface 93b to L21. More specifically, the first deflecting element 51 is a plane mirror having a planar reflecting surface 51r perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b, and the reflecting surface 51r is inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the first laser beam L11. .

The second deflection element 52 is an element that deflects the second laser beam L12 emitted from the second light emitting point 12r. In the present embodiment, the second deflection element 52 is a mirror, and as shown in FIG. 2, deflects the second laser beam L12 by about 90 degrees in a plane parallel to the bottom surface 93b to obtain the second deflected light beam L12. L22. More specifically, the second deflecting element 52 is a plane mirror having a planar reflecting surface 52r perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b, and the reflecting surface 52r is inclined by 45 degrees with respect to the second laser beam L12. .

The third deflection element 53 is an element that deflects the third laser beam L13 emitted from the third light emitting point 13r. In the present embodiment, the third deflecting element 53 is a mirror, and as shown in FIG. 2, deflects the third laser beam L13 by about 90 degrees in a plane parallel to the bottom surface 93b to obtain the third deflected beam L23. More specifically, the third deflecting element 53 is a plane mirror having a planar reflecting surface 53r perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b, and the reflecting surface 53r is inclined 45 degrees with respect to the third laser beam L13. .

In the present embodiment, each deflection element has a first upper surface so that the distance between the reflecting surfaces 51r and 52r in the X1-axis direction is equal to the distance between the reflecting surfaces 52r and 53r in the X1-axis direction. 61t. For example, it means that the sides of each reflecting surface in contact with the first upper surface 61t are arranged in parallel at regular intervals. In this case, the surface of each deflection element facing the first upper surface 61t is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b. The shape of each deflecting element is a truncated square prism obtained by cutting the lower part of a rectangular parallelepiped with the first upper surface 61t. Further, the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the first top surface 61t where the first deflection element 51 is arranged is greater than the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the first top surface 61t where the second deflection element 52 is arranged. big. Further, the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the first top surface 61t where the second deflection element 52 is arranged is greater than the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the first top surface 61t where the third deflection element 53 is arranged. big.

The configuration of each deflection element will be described in detail later.

The first condensing element 71 is arranged on the optical path of the first polarized light L21 and the second polarized light L22, and is an element that converges the first polarized light L21 and the second polarized light L22. In this embodiment, the first light collecting element 71 also collects the third polarized light L23. The first condensing element 71 is, for example, a spherical lens. The first condensing element 71 can converge the first polarized light L21, the second polarized light L22, and the third polarized light L23 into a narrower area. In this embodiment, the first condensing element 71 is installed on the bottom surface 93b between one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 and each deflection element, and the first condensing element 71 converts these polarized lights into It can be converged on one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 .

The fast-axis collimator lenses 31, 32, and 33 diverge the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13 in a direction perpendicular to the first upper surface 61t (Y1-axis direction in FIG. 2), respectively. It is a decreasing lens and is arranged at regular intervals in the X1 axis direction. When the fast-axis collimator lenses 31, 32 and 33 have the same shape, for example, the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12 and the third laser beam L13 are incident on the first light collecting element 71 side of the plane, respectively. The corners on the upper surface 61t side may be arranged at regular intervals. Also, for example, the space between the fast axis collimator lenses 31 and 32 and the space between the fast axis collimator lenses 32 and 33 may be of the same size. As the fast-axis collimator lenses 31, 32 and 33, collimator lenses having a curvature in a cross section parallel to the optical axis direction of each laser beam and perpendicular to the first upper surface 61t can be used. As the fast-axis collimator lenses 31, 32 and 33, for example, aspherical lenses such as cylindrical lenses can be used.

The fast-axis collimator lens 31 is an example of an element included in the second condensing element arranged between the first light emitting point 11r and the first deflection element 51 and collimating the first laser beam L11. The fast-axis collimator lens 32 is an example of an element included in the second condensing element arranged between the second light emitting point 12r and the second deflection element 52 and collimating the second laser beam L12. The fast-axis collimator lens 33 is an example of an element included in the second condensing element arranged between the third light emitting point 13r and the third deflection element 53 and collimating the third laser beam L13.

A detailed configuration of the fast-axis collimator lenses 31 to 33 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the fast-axis collimator lens 31 according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 also shows the first upper surface 61t, the first semiconductor laser element 11, and the submount 21. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the fast-axis collimator lens 31 has a curvature in a cross section parallel to the optical axis direction of the first laser beam L11 (the Z-axis direction in FIG. 5) and perpendicular to the first upper surface 61t. It is a cylindrical plano-convex lens. A spacer 30S is positioned between the fast axis collimator lens 31 and the first top surface 61t. The spacer 30S facilitates height adjustment of the fast-axis collimator lens 31. FIG.

Note that the fast axis collimator lenses 32 and 33 also have the same configuration as the fast axis collimator lens 31 .

Here, an example of the beam diameter of the first laser light L11 in the example shown in FIG. 5 will be described. For example, a case will be described where the beam diameter of the near-field pattern in the fast axis direction (Y1 axis direction in FIG. 5) of the first laser beam L11 is 2 μm and the spread angle is 55 degrees. Assuming that the center thickness Lt of the fast-axis collimator lens 31 is 0.30 mm and the distance Lg from the emission surface 11e of the first semiconductor laser element 11 to the plane of the fast-axis collimator lens 31 is 0.1 mm, the fast-axis collimator The beam diameter Df in the Y1-axis direction of the first laser beam L11 collimated by the lens 31 is approximately 0.29 mm. It is assumed that the curved surface of the fast-axis collimator lens 31 has an aspheric shape capable of collimating the first laser beam L11.

The slow-axis collimator lenses 41, 42, and 43 diverge the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13 in a direction parallel to the first upper surface 61t (X1-axis direction in FIG. 2), respectively. It is a decreasing lens and is arranged at regular intervals in the X1 axis direction. When the slow-axis collimator lenses 41, 42, and 43 have the same shape, for example, the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13 are incident on the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13. The corners on the upper surface 61t side may be arranged at regular intervals. Also, for example, the interval between the slow-axis collimator lenses 41 and 42 and the interval between the slow-axis collimator lenses 42 and 43 may be the same. As the slow-axis collimator lenses 41, 42, and 43, collimator lenses having a curvature in a cross section parallel to the optical axis direction of each laser beam and parallel to the first upper surface 61t can be used. As the slow-axis collimator lenses 41, 42 and 43, for example, aspherical lenses such as cylindrical lenses can be used. Each of the slow-axis collimator lenses 41, 42 and 43 is an example of an element included in the second condensing element.

A detailed configuration of the slow-axis collimator lenses 41 to 43 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the slow-axis collimator lens 41 according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 shows a planar view of the first upper surface 61t. 6 also shows the first semiconductor laser element 11, the submount 21, and the fast axis collimator lens 31. FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the slow-axis collimator lens 41 is parallel to the optical axis direction of the first laser beam L11 (Z-axis direction in FIG. 6) and parallel to the first upper surface 61t (that is, parallel to the ZX1 plane). It is a cylindrical plano-convex lens that has a curvature in a parallel cross section. Note that the slow-axis collimator lenses 42 and 43 also have the same configuration as the slow-axis collimator lens 41 .

Here, an example of the beam diameter of the first laser beam L11 in the example shown in FIG. 6 will be described. For example, a case where the beam diameter of the near-field pattern in the slow axis direction (the X1 axis direction in FIG. 6) of the first laser beam L11 is 30 μm and the spread angle is 25 degrees will be described. The central thickness of the slow-axis collimator lens 41 is 1.5 mm, and the curved surface of the slow-axis collimator lens 41 extends from the emission surface 11e of the first semiconductor laser element 11 in the optical axis direction (Z-axis direction) of the first laser beam L11. Assuming that the distance Ls to 6.0 mm, the beam diameter Ds in the X1-axis direction of the first laser beam L11 collimated by the slow-axis collimator lens 41 is approximately 2.3 mm. It is assumed that the curved surface of the slow-axis collimator lens 41 has an aspheric shape capable of collimating the first laser beam L11.

As described above, in this embodiment, the second condensing element includes each fast-axis collimator lens and each slow-axis collimator lens. Thereby, each laser beam can be collimated in both the fast axis direction and the slow axis direction.

In this embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of each collimated laser beam also has an elongated shape like the near-field pattern, and the longitudinal direction is the same as the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the second condensing element has fast axis collimator lenses 31 to 33 and slow axis collimator lenses 41 to 43 to collimate each laser beam. Thereby, since the beam diameter of each laser beam can be maintained at a predetermined value, it is possible to suppress interference of each laser beam with the first upper surface and the like. In addition, since it is necessary to match the size of each deflecting element with the beam diameter, maintaining the beam diameter can suppress the enlargement of each deflecting element.

Also, in this embodiment, the slow-axis collimator lens 41 is arranged between the fast-axis collimator lens 31 and the first deflection element 51, as shown in FIGS. Also, the slow axis collimator lens 42 is positioned between the fast axis collimator lens 32 and the second deflection element 52 . Also, the slow axis collimator lens 43 is arranged between the fast axis collimator lens 33 and the third deflection element 53 . By arranging each fast-axis collimator lens at a position closer to the light-emitting point than each slow-axis collimator lens in this way, the beam diameter in the fast-axis direction, which has a large divergence angle, can be reduced.

The optical fiber 80 is a light guide member connected to the housing 90 . As shown in FIG. 1, one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 is arranged inside the housing 90 . In the present embodiment, the first condensing element 71 converges the first polarized light L21, the second polarized light L22, and the third polarized light L23 on the end face 81. FIG. The first polarized light L21, the second polarized light L22, and the third polarized light L23 condensed on the end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 propagate through the optical fiber 80 and exit from the other end face 82 of the optical fiber 80. . Thus, in this embodiment, the first polarized light L21, the second polarized light L22, and the third polarized light L23 can be propagated to the outside of the housing through one optical fiber 80. FIG. Since the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment has the configuration described above, it can be used as a laser processing apparatus. This makes it possible to realize a high-output laser processing apparatus capable of condensing a plurality of laser beams and emitting them from one optical fiber.

[1-2. Action and effect]
Next, main actions and effects of the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10 while comparing with comparative examples. FIG. 7 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser module according to a comparative example. FIG. 7 shows a base 1061, semiconductor laser elements 1011 to 1013, submounts 1021 to 1023, and a bottom surface 1093b of a semiconductor laser module according to the comparative example.

In the semiconductor laser module according to the comparative example, as shown in FIG. 7, semiconductor laser elements 1011 to 1013 are mounted on base 1061 having stepped support portion 1061t arranged on bottom surface 1093b via submounts 1021 to 1023. is implemented. In such a configuration, mounting is difficult because the mounting surfaces of the semiconductor laser elements have different heights. In addition, since a manufacturing error may occur in the height of the stepped support portion 1061t, it is necessary to design the optical system and the like in consideration of the manufacturing error. In addition, since the shape of base 1061 is complicated, manufacturing of base 1061 is also difficult.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12 and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are mounted on the planar first upper surface 61t. be able to. Also, the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each of the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r is parallel to the first upper surface 61t of the first base 61. As shown in FIG. Here, the near-field pattern of each light emitting point will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing the features of the configuration of the semiconductor laser module 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 8 outlines the shapes, positions, and inclinations of the near-field patterns NFP1, NFP2, and NFP3 of the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8, the longitudinal directions of the near-field patterns NFP1, NFP2 and NFP3 of the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r and the third light emitting point 13r are aligned with the first upper surface 61t of the first base 61. As shown in FIG. is parallel to Here, in general, the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each light emitting point is perpendicular to the lamination direction of the semiconductor layers of each semiconductor laser element, and the lamination direction is perpendicular to the main surface of the substrate of the semiconductor laser element. Therefore, by making the longitudinal direction of the near-field pattern of each light-emitting point parallel to the first top surface 61t, each semiconductor laser element can be arranged so that the main surface of the substrate of each semiconductor laser element and the first top surface 61t are parallel to each other. element can be mounted. Therefore, mounting of each semiconductor laser element on the first upper surface can be facilitated.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r are positioned on the same plane P0 parallel to the first upper surface 61t. As a result, the heights of the light emitting points from the first upper surface 61t can be made uniform.

In this manner, each semiconductor laser element can be mounted on the same surface, and the substrate of each semiconductor laser element can be mounted in parallel with the first upper surface 61t, which is the mounting surface. The laser module can be easier to mount than the semiconductor laser module according to the comparative example. In the present embodiment, for example, the first base 61 is maintained in a supported state so that the first upper surface 61t of the first base 61 is horizontal during mounting, so that the first base 61 is mounted on a flat mounting substrate. As always, it can be easily implemented.

Next, optical paths of laser beams in the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the optical path of each laser beam in the vicinity of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 shows a view of each deflecting element and the like from the downstream side of each deflected light. In other words, FIG. 9 shows a view of each deflecting element viewed from the first condensing element 71 in a direction parallel to the optical path of each deflected light. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light incident on one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 according to this embodiment. FIG. 10 shows the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light when one end face 81 is viewed from the other end face 82 side of the optical fiber 80 . FIG. 10 also shows the AS axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cross-sectional shape of each polarized beam, and the AF axis perpendicular to the AS axis.

In the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the distance H1 from the bottom surface 93b of the first light emitting point 11r is greater than the distance H2 from the bottom surface 93b of the second light emitting point 12r. . Also, the distance H2 from the bottom surface 93b of the second light emitting point 12r is greater than the distance H3 from the bottom surface 93b of the third light emitting point 13r. In this way, by varying the distance from the bottom surface 93b of each light emitting point, it is possible to prevent the laser beams from overlapping each other when the laser beams are propagated in a direction parallel to the bottom surface 93b. Further, by deflecting each laser beam in a direction parallel to the bottom surface 93b by each deflection element, each laser beam can be bundled in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b.

Also, as shown in FIG. 8 , the longitudinal direction of each near-field pattern is parallel to the first upper surface 61 t of the first base 61 . As described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, each collimated laser beam also has an elongated cross-sectional shape with its longitudinal direction parallel to the first upper surface 61t, like each near-field pattern. Therefore, in each deflection element, the longitudinal direction of the cross-sectional shape of each laser beam is also parallel to the first upper surface 61t. Therefore, the longitudinal direction of the cross-sectional shape of each deflected light beam deflected by each deflection element is inclined at a first angle θ1 with respect to the bottom surface 93b, as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 10, each polarized light beam deflected by each deflecting element in this state is condensed into an elongated shape by the first light condensing element 71. direction) is inclined at a first angle θ1 with respect to the bottom surface 93b.

Further, as described above, the laser light emitted from each semiconductor laser element propagates parallel to the bottom surface 93b. Thereby, the distance from the bottom surface 93b of each laser beam can be kept constant. Here, since the distance from the bottom surface 93b of each light emitting point is different, each laser beam propagates in parallel with the bottom surface 93b, so that each laser beam overlaps each other and each laser beam interferes with the bottom surface 93b. can be suppressed. Further, when the inclination of the near-field pattern of each laser beam in the longitudinal direction is the first angle θ1, each laser beam propagates in parallel with the bottom surface 93b, so that each laser beam is uniformly distributed from the first upper surface 61t. can be propagated while maintaining a distance of

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 8, in this embodiment, each polarized light propagates parallel to the bottom surface 93b. Thus, each polarized light propagates parallel to the bottom surface 93b, thereby suppressing interference of each polarized light with the bottom surface 93b. Moreover, in the present embodiment, since the distances from the bottom surface 93b of the respective polarized light beams are different, it is possible to suppress the overlapping of the respective polarized light beams. 8 and 9, the first polarized light L21 propagates above the second polarized light L22 parallel to the bottom surface 93b, and the second polarized light L22 propagates above the third polarized light L23. propagates parallel to the bottom surface 93b. This makes it possible to arrange the respective polarized lights in the height direction.

[1-3. Modification 1]
Next, a semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1 of the present embodiment will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to this modification is different from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to Embodiment 1 in the shape of each deflection element, but is the same in other respects. The semiconductor laser module according to this modification will be described below with reference to FIGS. 11A to 12, focusing on differences from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment.

11A, 11B, and 11C are a first side view, a plan view, and a second side view, respectively, showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to this modification. FIG. 11A shows a view of each deflection element and the like in the X-axis direction from the downstream side of each polarized light. FIG. 11B shows a plan view of each deflection element and the like in a plan view of the first upper surface 61t. FIG. 11C shows a view of each deflecting element and the like in the Z-axis direction from the upstream side of each laser beam. In FIG. 11C, only the deflection elements, the first base 61 and the bottom surface 93b are shown, and the semiconductor laser elements, slow-axis collimator lenses, etc. are omitted.

As shown in FIG. 11B, the arrangement positions of the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a, and the third deflecting element 53a according to this modification are the same as those of the first deflecting element 51a according to Embodiment 1 shown in FIG. The arrangement positions of the deflection element 51 , the second deflection element 52 and the third deflection element 53 are the same. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11C, the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a, and the third deflecting element 53a according to this modified example have the shapes near the upper surfaces 51at, 52at, and 53at, respectively, which are similar to those shown in FIG. is different from each deflecting element according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. Here, each upper surface is the surface of each deflection element that is not in contact with the first upper surface 61t. In other words, the top surface of each deflecting element is the surface of each deflecting element that has the greatest distance from the bottom surface 93b. In this modification, the side where the top surface of each deflecting element and the reflecting surface are in contact is formed along the slope of the cross-sectional shape of the deflected light, that is, parallel to the slope of the first top surface 61t. It is formed parallel to the side where the bottom surface of the deflecting element and the reflecting surface are in contact with each other. Thereby, the polarized light propagating above each deflecting element can be more reliably prevented from interfering with each deflecting element. In other words, even when the difference in distance from the bottom surface 93b of each polarized light is small, interference between each polarized light and each deflection element can be suppressed.

Here, the shape of the first deflection element 51a according to this modified example will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the shape of the first deflection element 51a according to this modification. FIG. 12 shows a top view (a), side views (b) to (d), and a bottom view (e) of the first deflection element 51a. The side view (c) of FIG. 12 is a view of the first deflecting element 51a seen from a direction perpendicular to its reflecting surface 51ar. Here, the X-axis direction and the Z-axis direction in the side view (c) are directions diagonally 45 degrees into the paper surface. The X-axis direction in the side view (b) is a direction diagonally 45 degrees toward the back of the page, and the Z-axis direction is a direction diagonally 45 degrees toward the front of the page. The X-axis direction in the side view (d) is the direction diagonally 45 degrees toward the front of the paper, and the Z-axis direction is the direction diagonal 45 degrees toward the back of the paper. The bottom surface 51ab of the first deflection element 51a is inclined upward at an angle θ1 toward the maximum inclination direction (X-axis direction) with respect to the horizontal direction (direction parallel to the bottom surface 93b). As shown in the side view (b), the bottom surface 51ab of the first deflection element 51a extends from the reflecting surface 51ar toward the surface opposite to the reflecting surface 51ar with respect to the horizontal direction (direction parallel to the bottom surface 93b). , is inclined upward at an angle θ3 in a direction perpendicular to the reflecting surface 51ar. Further, as shown in the side view (c), the side where the reflecting surface 51ar and the bottom surface 51ab contact is inclined upward at an angle θ3 with respect to the horizontal direction. As a result, when the reflecting surface 51ar is rotated by 45° with respect to the maximum inclination direction of the first top surface 61t, and the first deflection element 51a is installed on the first top surface 61t, the reflecting surface 51ar is perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b. , a reflective surface 51ar can be installed. Further, the upper surface 51at of the first deflection element 51a is formed to be inclined downward at an angle θ3 with respect to the horizontal direction from the reflecting surface 51ar toward the surface opposite to the reflecting surface 51ar. Thereby, interference between the polarized light deflected by the second deflection element 52a and the upper surface 51at can be suppressed. Here, the angle θ3 is represented by the following formula (1) in this modified example.

The top surface 52at and bottom surface 52ab of the second deflection element 52a and the top surface 53at and bottom surface 53ab of the third deflection element 53a may have the same configuration as the first deflection element 51a. Thereby, interference between each polarized light and each deflection element can be suppressed.

[1-4. Modification 2]
Next, a semiconductor laser module according to Modification 2 of the present embodiment will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to this modification differs from the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1 in the structure of the base on which each deflecting element is arranged, and is the same in other respects. The semiconductor laser module according to this modification will be described below with reference to FIG. 13, focusing on the differences from the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 1. FIG.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the configuration of the second base 62 on which each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to this modification is arranged. FIG. 13 shows a view of the second base 62 from the downstream side of each polarized light.

As shown in FIG. 13, the semiconductor laser module according to this modification includes a second base 62 arranged on a bottom surface 93b and having a second top surface 62t. In this embodiment, the second upper surface 62t is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b. Although the inclination angle of the second upper surface 62t is not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, the second upper surface 62t is inclined at the first angle θ1 with respect to the bottom surface 93b, like the first upper surface 61t. As a result, the inclination angles of the first upper surface 61t and the second upper surface 62t can be made uniform, thereby facilitating the design and positioning of each element. Also, since the second top surface 62t is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b, the surface of each deflection element facing the second top surface 62t is inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b.

The material forming the second base 62 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper.

A first deflecting element 51a, a second deflecting element 52a, and a third deflecting element 53a are arranged on the second upper surface 62t of the second base 62. As shown in FIG. Since the second top surface 62t of the second base 62 is inclined as described above, the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the second top surface 62t where the first deflection element 51a is arranged is It is larger than the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the second top surface 62t arranged. Further, the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the second top surface 62t where the second deflection element 52a is arranged is greater than the distance from the bottom surface 93b at the position on the second top surface 62t where the third deflection element 53a is arranged. big. As a result, compared with the case where each deflection element is directly arranged on the bottom surface 93b, the size of each deflection element can be reduced, and the difference in the dimensions of each deflection element can be reduced. The shape of each deflection element is the same as that of the first modification.

As described above, in the semiconductor laser module according to this modified example, by providing the first base 61 and the second base 62, each base can be made smaller, and the degree of freedom in the configuration of each base can be increased. can be done. Note that the first base 61 and the second base 62 may be formed integrally. Thereby, the positional deviation between each semiconductor laser element and each deflection element can be suppressed.

[1-5. Modification 3]
Next, a semiconductor laser module according to Modification 3 of the present embodiment will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to this modification differs from the semiconductor laser module according to Modification 2 in the shape of the second base and each deflecting element, but is the same in other respects. The semiconductor laser module according to this modified example will be described below with reference to FIG. 14, focusing on the differences from the semiconductor laser module according to the second modified example.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing the configuration of each deflection element and the second base 62b of the semiconductor laser module according to this modification. FIG. 14 shows a view of the second base 62b from the downstream side of each polarized light.

As shown in FIG. 14, the semiconductor laser module according to this modification includes a second base 62b arranged on the bottom surface 93b. The second base 62b has a stepped shape. The second base 62b has three support surfaces 62t1, 62t2 and 62t3 that are parallel to the bottom surface 93b and have different distances from the bottom surface 93b. The distance from the bottom surface 93b to each support surface decreases in order of the support surfaces 62t1, 62t2 and 62t3. A first deflection element 51a1, a second deflection element 52a1 and a third deflection element 53a1 are arranged on the support surfaces 62t1, 62t2 and 62t3, respectively. In FIG. 14, the first base 61 and the second base 62b are arranged apart from each other. If so, they may be joined together without separation.

The first deflecting element 51a1, the second deflecting element 52a1, and the third deflecting element 53a1 according to the present embodiment differ from the first deflecting element 51a according to Modified Example 1 in the shape of the surface facing each supporting surface of the second base 62b. , the second deflection element 52a and the third deflection element 53a, respectively. A surface of each deflecting element according to this modified example that faces each support surface is a plane parallel to the bottom surface 93b.

As described above, in the semiconductor laser module according to this modified example, by providing the first base 61 and the second base 62b, each base can be made smaller, and the degree of freedom in the configuration of each base can be increased. can be done. Note that the first base 61 and the second base 62b may be integrally formed.

(Embodiment 2)
A semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment differs from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment mainly in the arrangement of deflection elements. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17, focusing on differences from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a plan view of the first upper surface 61t of the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment. Although not shown in FIG. 15, the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment also includes a housing 90, an optical fiber 80, and an optical fiber holding portion 84, like the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment. . FIG. 16 is a diagram showing optical paths of laser beams in the vicinity of deflection elements of the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light incident on one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 according to this embodiment. FIG. 17 shows the cross-sectional shape of each polarized light when one end face 81 is viewed from the other end face 82 side of the optical fiber 80 . FIG. 17 also shows the AS axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the cross-sectional shape of each polarized beam and the AF axis perpendicular to the AS axis.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, in the present embodiment, each deflecting element is composed of a first deflecting element 51, a second deflecting element 52, and a third deflecting element 52 from the side farther from the first light collecting element 71 in the X1-axis direction. The deflecting elements 53 are arranged in order such that the distance between the reflecting surfaces 51r and 52r is equal to the distance between the reflecting surfaces 52r and 53r. In addition, the deflection elements are arranged in the order of the first deflection element 51, the second deflection element 52, and the third deflection element 53 from the side farthest from the first light collecting element 71 in the X1 axis direction in the optical axis direction of each laser beam (that is, , Z-axis direction in FIGS. 15 and 16) so as to approach the corresponding semiconductor laser element. That is, the distance between the first light emitting point 11r and the reflecting surface 51r in the Z-axis direction is greater than the distance between the second light emitting point 12r and the reflecting surface 52r, and the distance between the second light emitting point 12r and the reflecting surface 52r is the third It is larger than the distance between the light emitting point 13r and the reflecting surface 53r. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 17, the intervals in the Z-axis direction between adjacent polarized light beams incident on one end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 are equal.

The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment also has the same effect as the semiconductor laser module according to the embodiment.

Further, in the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment, for example, the positions in the Z-axis direction of the first polarized light L21 and the second polarized light L22 can be made different. can be shifted from the optical path of the first polarized light L21. Therefore, interference between the first polarized light L21 and the second deflection element 52 can be reduced. Similarly, interference between the first polarized light L21 and the second polarized light L22 and the third deflection element 53 can be reduced.

Further, in this embodiment, since the Z-axis direction position of each polarized light beam can be changed, the Z-axis direction position of each polarized light beam on one end surface 81 of the optical fiber 80 can be adjusted.

(Embodiment 3)
A semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to this embodiment differs from the semiconductor laser module according to the second embodiment in the configuration of the submount and deflection element. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 18A to 19, focusing on differences from the semiconductor laser module according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 18A is a plan view of the first upper surface 61t of the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment. 18B and 18C are a first side view and a second side view, respectively, showing the shape of each deflection element of the semiconductor laser module according to this embodiment. FIG. 18B shows a view of each deflection element and the like in the X-axis direction from the downstream side of each polarized light. FIG. 18C shows a view of each deflecting element and the like in the Z-axis direction from the upstream side of each laser beam. In FIG. 18C, only the deflecting elements, the first base 61 and the bottom surface 93b are shown, and the semiconductor laser elements, slow-axis collimator lenses, etc. are omitted. Although not shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C, the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment also has a housing 90, an optical fiber 80, and an optical fiber holding portion in the same manner as the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment. 84. FIG. 19 is a side view showing the position of each light emitting point according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 18A to 18C, the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a, and the third deflecting element 53a used in the present embodiment are the same as those used in Modification 1 of Embodiment 1. It has the same shape as the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a and the third deflecting element 53a. As in the second embodiment, the deflecting elements used in this embodiment are the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a, and the third deflecting element from the side farthest from the first light collecting element 71 in the X1 axis direction. In the order of 53a, the distance between the reflecting surfaces 51ar and 52ar is arranged to be equal to the distance between the reflecting surfaces 52ar and 53ar. In addition, each deflecting element is arranged in the order of the first deflecting element 51a, the second deflecting element 52a, and the third deflecting element 53a from the side farther from the first light collecting element 71 in the X1 axis direction. Z-axis direction in FIGS. 18A to 18C) is arranged so as to approach the corresponding semiconductor laser element. That is, the distance between the first light emitting point 11r and the reflecting surface 51ar in the Z-axis direction is greater than the distance between the second light emitting point 12r and the reflecting surface 52ar, and the distance between the second light emitting point 12r and the reflecting surface 52ar is the third It is larger than the distance between the light emitting point 13r and the reflecting surface 53ar.

As shown in FIGS. 18A to 19, in the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment, a submount 120 on which the first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12 and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are arranged. Prepare. That is, the first semiconductor laser element 11 , the second semiconductor laser element 12 and the third semiconductor laser element 13 are mounted on one submount 120 .

The shape of the submount 120 is not particularly limited, but may be a rectangular parallelepiped. The length L2, width W2, and thickness of the submount are, for example, approximately 4.5 mm, approximately 10 mm, and approximately 0.2 mm, respectively.

Further, in the present embodiment, the distance D1 between adjacent light emitting points is, for example, about 1 mm or more and less than 3.5 mm. Thus, when the distance D1 is about this level, the difference in height between the light emitting points can be ensured when the first angle θ1 of the first base 61 is large to some extent. As in this embodiment, when the distance D1 is about 1 mm or more and less than 3.5 mm, the first angle θ1 may be 4 degrees or more and 18 degrees or less.

In this embodiment, by arranging a plurality of semiconductor laser elements on a common submount 120, misalignment between the semiconductor laser elements can be reduced. Also, the process of mounting the submount 120 can be simplified. Arranging a plurality of semiconductor laser elements on the submount 120 having such a simple shape is impossible with a base 1061 having a stepped support portion as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, such use of the submount 120 can be realized by arranging each semiconductor laser element on the planar first upper surface 61t.

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, also in the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment, similarly to the semiconductor laser module according to the first embodiment, the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r and the third light emitting point 11r The point 13r is located on the same plane P0 parallel to the first upper surface 61t. As a result, the heights of the light emitting points from the first upper surface 61t can be made uniform.

(Embodiment 4)
A semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 4 will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment differs from the semiconductor laser module according to the third embodiment in that it includes a semiconductor laser element having a plurality of light emitting points. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 20A to 21, focusing on differences from the semiconductor laser module according to the third embodiment.

FIG. 20A is a plan view of the first upper surface 61t of the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment. 20B and 20C are a first side view and a second side view showing the shape of deflection element array 150 according to this embodiment. FIG. 20B shows a view of each deflection element and the like in the X-axis direction from the downstream side of each polarized light. FIG. 18C shows a view of each deflecting element and the like in the Z-axis direction from the upstream side of each laser beam. Although not shown in FIG. 20A, the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment also includes a housing 90, an optical fiber 80, and an optical fiber holding portion 84, like the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment. . FIG. 21 is a side view showing the position of each light emitting point according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 20A and 21, the semiconductor laser module according to this embodiment includes a first base 61, a semiconductor laser element 110, a submount 120, a fast axis collimator lens 130 and a slow axis collimator lens array. 140 , a deflecting element array 150 and a first condensing element 71 . The side surface of the first base 61 according to the present embodiment (the side surface when viewed in the Z-axis direction) is trapezoidal. Moreover, although not shown in FIGS. 20A to 21, the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment includes a housing 90, an optical fiber 80 and an optical fiber holding portion, similarly to the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment. 84 is further provided.

The semiconductor laser device 110 according to the present embodiment is arranged on the first upper surface 61t of the first base 61 and has a first light emitting point 11r, a second light emitting point 12r and a third light emitting point 13r. In other words, the semiconductor laser device 110 is a multi-emitter semiconductor laser device. Although the dimensions of the semiconductor laser element 110 are not particularly limited, the distance D1 between adjacent light emitting points in the semiconductor laser element 110 is, for example, about 1 mm, and the cavity length L1 is about 4 mm. In this embodiment, semiconductor laser element 110 is arranged on first upper surface 61t via submount 120 .

In this embodiment, the distance D1 between adjacent light emitting points is about 1 mm, which is relatively small. Thus, when the distance D1 is relatively small, it is necessary to increase the first angle θ1 of the first base 61 in order to secure the height difference between the light emitting points. As in the present embodiment, when the distance D1 is about 1 mm or less, the first angle θ1 may be 6 degrees or more and 57 degrees or less.

As shown in FIG. 21, also in this embodiment, similarly to the semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 1, the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r are arranged on the first upper surface. located on the same plane P0 parallel to 61t. As a result, the heights of the light emitting points from the first upper surface 61t can be made uniform.

Although not shown, in the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment, similarly to the semiconductor laser module according to the first embodiment, each of the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r and the third light emitting point 13r are parallel to the first top surface 61 t of the first base 61 .

As described above, according to the semiconductor laser device 110 according to the present embodiment, only one semiconductor laser device needs to be mounted on the submount 120. Therefore, when a plurality of semiconductor laser devices are individually mounted on the submount 120, Therefore, the mounting process can be simplified. Further, according to the semiconductor laser device 110 of the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the positional deviation between the light emitting points.

The fast-axis collimator lens 130 according to the present embodiment includes a first laser beam L11, a second laser beam L12, and a third laser beam L12 emitted from the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r, and the third light emitting point 13r, respectively. It is a lens that reduces the divergence of the light L13 in the fast axis direction (the direction perpendicular to the first upper surface 61t). As the fast-axis collimator lens 130, a collimator lens having a curvature in a cross section parallel to the optical axis direction of each laser beam and perpendicular to the first upper surface 61t can be used. As the fast-axis collimator lens 130, for example, an aspherical lens such as a cylindrical lens can be used. The fast-axis collimator lens 130 is an example of a second condensing element that collimates the fast-axis direction of each laser beam. In the present embodiment, the distance D1 between the light emitting points is as small as about 1 mm, and the relative positional deviation between the light emitting points is reduced. As a result, the configuration of the semiconductor laser module can be simplified, and the adjustment process such as optical axis adjustment can also be simplified.

The slow-axis collimator lens array 140 is a lens that reduces the divergence of the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13 in the direction parallel to the first upper surface 61t (X1-axis direction in FIG. 2). . The slow-axis collimator lens array 140 is a lens array in which three slow-axis collimator lenses 141, 142 and 143 are arranged and integrated in the arrangement direction of the first light emitting point 11r, the second light emitting point 12r and the third light emitting point 13r. is. The slow-axis collimator lenses 141, 142, and 143 are examples of second condensing elements that collimate the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13, respectively. In this embodiment, the three slow-axis collimator lenses 141, 142 and 143 can be integrated because the positional deviation between the light emitting points is reduced. As a result, the configuration of the semiconductor laser module can be simplified, and the adjustment process such as optical axis adjustment can also be simplified.

The deflection element array 150 is directly arranged on the bottom surface 93b of the housing 90 as shown in FIGS. 20B and 20C, and as shown in FIG. It is an element that deflects L13. The deflection element array 150 is an array in which the first deflection element 151, the second deflection element 152 and the third deflection element 153 are integrated. In the present embodiment, each deflection element is a mirror, and as shown in FIG. 20A, each laser light is deflected by approximately 90 degrees in a plane parallel to the bottom surface 93b to obtain each polarized light. More specifically, each deflecting element is a plane mirror having a planar reflecting surface perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b, and the reflecting surface is tilted 45 degrees with respect to the first laser beam L11.

In this embodiment, deflection element array 150 has a stepped shape. Each deflection element is integrated by arranging each deflection element at each stepped portion of the deflection element array 150 . The configuration for integrating the first deflecting element 151, the second deflecting element 152, and the third deflecting element 153 is not particularly limited. For example, the first deflecting element 151, the second deflecting element 152, and the third deflecting element 153 may be integrated by being connected by a plate-shaped member arranged facing the bottom surface 93b. Also, the first deflecting element 151 , the second deflecting element 152 and the third deflecting element 153 may be arranged on the first upper surface 61 t of the first base 61 . In this case, the first deflecting element 151, the second deflecting element 152, and the third deflecting element 153 may be integrated by being connected by a plate-shaped member arranged to face the first upper surface 61t.

Since the semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment has the above configuration, the same effects as those of the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the semiconductor laser element 110 has each light emitting point, the distance D1 between the light emitting points can be reduced, so the size of the semiconductor laser module can be reduced. Specifically, the distance from the emission surface of the semiconductor laser element 110 to the fast axis collimator lens 130 can be set to, for example, about 0.03 mm. Also, the distance from the emission surface of the semiconductor laser element 110 to the emission surface of the slow-axis collimator lens array 140 can be set to, for example, about 2.0 mm.

Moreover, since the semiconductor laser element 110 has each light emitting point, it is possible to reduce the relative positional deviation between the light emitting points. As a result, for example, positional adjustment between the slow-axis collimator lenses becomes unnecessary, so that three slow-axis collimator lenses can be integrated. As a result, the configuration of the semiconductor laser module can be simplified, and the adjustment process such as optical axis adjustment can also be simplified. The same can be said for the first deflecting element 151, the second deflecting element 152 and the third deflecting element 153 as well as the three slow-axis collimator lenses.

(Embodiment 5)
A semiconductor laser module according to Embodiment 5 will be described. The semiconductor laser module according to this embodiment differs from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment mainly in that a refractive optical element is used as a deflection element. The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23, focusing on differences from the semiconductor laser module 1 according to the first embodiment.

22 and 23 are a perspective view and a top view showing the configuration of a semiconductor laser module 201 according to this embodiment. FIG. 23 shows the configuration of the semiconductor laser module 201 in a top view of the bottom surface 93b.

As shown in FIGS. 22 and 23, the semiconductor laser module 201 according to this embodiment includes a first base 61, a first semiconductor laser element 11, a second semiconductor laser element 12, and a first deflection element 251. , 256 and second deflection elements 252 and 257 . In this embodiment, the semiconductor laser module 201 includes the third semiconductor laser element 13, the third optical element 258, the fast-axis collimator lenses 31-33, the slow-axis collimator lenses 41-43, and the first condensing element. 71 , an optical fiber holding portion 84 , an optical fiber 80 and a housing 90 . 22 and 23, only the bottom portion 93 of the housing 90 is shown, and the side wall portion 92 and the top surface portion 95 are omitted.

In this embodiment, the first deflection elements 251 and 256 and the second deflection elements 252 and 257 respectively deflect the first laser beam L11 and the second laser beam L12 by refraction. The first deflecting elements 251, 256 and the second deflecting elements 252, 257 are prisms, for example. More specifically, the first deflecting elements 251 and 256 and the second deflecting elements 252 and 257 are, for example, polygonal prisms such as triangular prisms and square prisms having an incident surface and an exit surface. The exit surface is perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b. The incident surface and the exit surface form an acute angle and have a wedge shape.

In this embodiment, the third semiconductor laser element 13 is arranged on the optical axis of the first light collecting element 71 in the top view of FIG. The third laser beam L13 emitted from the third semiconductor laser element 13 does not enter the deflection element. On the other hand, the first laser beam L11 and the second laser beam L12 emitted from the first semiconductor laser element 11 and the second semiconductor laser element 12, which are not arranged on the optical axis of the first light collecting element 71, respectively, are reflected by the deflection elements. , and each deflection element is arranged so that the optical axis overlaps with the third laser beam L13 in the top view of FIG.

In the above configuration, the first laser beam L11, the second laser beam L12, and the third laser beam L13 do not overlap in the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b. The laser beams emitted from the first semiconductor laser element 11, the second semiconductor laser element 12, and the third semiconductor laser element 13 and having the longitudinal direction of the cross section at a predetermined angle with respect to the bottom surface 93b are Light is focused in an elongated shape on the end face 81 of the optical fiber 80 . Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape is inclined at a first angle θ1 with respect to the bottom surface 93b, and arranged in a shape aligned in the vertical direction of the drawing (that is, the direction perpendicular to the bottom surface 93b). be done.

In other words, even if a refractive optical element is used like the deflection element of this embodiment, the same effects as those of the other embodiments can be achieved.

More specifically, the third optical element 258 is a prism (for example, a rectangular parallelepiped prism) whose entrance surface and exit surface are perpendicular to the optical axis of the first light collecting element 71, and is fixed to the bottom 93. be. The third laser light L13 emitted from the third semiconductor laser element 13 passes through the slow-axis collimator lens 43 and the third optical element 258, and is condensed onto the end surface 81 of the optical fiber 80 by the first condensing element 71. . Here, the third optical element 258 has a function of adjusting the optical path length of the third laser beam L13 and a function of fixing the second deflection element 257 arranged above. The third optical element 258 may have an aperture shape in which the portion through which the third laser beam L13 passes is a gap (that is, an aperture).

In this embodiment, the first deflecting element 251 is a triangular prism, and the acute angle between the incident surface and the exit surface is directed farther from the optical axis of the first light collecting element 71 (that is, , so that the distance between the incident surface and the exit surface of the first deflecting element 251 decreases as the distance from the optical axis of the first light condensing element 71 increases. The first deflecting element 256 is a triangular prism, and is fixed on the second deflecting element 257 so that the acute angle formed by the incident surface and the emitting surface faces away from the optical axis of the first semiconductor laser element 11 . be. The first deflection element 251 deflects the first laser beam L11 so as to approach the optical axis of the first condensing element 71, and the first deflection element 256 deflects the first laser beam L11 to the first condensing element 71. is polarized so as to propagate parallel to the optical axis of , and is incident on the first light collecting element 71 .

In this embodiment, the second deflecting element 252 is a rectangular prism and is fixed to the bottom 93 . The second deflection element 257 is, for example, a triangular prism and is fixed on the third optical element 258 . The second laser light L12 is deflected by the second deflecting elements 252 and 257 in the same manner as the first laser light L11, and enters the first condensing element 71. As shown in FIG.

Note that the first deflection element 251 and the second deflection element 252 may be arranged on the first upper surface 61t. In this case, the surface of each deflection element facing the first upper surface 61t is formed to be inclined with respect to the bottom surface 93b.

The semiconductor laser module according to the present embodiment having the configuration as described above also has the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

(Modified example, etc.)
As described above, the semiconductor laser module and the laser processing apparatus according to the present disclosure have been described based on the respective embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in each of the above embodiments, the semiconductor laser module has three light emitting points, but the number of light emitting points is not limited to three. The number of light emitting points may be plural.

In addition, it is realized by arbitrarily combining the constituent elements and functions of the above embodiments without departing from the scope of the present disclosure, as well as the forms obtained by applying various modifications that a person skilled in the art can think of for the above embodiments. Any form is also included in the present disclosure.

The semiconductor laser module of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, a laser processing apparatus as a high-output and high-efficiency light source.

Reference Signs List 1, 201 semiconductor laser module 11 first semiconductor laser element 12 second semiconductor laser element 13 third semiconductor laser element 11e emitting surface 11r first light emitting point 12r second light emitting point 13r third light emitting point 21, 22, 23, 120, 1021, 1022, 1023 submount 21n, 21p electrode 21w bonding wire 30S spacer 31, 32, 33, 130 fast axis collimator lens 41, 42, 43, 141, 142, 143 slow axis collimator lens 51, 51a, 51a1, 151, 251, 256 First deflection elements 51ab, 52ab, 53ab Bottom surfaces 51at, 52at, 53at Top surfaces 51r, 52r, 53r, 51ar, 52ar, 53ar Reflective surfaces 52, 52a, 52a1, 152, 252, 257 Second deflection elements 53, 53a , 53a1, 153 third deflection element 61 first base 61b first bottom surface 61t first top surface 62, 62b second base 62t second top surface 62t1, 62t2, 62t3 support surface 71 first light collecting element 80 optical fiber 81, 82 end surface 84 optical fiber holding portion 90 housing 91 main body 92 side wall portion 93 bottom portion 93b bottom surface 95 top surface portion 110, 1011, 1012, 1013 semiconductor laser element 140 slow-axis collimator lens array 150 deflection element array 258 third optical element 1061 base 1061t support portion 1093b Bottom NFP1, NFP2, NFP3 Near field pattern

Claims (25)

a housing having a bottom surface;
a first base disposed on the bottom surface and having a first top surface;
a semiconductor laser element disposed on the first upper surface and having a first light emitting point and a second light emitting point;
a first deflection element that deflects the first laser light emitted from the first light emitting point;
a second deflection element that deflects the second laser light emitted from the second light emitting point ;
a first light collecting element that collects the first polarized light deflected by the first deflecting element and the second polarized light deflected by the second deflecting element;
the first top surface is inclined at a first angle greater than 0 with respect to the bottom surface;
the distance of the first light emitting point from the bottom surface is greater than the distance of the second light emitting point from the bottom surface;
A semiconductor laser module in which a longitudinal direction of each of the near-field patterns of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is parallel to the first upper surface. a housing having a bottom surface;
a first base disposed on the bottom surface and having a first top surface;
a submount disposed on the first top surface;
a first semiconductor laser element mounted on the submount and having a first light emitting point;
a second semiconductor laser element mounted on the submount and having a second light emitting point;
a first deflection element that deflects the first laser light emitted from the first light emitting point;
a second deflection element that deflects the second laser light emitted from the second light emitting point ;
a first light collecting element that collects the first polarized light deflected by the first deflecting element and the second polarized light deflected by the second deflecting element;
the first top surface is inclined with respect to the bottom surface by a first angle greater than zero;
the distance of the first light emitting point from the bottom surface is greater than the distance of the second light emitting point from the bottom surface;
A semiconductor laser module in which a longitudinal direction of each of the near-field patterns of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is parallel to the first upper surface. a housing having a bottom surface;
a first base disposed on the bottom surface and having a first top surface;
a first semiconductor laser element disposed on the first upper surface and having a first light emitting point;
a second semiconductor laser element disposed on the first upper surface and having a second light emitting point;
a first deflection element that deflects the first laser light emitted from the first light emitting point;
a second deflection element that deflects the second laser light emitted from the second light emitting point ;
a first light collecting element that collects the first polarized light deflected by the first deflecting element and the second polarized light deflected by the second deflecting element;
the first top surface is inclined with respect to the bottom surface by a first angle greater than zero;
the distance of the first light emitting point from the bottom surface is greater than the distance of the second light emitting point from the bottom surface;
A semiconductor laser module in which a longitudinal direction of each of the near-field patterns of the first light emitting point and the second light emitting point is parallel to the first upper surface. 4. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein said first angle is smaller than 57 degrees. 5. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein said first light emitting point and said second light emitting point are positioned on the same plane parallel to said first upper surface. 6. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein said first laser beam and said second laser beam propagate parallel to said bottom surface. 7. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1 , wherein said first polarized light and said second polarized light propagate parallel to said bottom surface. 8. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 7, wherein said first polarized light propagates above said second deflecting element parallel to said bottom surface. The first polarized light and the second polarized light are condensed into an elongated shape by the first condensing element,
The semiconductor laser module according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the longitudinal direction of the elongated shape is inclined at the first angle with respect to the bottom surface. further comprising an optical fiber connected to the housing,
10. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein said first polarized light and said second polarized light are focused on one end surface of said optical fiber arranged inside said housing. 11. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, further comprising a second condensing element arranged between said first light emitting point and said first deflection element. 12. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 11 , wherein said second condensing element collimates said first laser light. The second condensing element is
a fast-axis collimator lens that reduces divergence of the first laser light in a direction perpendicular to the first top surface;
a slow-axis collimator lens that reduces divergence of the first laser light in a direction parallel to the first top surface;
13. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 12 , wherein said slow-axis collimator lens is arranged between said fast-axis collimator lens and said first deflection element. further comprising a second base disposed on the bottom surface and having a second top surface;
14. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein the first deflection element and the second deflection element are arranged on the second upper surface. 15. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 14 , wherein said second top surface is inclined with respect to said bottom surface. 16. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 15 , wherein said second top surface is inclined at said first angle with respect to said bottom surface. 17. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 14 , wherein said first base and said second base are integrally formed. The distance from the bottom surface at the position on the second top surface where the first deflection element is arranged is greater than the distance from the bottom surface at the position on the second top surface where the second deflection element is arranged. 18. The semiconductor laser module according to any one of items 14 to 17 . 19. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 18 , wherein a surface of said first deflection element facing said second upper surface and a surface of said second deflection element facing said second upper surface are inclined with respect to said bottom surface. 20. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 1, wherein said first deflection element and said second deflection element are integrally formed. The semiconductor laser module according to any one of claims 1 to 20 , wherein each of said first deflection element and said second deflection element is a mirror. The semiconductor laser module according to any one of claims 1 to 20 , wherein each of said first deflection element and said second deflection element is a prism. The semiconductor laser module according to any one of claims 1 to 22 , wherein the housing has a top surface portion. 24. The semiconductor laser module according to claim 23 , wherein the inside of said housing is an airtight space. Having the semiconductor laser module according to claim 10 ,
A laser processing apparatus in which the first polarized light and the second polarized light are emitted from the other end surface of the optical fiber.

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