Metal working – Method of mechanical manufacture – Disassembling
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-14
2001-07-24
Echols, P. W. (Department: 3726)
Metal working
Method of mechanical manufacture
Disassembling
C118S503000, C029S700000, C029S239000, C029S764000, C029S270000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06263555
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for handling a laser bar or laser bars and relates to a system for loosening a bar or bars stuck in a channel of a facet coating fixture.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Laser diodes are manufactured from laser bars that are in turn manufactured from substrates. A laser bar, also referred to as a bar of diodes, is formed by cleaving a section from a semiconductor substrate. The substrate has a number of contiguous diodes in a pattern. The laser bars are facet coated prior to separating into individual laser diodes.
Laser bars are coated by placing the bar on its edge in a coating fixture such as that disclosed in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/844,455, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Various coatings may be applied to the bar's facets that effect the operation of the individual laser diodes. Regardless of the type of coating used, the laser bars can get stuck in the facet coating fixture. When this happens the laser bars must be loosened to be removed.
A facet coating fixture is comprised of multiple channels each of which hold individual bars. When the coating process is finished, the holding mechanism retracts and the bars are meant to fall through exit channels, with the assistance of a vacuum or other means. Even under these conditions the bars do not always release and some stick to one side or the other of the channel. The bars are fragile. Since the ends of a bar have no devices, the ends are the only places it can be safely handled without damaging it.
Prior art systems have failed to provide an efficient method for freeing stuck laser bars in a reliable manner.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention solves these and other problems by providing a method and apparatus for loosening laser bars from a facet coating fixture and other devices containing channels. The present invention is directed to the loosening of any form of laser bar that is stuck in a channel of a coating fixture.
The laser bars have two ends. The ends contain alignment marks for processing. There are no devices on the ends. Consequently, the ends can be handled without damaging the laser bar. The ends are approximately twenty (20) mils wide and can be touched. The present invention takes advantage of this fact by using a two part roller device to apply pressure to the end areas. The pressure is applied to both ends of the bar so that the bar is released without causing breakage.
The roller device can be guided by grooves that already exist on the coating fixture. The roller device can be readily positioned in the grooves and traversed up and down the length of the coating fixture, from channel to channel, releasing all stuck bars in a single action. The roller may be used with or without an alignment fixture.
The roller device must have a diameter that is larger than the lateral width of the channel. This permits the roller device to roll into the channel and back out. The diameter of the roller device, relative to the channel width, permits the roller device to penetrate inside the channel a sufficient distance to contact the stuck bar. In addition, the diameter of the roller device is sufficiently large such that the majority of the downward movement that the roller device is capable of achieving is concentrated on the outside edge, the non-sticking side, of the bar.
In an alternate embodiment, the roller device can be integrated with a spring or actuator assembly so that the force can be adjusted or fixed.
With these and other objects, advantages and features of the invention that may become apparent, the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description of the invention, the appended claims, and to the several drawings attached herein.
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Dautartas Mindaugas Fernand
Freund Joseph Michael
Przybylek George John
Romero Dennis Mark
Blount Steve
Dicksstein Shapiro Morin & Oshinsky LLP
Echols P. W.
Lucent Technologies - Inc.
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