510nm Laser Diodes

Check out this thread: http://laserpointerforums.com/f39/510nm-green-laser-pointer-pre-order-63748.html

Since these are relatively cheap and high powered, I want to say this is a diode laser.

CNI puts 445nm and 405nm diodes in this host, using 2 CR2's I believe. So, it seems this might be a new InGaN diode.

But the question remains: Where have the sourced these diodes?

The last time this happened, the answer was right under our collective nose, in the form of the projectors. My money is on these being in a product that has just been recently released or is about to be released.

I'm going to start poking around the internet for new display equipment. Ideas?

-Trevor

It seems they come from CNI.
But seriously, I'd look into this but I'm short on time right now.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f45/nichia-ship-green-diode-laser-53028.html
Check that out

Subbed. Ill look around too.

Its the pico projectors we have been talking about for quite awhile isnt it? That was my impression.

Well, C'sio *does* have a new range, the "Pro" range (in addition to the just released 'M' range, vs the 'A' range (i.e. A130) we've come to know) -- that's to be launched in July 2011. Stating an "~August" timeframe for pulls from such a device wouldn't be beyond the pale.

Though that's probably not it. If only we could be so lucky. 515 (I don't know about 510..) is certainly 'green enough'; When I don't have a DPSS 532 to compare with, running my 515 argon just looks green, not cyan.

Fenzir said:

It seems they come from CNI.
But seriously, I'd look into this but I'm short on time right now.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f45/nichia-ship-green-diode-laser-53028.html
Check that out

Click to expand...

I'm not sure CNI has the capability to make InGaN diodes as finicky as these, which is part of what led me to my conclusion.

There are plenty of Chinese InGaAs (red -> IR) diodes out there, but I'm pretty sure the more complex InGaN production process has stayed in Japan so far. Most if not all of the Chinese companies building 445nm systems seem to be sourcing them from outside China.

EDIT: aryntha, the price point really leads me to believe there's some new source of diodes. I'm so perplexed.

-Trevor

Thread Nichia planning summer 2011 Volume Production of Direct Green Laser Diode for Pico Projectors | InvestorVillage: Stock Message Boards | BoardReader

Not really info But getting close.

More:
http://www.investorvillage.com/smbd.asp?pt=msg&mb=1549&mid=9713236

I also believe that they will be in the Pico Projector.

Great find, lazeerer!

Looking at those prelim specs, I can't help but notice how incredibly conservative that 50mW rating is! -

* Not much room for a big heat sink in a pico projector, so these have to operate with minimal heat sinking at rated power;
* Life Expectancy is based not on burn-out, or even any reduction in rated power, but simple degradation (requires a bit more current to maintain rated power);
* Lifespan rating is based on continuous use;
* even under these conditions, life expectancy @50mw is 10,000 hours!

So, if we then...

* Put them in an Aixiz and LPF-sized heatsink...
* Use a reasonable duty cycle (i.e. - not running 24/7)...
* Define End-of-Life as major power loss, LED or burn-out...
* Willing to live with a lifespan of a few hundred hours, rather than 10,000...

...then how far can we push these guys? 100mW? More???

i think if cni were making 515nm PENS then it would have showed up on their website before amazon...
my 2 cents...
Edit: wrong thread i have two tabs next to each other, both start with "510nm". why do you do this to me Trevor?:na:

seoguy - I was thinking the same thing. However, then it said that running them at 1.3x more than their rated power will reduce the lifespan... so I am guessing the kink is at around 65mW.

Oddly enough, there are actually quite a few 510 - 530 range green diodes kicking around in various stages of commercial availability. If you check out this thread I started maintaining a few months back, we've got a few links to green diode sources.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/list-visible-wavelength-laser-diodes-62217.html

At the very least, Soraa, Nichia, and Osram are in the game.

It's actually not really news - they've demonstrated the diodes at consumer electronics shows - and they are already available in some high-end labbies. We've been expecting these to hit sometime this year, and there's a general consensus that the first place they'll hit is in pico projectors. They aren't in KasEO projectors right now.

Summer 2011 is basically the target that everyone has been throwing around. My sense is that the first diode greens are likely to be Nichia or Osrams.

Wolfman29 said:

seoguy - I was thinking the same thing. However, then it said that running them at 1.3x more than their rated power will reduce the lifespan... so I am guessing the kink is at around 65mW.

Click to expand...

What, you mean my poor over-driven green LD may have a lifespan of LESS that 10,000 hours of continuous use before I see some efficiency degradation? :cryyy:

I think that Nichia may be under-rating these diodes, due to the market these will initially be utilized for. You or I may not consider a diode needing a bit more current to achieve full power as "failed". But consumer electronics devices need long-term reliability, and hand-held pico projectors have little room for heat sinking.

To reliably run a laser diode in a small enclosed space with little or no heat sinking for 10,000 hours continuously without even a significant drop in efficiency, you need to be running the LD at considerably below it's actual maximum power capability!

Given that the laser beam is emitted outside of these devices, I suspect there may also be some regulatory reasons (i.e. - getting FTC clearance) for rating these for low-power use.

This is not the first time we have seen bleeding-edge new LD's being conservatively rated until the technology proved itself in the field. Consider the first 405's - the venerable PHR was initially being used not even for a 1x writer, but for a DVD reader! We now know that LD was capable of MUCH more, but because the 405's were brand-new, they were being overly cautious.

I suspect the same may hold true for some of these first 510's. And if this LD can run for that long continuously under the conditions they describe, it's actual maximum safe power under conditions more suitable to OUR use should be above that, perhaps considerably so!

rhd said:

Oddly enough, there are actually quite a few 510 - 530 range green diodes kicking around in various stages of commercial availability. If you check out this thread I started maintaining a few months back, we've got a few links to green diode sources.
http://laserpointerforums.com/f44/list-visible-wavelength-laser-diodes-62217.html

At the very least, Soraa, Nichia, and Osram are in the game.

Click to expand...

Thanks for that link, am looking over it now...

Sumitomo looks experimental, and apparently can't do CW yet, but Soraa looks promising, and more power (75mW) than what Nichia rated theirs for!

Not seeing Osram (or any other greenies) in your table - an I missing something?

Would be interesting to see if they were using similar or different technologies to achieve green, pullbangdead could probably give us more insight into this.

Picture I found, 515nm

http://www.osram.de/_global/img/Mis...emiconductor/300dpi_OSRAM_R&D_green_laser.jpg

Iam going to hold off until this summer. This is not going to be something that everyone is going to go crazy over other then Wavelength collectors and enthusiast.

I would rather spend the $200-$400 <<Estimate on whatever projector or electronic gadget its in. Plus you will get a Red and Blue Laser diode as well if these are going to be in the Pico Projector witch iam 99% sure thats where they will be first.

So iam Holding off.

I love this Forum. So many good Detective work we should open our own Police department.

So are these pico projectors essentially ultra small laser scanners?! I would think they would have to have ultra fast as well as practically microscopic galvos in them to scan every line!

"its the meers"
mems ;-)