Can you clean a laser diode? Not the lens, but the diode it self.

Well got some dust from the inside of the focus cap on my diode (o-like waterproof) and was wondering if there is any way to clean off the diode it self. I know lens you can clean with various items but how about the diode it self?

Good question. This is one area open can diode fail.

I've no experience with this. If I were to hazard a guess I'd say use compressed air. You likely do NOT want to touch the cleaved facet end of the diode. The is a critical part of a LD. Likely any micro scratches or impurities on the end of the LD will lead to COD.