Fixing Pins of Laser Diodes??

[Comidt]

Hi
I don't know where to put this, so I put it here.
I was wondering how you could fix the pins of the LD...
I have broken my pos of a Senkat LD and now I can't use it. :-[ :-[
I ws focusing it with the tiny Aixiz module, where the ld is anchored straight into thebreadboard, no support...
Anyone know what I can do to save this little guy??
Thanks Guys
Jonno

The pin things are soooo tiny, so I don't think I will be able to solder them. :-/

 

[ericab]

unfortunately soldering seems to be the only fix for this.
id suggest getting a really sharp/fine point soldering tip and some 32+ guage solder .
ask a buddy to hold a magnifying glass up for you, and you should be pretty successful. also make sure to anchor your hands by resting them on the desk to steady them. and remember; the heat generated by the soldering gun is your diodes worst enemy! keep contact to a MINIMUM

 

[Gazoo]

Ouch, that's a tough one but you can try. I would tin the lead of a resistor or something you have laying around, right at the very end of the lead. Then hold it with a needle nose, and heat it up as hot as you can. Then touch the end of the lead to the diode where it broke off. If any solder flows to it, then you might be back in business.

I don't know if this will work as I have never had that happen to me. I did have one of the diode leads come loose from doing something similar to what you were doing. Of course there was no way to help that little guy out...

 

[chimo]

You could try masking off the area outside the positive pin with kapton tape and use some flux on what's left of the pin prior to soldering. Use a light guage stranded wire to relieve future stress on the soldered joint. Pre-cut/strip and tin the wire.

Paul

 

[Comidt]

Thanks All.
What is kapton tape?
I will probably do what Gazoo said and follow the steps of ericab as well.
i am waiting for new aixiz modules from Daedal, wich i will then put my diodes in and solder wire to the pins.
Thanks Again Guys
Jonno

 

[chimo]

Kapton tape is a very high temperature tape than will not be affected by heat from the soldering iron. Dealextreme has it for cheap (search for tape on the DX site).

Paul

Thanks All.
What is kapton tape?
I will probably do what Gazoo said and follow the steps of ericab as well.
i am waiting for new aixiz modules from Daedal, wich i will then put my diodes in and solder wire to the pins.
Thanks Again Guys
Jonno

 

[Daedal]

Ouch... this is very sad to hear Comidt. I hope you can bring that poor diode back to life. :-[

I can suggest something the other guys haven't suggested yet. Use some play dough. The way I solder to some very fine and tiny points is to cover the area with play dough and then make a small hole with a fine tip. You can do this and make your hole just where the pin was originally. Make sure the play dough is nice and thick and somewhat caving in where you will solder. Make sure the hole is not too big, but not too small, and make sure the only part you can see through the hole is the black insulation around the original pin. Use a pair of helping hands and hold the new wire you want to solder in there in place. Make sure everything (wire and original pin) are both somewhat covered with solder flux to help you and the diode out. Don't use too much flux or you might end up having to heat up the LD far too much. Just enough to make the surfaces wet is perfect. Heat the solder you want to use and drop a small amount in there and then let it cool.

If you did this right and your play dough was shaped nicely, you would have a perfectly shaped solder joint. You can also drop the solder in (a very, very tiny amount), then heat up some solder on the wire and solder to the solder you just dropped in. That will help you make the point right on the can itself as fine as possible because the solder wouldn't have to grab onto the pin + the base. When you connect the pin to the other side, you will have a nice and tidy solder spot. Afterwards, you can then tear away the play dough and you have a perfect solder joint.

I would suggest keeping the solder from forming a thick blob. Try to make it as thin as possible and as straight as possible rather than a ball. When it forms a ball, there is a risk it might end up bending and touching the base of the diode. That is not bad, just very annoying. There will be an electric flow going through the line, but it will automatically be grounded so the diode will not lase.

Best of luck man and I hope the diode itself is still okay. If it had been twisted before it fell out, there is a risk that the fine wire inside the LD is pulled, and that would mean you have a perfect dye, and no connection to get to it. But let's hope that it's still intact :'(

GL;
DDL

 

[Comidt]

Thanks Daedal, will try that too.
That's a clever idea!

 

[Comidt]

Can't get it to work
Gonna try again today, but the Diode IS working. I tested that

 

[Daedal]

At least the diode is working... that's a good thing. Just try your best to keep as little heat from getting to the diode. I really hope you can get it back to working condition. If you could post some pictures, they might help us better see how to fix it...

GL;
DDL

 

[Voldy356]

Ouch... this is very sad to hear Comidt. I hope you can bring that poor diode back to life. :-[

I can suggest something the other guys haven't suggested yet. Use some play dough. The way I solder to some very fine and tiny points is to cover the area with play dough and then make a small hole with a fine tip. You can do this and make your hole just where the pin was originally. Make sure the play dough is nice and thick and somewhat caving in where you will solder. Make sure the hole is not too big, but not too small, and make sure the only part you can see through the hole is the black insulation around the original pin. Use a pair of helping hands and hold the new wire you want to solder in there in place. Make sure everything (wire and original pin) are both somewhat covered with solder flux to help you and the diode out. Don't use too much flux or you might end up having to heat up the LD far too much. Just enough to make the surfaces wet is perfect. Heat the solder you want to use and drop a small amount in there and then let it cool.

If you did this right and your play dough was shaped nicely, you would have a perfectly shaped solder joint. You can also drop the solder in (a very, very tiny amount), then heat up some solder on the wire and solder to the solder you just dropped in. That will help you make the point right on the can itself as fine as possible because the solder wouldn't have to grab onto the pin + the base. When you connect the pin to the other side, you will have a nice and tidy solder spot. Afterwards, you can then tear away the play dough and you have a perfect solder joint.

I would suggest keeping the solder from forming a thick blob. Try to make it as thin as possible and as straight as possible rather than a ball. When it forms a ball, there is a risk it might end up bending and touching the base of the diode. That is not bad, just very annoying. There will be an electric flow going through the line, but it will automatically be grounded so the diode will not lase.

Best of luck man and I hope the diode itself is still okay. If it had been twisted before it fell out, there is a risk that the fine wire inside the LD is pulled, and that would mean you have a perfect dye, and no connection to get to it. But let's hope that it's still intact :'(

GL;
DDL

Same situation. mine twisted. But the diode worked just before the pins fell off, so I think I'm fine.
Geez, I really suck at laser building.

 

[GSS]

Oh oh Voldy, someone is bound to chime in that this is necro post from over 12 years ago.. It doesn't bother me all that much though..
There is a somewhat recent thread or post of a diode pin breaking on someone.. Maby try to find it and add to that one..

 

[Voldy356]

Oh oh Voldy, someone is bound to chime in that this is necro post from over 12 years ago.. It doesn't bother me all that much though..
There is a somewhat recent thread or post of a diode pin breaking on someone.. Maby try to find it and add to that one..

Oh... I wasn't even looking at the date...
And quite frankly I don't care. Why would this bother anyone!? Geez.

 

[GSS]

It just does to some members, but like I said I couldn't care less and find some old posts entertaining.. I also mentioned to maby add it the recent thread as to you could help with what you might of did to fix it.
and GeezI've also bean blasted for necro posting!!