Oh my gawd!!

[daguin]

They will be <$100 sometime in the future. I am waiting them out also. Too much $$ to risk at this time.
Now, if I win the lottery or something, Look out! I'll throw a pile of them on the bed and wallow around in them. :na:

Yea, but by then the 24X will be out and you will look down your nose at these lowly 12X'x

Peace,
dave

 

[ElektroFreak]

I'm curious what exactly it is about GaN diodes that allow them to push so many mW while at the same time being singlemode? I don't know of a single other diode type that can do much over 200-300mW singlemode. Anything above that and it's multimode only..

 

[pullbangdead]

I'm curious what exactly it is about GaN diodes that allow them to push so many mW while at the same time being singlemode? I don't know of a single other diode type that can do much over 200-300mW singlemode. Anything above that and it's multimode only..

GaN is magic, that's all there is to it.

Not only is GaN doing things other materials can't do, the GaN they're using is orders of magnitude lower in quality than, say, the AlInGaP stuff used in red diodes. Orders of magnitude lower quality, yet it still works better!

And GaN isn't even done yet. All the violet lasers commercially made now are still on c-plane polar GaN, which means there is an intrinsic electric field built into the material which opposes performance. Almost all the research now, and probably necessary for blue and green laser diodes commercially, is to grow laser diodes on non-polar or semi-polar GaN planes, which eliminates (non-polar) or greatly reduces (semi-polar) that built-in electric field, giving a MUCH higher maximum for efficiency.

GaN is just getting started, it's definitely some amazing stuff.

 

[daguin]

GaN is magic, that's all there is to it.

Not only is GaN doing things other materials can't do, the GaN they're using is orders of magnitude lower in quality than, say, the AlInGaP stuff used in red diodes. Orders of magnitude lower quality, yet it still works better!

And GaN isn't even done yet. All the violet lasers commercially made now are still on c-plane polar GaN, which means there is an intrinsic electric field built into the material which opposes performance. Almost all the research now, and probably necessary for blue and green laser diodes commercially, is to grow laser diodes on non-polar or semi-polar GaN planes, which eliminates (non-polar) or greatly reduces (semi-polar) that built-in electric field, giving a MUCH higher maximum for efficiency.

GaN is just getting started, it's definitely some amazing stuff.

< quietly sets aside a Kryton Groove for the next generation of these diodes >

 

[pullbangdead]

< quietly sets aside a Kryton Groove for the next generation of these diodes >

LOL, it's gonna be a while Dave. You may never see non-polar or semi-polar diodes commercially produced in violet, but those are almost definitely going to be preferred in blue and green. The biggest problem right now is that they're not manufacturable yet, and one of those reasons is the substrate.

For c-plane GaN right now, the substrate is a 2-inch diameter cylinder, think hockeypuck, so they use that for growing the diodes. For the other planes, the only available substrates right now are made by growing relatively thick hockeypucks that are 2 inches in diameter, and slicing them vertically to get the other planes. The original hockeypucks can only be grown milimeters thick, so right now the biggest non-polar and semi-polar substrates are a few millimeters wide and a max of 2 inches long (and only a few of the slices are 2 inches long, the rest are shorter).

So you can see how the substrates are MUCH smaller, and not only that, but they're all different sizes since they're produced by slicing cylinders vertically, which is bad for mass producing diodes on them. So they're bad for production, and they cost more anyway.

So yeah, once substrate issues get figured out and the diodes improve some more, we'll start seeing them in blue and green diodes.

And I may be wrong, they may very well switch to non-polar or semi-polar GaN for violet in the future if the substrates come available, but right now there's no incentive, since they're already VERY good at making violet diodes even on polar substrates.

 

[krasnichuk]

This story makes me want a 12x all that much more. But like everybody else who's waiting their just too expensive. So I'm going to stick with my current build until it's finished. But after reading this I can't wait to go balloon poppin'

 

[daguin]

So yeah, once substrate issues get figured out and the diodes improve some more, we'll start seeing them in blue and green diodes.

Hey! You have to do your dissertation on SOMETHING, don't you?

I'm sure that whether daguin gets his personal laser built or not was at the very top of your decision tree, right?

If not, you can go ahead and slip it in there now.

Go ahead

I'll wait . . . . . . .

This story makes me want a 12x all that much more. But like everybody else who's waiting their just too expensive. So I'm going to stick with my current build until it's finished. But after reading this I can't wait to go balloon poppin'

Ahhhh . . . . . The sound of the call of a NooB who never had to spend $360 for a 6X drive . . . . . .

Peace,
dave

 

[krasnichuk]

Ahhhh . . . . . The sound of the call of a NooB who never had to spend $360 for a 6X drive . . . . . .

I bow down to you at your devotion

 

[daguin]

I bow down to you at your devotion

LOL! It was the only choice we had at the time.

I absolutely do understand that $200 is a nice chunk of change. However, most of the old-timers are ecstatic over paying "only" $200 for three-times the power of those early 6X's.

I guarantee that there are Chinese dealers sneaking around in the dark of night trying to find the stash of engineering samples and the QC rejects from these drives. EVERYONE (even the atheists) should pray that those dealers' search is successful.

Peace,
dave

 

[rtyrty100]

This story makes me want a 12x all that much more. But like everybody else who's waiting their just too expensive. So I'm going to stick with my current build until it's finished. But after reading this I can't wait to go balloon poppin'

This perplexes me, as most the members on here are adults with jobs (to my belief, correct me if I am wrong) making real money. I am only 16, though 17 soon, and only started my first job several months ago, yet I am quick to purchase one(but I must also mention I fall under a family of "fair wealth" and do receive an allowance).

In fact it may just be the standard of the teenager to just be more "immature"(not thinking 100% financially) and more likely to convert to buying an expensive tool just for pleasure/enjoyment. However do we not spend hundreds on shakes, candy, amusement parks, an necessities that we do not need? So buying a laser for enjoyment is quite similar to purchasing
consumables that are meant to be enjoyed while they last.

What say you stop eating these consumables for a month or two, you can then in place buy a laser that will last you months or years for the same amount of money.

Ahh...my tendency to just not shut up.

 

[ElektroFreak]

Meh.. these systems are great, don't get me wrong, but like all technology the prices will continue to fall. Waiting is a sound fiscal strategy. Eventually 12X diodes will likely be $100 or less.

 

[daguin]

This perplexes me, as most the members on here are adults with jobs (to my belief, correct me if I am wrong) making real money. I am only 16, though 17 soon, and only started my first job several months ago, yet I am quick to purchase one(but I must also mention I fall under a family of "fair wealth" and do receive an allowance).

In fact it may just be the standard of the teenager to just be more "immature"(not thinking 100% financially) and more likely to convert to buying an expensive tool just for pleasure/enjoyment. However do we not spend hundreds on shakes, candy, amusement parks, an necessities that we do not need? So buying a laser for enjoyment is quite similar to purchasing
consumables that are meant to be enjoyed while they last.

What say you stop eating these consumables for a month or two, you can then in place buy a laser that will last you months or years for the same amount of money.

Ahh...my tendency to just not shut up.

Delayed gratification is a very tough lesson to learn. Most people never learn it.

Peace,
dave

 

[krasnichuk]

I'm a college student with pretty much no job. So scraping some cash from my student loan once and awhile is almost my whole income So finding $200 to spend on a drive to get a 12x diode is a bit much for me at the moment

 

[rtyrty100]

I'm a college student with pretty much no job. So scraping some cash from my student loan once and awhile is almost my whole income So finding $200 to spend on a drive to get a 12x diode is a bit much for me at the moment

Yeah I know there are some college students on here, and college is no time to be making money, so that is easily acceptable...Its probably easier to make money in high school than college.