Up Close With a DVD Diode

[Flaminpyro]

Heres some shots I just got of a DVD diode I harvested today, I thought it was interesting that it had such a large solder ball in front of the substrate, it's big enough to cast a shadow in pic #3.

Hope you Enjoy'd these

 

[Meatball]

You have the best macros Jeff! It gives me an interesting perspective on diodes..

 

[HaloBlu]

How odd. I'd be tempted to poke it with a needle!

I think your diode grew an eye personally... Give it time, perhaps a second will pop up.
I recommend keeping it in a locked box. I knew they were gonna turn sentient sooner or later but I expected a Blu-ray to be first.

 

[jayrob]

Man those are some nice close ups!

Wonder what that little round ball is?? Probably just some debris on there or something...

 

[Flaminpyro]

There is a intact window on this diode so the little ball is from the manufacturing process it's not something that fell into the diode when I wasn't looking LOL.
I suspect it's some of the solder they used to bond the substrate to the can.

Man those are some nice close ups!

Wonder what that little round ball is?? Probably just some debris on there or something...

 

[HIMNL9]

You're right, just a little solder from that

BTW, it's just my impression, or the facet of that crystal look "skewed" instead rectangular ? ..... i mean, is just from the angle you used for take the pics ? ..... or the crystal really don't have 90 degrees corners ?

 

[GreenLaser]

so when u get one of these out how do u know what to set your driver to? i have a palasonic yes palasonic not panasonic dvd player on the bak it sais class 1 laser product is that any help?
cheers

 

[Tech_Junkie]

so when u get one of these out how do u know what to set your driver to?

You take some time to do the research here like the rest of us. It's all out there, you just need to read it.

 

[pullbangdead]

You're right, just a little solder from that

BTW, it's just my impression, or the facet of that crystal look "skewed" instead rectangular ? ..... i mean, is just from the angle you used for take the pics ? ..... or the crystal really don't have 90 degrees corners ?

It's very possible. I don't off-hand know what what crystal plane they grow these AlInGaP/GaAs on, but it is very plausible that they grow the diodes on planes which allow for cleaving at non-right angles at the sides. Of course they want right angles for the laser facets/mirrors, but that's still very plausible as well with the zincblende structure of GaAs.

Zincblende doesn't cleave on right angles, so it seems very plausible that the wafer could be sliced in such a way that cleaving the wafer into individual devices would result in 90deg facets at the ends of the laser and non-90deg facets at the sides.