Semiconductor laser diode arrangement and method of making same

Claim 1

A semiconductor laser diode arrangement comprising: an epitaxially grown layered structure on a semiconductor substrate with an array of laterally spaced (S n ) waveguides, each of said waveguides forming the source (Q1, Q2) of a laser beam (B1, B2) emitted in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of said semiconductor substrate, and individually oriented integrated reflectors (R1, R2) wherein each of said reflectors, one for each of said beams (B1, B2) are positioned in the beam paths so as to create an array of virtual sources (Q1', Q2') such that the lateral distance (S n ') between said virtual sources (Q1', Q2') differs from said lateral distance (S n ) between corresponding said sources (Q1, Q2).

Claim 10

A method for fabricating an array of reflectors integrated with an array of lined-up laser diodes on a semiconductor substrate, the laser diodes emitting beams in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of said semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a reflector structure from which tilted, individually oriented reflectors, one for each of said laser diode beams (B o , B n ) are formed, applying an etch-mask on the top of said reflector structure, patterned to have individual segments, one of said segments for each of said reflectors, the positions and directions of which determine the positions and orientations of said reflectors, and etching said reflector structure using a unidirectional dry-etch process, to form said array of reflectors thereby providing for each said laser beam (B o , B n ) an associated, individually oriented reflector deflecting said beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of said semiconductor substrate.

Claim 11

A method for fabricating an array of reflectors integrated with an array of lined-up laser diodes on a semiconductor substrate, the laser diodes emitting beams in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of said semiconductor substrate comprising the steps of: providing a reflector structure from which tilted, individually oriented reflectors, one for each of said laser diode beams (B o , B n ) are formed, applying an etch-mask on the top of said reflector structure, patterned to have individual segments, one of said segments for each of said reflectors, the positions and directions of which determine the positions and orientations of said reflectors, and etching said reflector structure using a unidirectional dry-etch process, to form said array of reflectors thereby providing for each said laser beam (B o , B n ) an associated, individually oriented reflector deflecting said beam in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of said semiconductor substrate.