High power infrared laser diodes improve measurement and resolution in liDAR applications

     Rohm has developed a high-output laser diode, RLD8BQAB3, for LiDAR equipped ADAS for range measurement and spatial identification. The company will initially begin offering samples aimed at consumer and industrial applications, such as drones, robotic vacuum cleaners, AGVs, and service robots.

    The company has established proprietary, patented technology that enables narrow emission widths of lasers and improves long-range, high-precision liDAR, starting with the commercialization of the 25W output RLD90QZW5 in 2019 and the high-power 120W RLD90QZW8 in 2023. Building on these successes, it has developed a new 125W 8ch (1kW class) array-based product that addresses the need for high-output, high-performance laser diodes.

     The RLD8BQAB3 is an ultra-compact surface-mount high output 125W × 8ch infrared laser diode for liDAR applications, utilizing 3D ToF systems for range measurement and spatial recognition. The optimized design features eight emission zones (each 300 microns wide) for each element, mounted on a base fixed to a high cooling substrate.

     The emission surface of the package includes a clear glass cap, which is the industry's first surface-mount laser diode, eliminating the risk of light scattering due to scratches during cutting and ensuring high beam quality for resin-encapsulated products. Each emission region has a common cathode, allowing the irradiation method to be selected according to application needs - from a single emission that increases the number of luminous points to an industry-leading 1kW class of ultra-high output emission at the same time.

     The new product retains key features of the company's traditional laser diodes, including uniform emission intensity over the entire emission width and low wavelength temperature dependence of 0.1nm/C (standard products are 0.26 to 0.28nm/C). At the top, the array configuration Narrows the areas between channels where emission intensity drops, while the bandpass filter minimizes the impact of ambient light noise from the sun and other sources, helping with long-range detection and high-definition liDAR.