High power infrared laser diode improves measurement and resolution in LiDAR applications

ROHM has developed a high-output laser diode – RLD8BQAB3 – for use in ADAS equipped with LiDAR for distance measurement and spatial recognition. It will initially start supplying samples targeting consumer and industrial applications such as drones, robot vacuum cleaners, AGVs, and service robots.

The company has established proprietary patented technology that attains the narrow emission width of lasers, improving the long-distance, high accuracy LiDAR, beginning with the commercialisation of the 25W output RLD90QZW5 in 2019 and high-power 120W RLD90QZW8 in 2023. Building on these successes, it has developed a new 125W 8ch (1kW class) array-type product that satisfies the demand for a high-output, high-performance laser diode.

The RLD8BQAB3 is an ultra-compact surface mount high-output 125W × 8ch infrared laser diode for LiDAR applications that utilise 3D ToF systems to carry out distance measurement and spatial recognition. The optimised design features eight emission areas (each 300µm wide) per element, installed on a submount affixed to a high heat dissipation substrate.

The package’s emitting surface includes a clear glass cap – an industry first for a surface mount laser diode – eradicating the risk of light scattering caused by scratches during dicing that tends to occur with resin-encapsulated products, assuring high beam quality. Each emission area is wired with a common cathode, allowing the selection of the irradiation method based on application needs – ranging from individual emission that increases the number of light-emitting points to industry-leading simultaneous emission at ultra-high outputs of 1kW class.

The new product retains the key features of the company's conventional laser diodes, including uniform emission intensity across the emission width along with a low wavelength temperature dependence of 0.1nm/C (vs 0.26 to 0.28nm/C for standard products). On top, the array configuration narrows the regions of decreased emission intensity between channels, while the bandpass filter minimises the effects of ambient light noise from the sun and other sources, contributing to long-distance detection and high-definition LiDAR.

Samples are available on request.