Princeton Optronics Inc of Mercerville, NJ, USA, which manufactures high-power single- and multi-mode vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and VCSEL arrays, says it is working with Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP) on the development and deployment of compact mobile imaging systems that will enable users to interact with their environments in three dimensions.
“Mobile devices today assume that the physical world ends at the boundaries of the screen,” comments Google ATAP’s Johnny Lee (who is leading Project Tango) in a recent YouTube video. “Our goal is to give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion,” he adds.
A key component in the Tango system is an illumination source which serves to enhance and expand the 3D space that the system can see. The highest power conversion efficiency in the industry and low speckle make Princeton Optronics’ VCSEL arrays suitable illumination devices for 3D applications, claims the firm. Additionally, the ability to be surface mounted and manufactured in high volume using conventional semiconductor processing means that VCSEL arrays are well suited to high-volume consumer electronics applications.
Princeton Optronics recently received approval for two patents (US Patent numbers 8,675,706B2 and 8,783,893B1) for surface-mounted VCSELs for illumination applications that uniquely positions them for this market, the firm reckons.
The arrays can be packaged in a variety of configurations for high-volume applications, very similar to LEDs. They can be operated reliably up to 80°C and do not require a hermetically sealed housing, reducing packaging costs. Chip sizes range from 0.1mm2 to 25mm2 and output powers range from several milliwatts to hundreds of watts. Also, optics can be added to the package, creating greater options for beam handling in the customer’s illumination system.
Sample devices are immediately available at 850/860nm and other selected wavelengths in the 650-1100nm region. Other wavelengths can be fabricated according to custom request.
