Calculation of the temperature distribution in ridged-waveguide laser diodes

A numerical solution is obtained of the steady-state heat conduction equation for InGaAsP/InP ridge-waveguide lasers (λ = 1.3 μm) soldered upside down to a heat sink. Two-dimensional temperature distributions perpendicular to the ridge are obtained. It is assumed that the heat sources inside such a laser are the active region and the contact at the top of the ridge. An increase in the temperature of the junction and the corresponding thermal resistance of a laser chip and solder are calculated for several sets of laser parameters. The results indicate that the thermal properties are particularly sensitive to the width of the ridge and the thickness of the solder. The results obtained should be useful in thermal optimization of ridge-waveguide laser diodes.