Thermal management for a micro semiconductor laser based on thermoelectric cooling

The performance of semiconductor laser is dependent on its cooling and thermal control system. A micro-thermoelectric cooler (mTEC) used on a semiconductor laser is studied by the finite element analysis method. The heat generated by the laser is 2 W and the heat flux of the laser is 2.5 × 10⁴ W/m². In order to enhance the heat dissipation of the hot side of TEC and maintain the temperature of optical chips of the laser appropriately ranging in 30–40 °C, different heat dissipation methods are studied. The effects of the heat sink size, the air flow rate of the fan, the radiation of the shell and the ambient temperature on the performance of the laser are analyzed. The results show that the performance of TEC has been improved by increasing the heat sink's size and fan's flow rate, and the radiation of the shell has little effect. An experimental study is also done to verify the simulated results. - Highlights: • The performance of a micro semiconductor laser with thermoelectric cooler was studied by the finite element analysis method. • Thermal cooling methods in the hot side of TEC have been investigated. • The factors that affect the performance of the whole system were studied. • Experimental study of chips' temperature in different ambient conditions is performed to verify the simulated results.