Improved heat sinking for laser-diode arrays using microchannels in CVD diamond

This work proposes a novel cooling system for high-power laser-diode arrays, for which the maximum optical output power density per unit surface area is limited by the temperature rise due to self-heating. The proposed system uses a microchannel heat sink made of chemical-vapor-deposited (CVD) diamond, whose high thermal conductivity increases the efficiency of the channel-wall fins and reduces the array-to-coolant thermal resistance using a simple model for the combined conduction and convection problem. The resistance is calculated to be 75% less than that for a conventional configuration using a silicon microchannel heat sink. The present analysis strongly motivates a future experimental study.