Patent ID: 7767947

Claim:
A semiconductor light source with optical feedback comprising: a header with three leads and a horizontal upper surface; at least two of said leads being insulated from the header and extending through the header to ends above the header upper surface with the third lead being a common lead; a semiconductor light-emitting element mounted on the header upper surface and having electrodes electrically connected to one of the insulated leads and the common lead; the light-emitting element designed to project a vertical beam of light upward; a vertical member projecting upward from the upper surface and having a vertical surface parallel to and horizontally spaced from the vertical beam; a light-sensing element mounted on the vertical surface for receiving light transverse to the vertical surface and having electrodes electrically connected to the other insulated lead and the common lead; a horizontal disk mounted on the upper header surface and having a through opening exposing the semiconductor light source; a collimating lens mounted on the horizontal disk over the semiconductor light source for collimating the vertical beam of light; a beam splitter mounted on the vertical member above the light-sensing element and the horizontal disk and extending over light-emitting element for reflecting a portion of the vertical beam of light horizontally onto the light-sensing element wherein substantially all of the transversely reflected light impinges on the light-sensing portion of the light-sensing element; and a cap fitted on the header enclosing the light-emitting element, the vertical member, the light-sensing element and the beam splitter and having a window for passing the non-reflected portion of the vertical beam of light.