Patent ID: 7860136

Claim:
A laser diode package, comprising: a heat sink, said heat sink having a top end; a lid; a laser diode bar positioned between said heat sink and said lid, said laser diode bar producing energy in response to current being conducted in a direction from said heat sink to said lid, said laser diode bar having an emitting surface that is positioned within 0.001 inches of said top end of said heat sink; and a forward-biased diode positioned between said heat sink and said lid, said forward-biased diode being arranged to conduct current from said heat sink to said lid in response to an open-circuit failure in said laser diode bar, said forward-biased diode having a turn-on voltage in the direction of said current that is greater than a turn-on voltage in the direction of said current of said laser diode bar under normal operating conditions; a first continuous solder layer on said heat sink such that said solder layer joins said heat sink to said forward-biased diode and said laser diode bar, said first continuous solder layer is a pretinned layer of solder located on a plurality of surfaces of said heat sink; and a second continuous solder layer on said lid such that said solder layer joins said lid to said forward-biased diode and said laser diode bar, said second continuous solder layer is a pretinned layer of solder located on a plurality of surfaces of said lid.