INTRODUCTION CHAPTER-1

1.1 OVERVIEW
In order to understand what laser diode drivers are and why they are important, it's important
to understand a few of the key features of laser diode devices. These devices require special
attention to how they are turned on, operated and turned off. There is a lot of detailed
information about laser diodes online. But in short, a laser diode is a semiconductor device
made of two different materials. One a P-material, the other an N-material, sandwiched
together. Forward electrical bias across the P-N junction causes the respective holes and
electrons from opposite sides of the junction to combine giving off a photon in the process of
each combination. The junction area’s surfaces (cavity) are to a mirror like finish. Those who
know laser theory know what happens when there are photons bouncing around a polished
cavity. The electrical bias for the junction needs to be a stable, low-noise, transient free current
source.
In this paper, circuit design and construction of temperature controlled semiconductor laser
module is provided which is capable of emitting stabilized wavelength with high accuracy.
Wavelength drift because of case temperature is major problem. Here, the effect of temperature
on laser diode and the resulting consequences are discussed, as output power of laser diode
decreases and the wavelength of laser red shifts with elevated working temperature under a
normal condition; therefore, it is of great importance to carefully control the ambient
temperature of laser along with safe operation.
The characteristics of a laser diode are highly dependent on the temperature of the laser chip.
Thus, the simulations are carried out using circuit analysis software named MultiSim. On this
simulation study, the analysis is done based on three parameters in order to determine the
quality of received signal which are; center wavelength, bandwidth and output power.
Ambient temperature of working laser diode is randomly varied with time. In this case, the
performance of laser diode will decreases as the operating temperature increases or, conversely
the performance increases as the operating temperature decreases. Many lasers deliver light
approaching a single wavelength. The commercial and industrial use of laser diodes are
dramatically increased recently.
Today semiconductor laser diodes are widely used in optical communication and experimental
physics; they require a stable laser diode drive with temperature control mechanisms. It has
become useful tool in scientific research as an inexpensive source of monochromatic light, but
the laser wavelength and power depend on the both the diode junction temperature and
injection current. Laser diode drivers provide highly regulated current to control the light
output from a laser diode. Important features include adjustable current limits, redundant
hardware current limits, voltage limits, slow start circuitry, output shorting relays and transient
protection. The laser light is generated by injection current through the active region of the
diode between the n and p-type cladding layers. This produces electrons and holes, which in
turn recombine and emit photons. The emitted wavelength of laser is determined by the band
gap of the semiconductor material. Operation of laser diode at high temperatures and/or high
currents can contribute to aging. A major weakness of diode laser is a brief transient, which
causes too much current to flow or produces too large a back voltage across the junction, can
be fatal. This large current in the laser diode circuit increases the temperature greatly. A
common way this can happen is switching transients when turning the laser diode on or off.
Other sources of transients are discharges of static electricity and high voltage arcs in other
parts of the lab. These last two are minimized by good grounding and shielding procedures.
Also the protection diode normally used to prevent excessive back voltage should be as close
to the laser as possible. Temperature controlling is the key to achieve desired results.Therefore,
a temperature controlling mechanism is included and the results are observed.

1.2 MOTIVATION
As optical communication requires high data rates we need to operate at high power which
ultimately leads to operating laser diodes at high currents. If we operate at high currents there
is a problem of wavelength drifting which adversely affects the data transmission. That’s why
we have tried to develop a model which has temperature control mechanism that can keep an
eye on temperature variations and regulates the temperature if it reaches high optimal limits.
Currently, the communication devices employing DWDM technique uses such temperature
control mechanisms for effective data transmission with low bit error rates.

1.3 ORGANIZATION
The report starts with first chapter with introduction of the project and the overview of the
project in brief. Then in the second chapter we discuss about the construction and working of
the laser diode driver.The details of the components used are described. The block diagrams
and graphs are included for better illustrations. The third chapter explains about various
problems faced while operation of the laser diode driver without the cooling mechanism. The
fourth chapter gives the solution of the problems explained in the previous chapter. The block
diagram and working of thermo-electric cooler is explained in detail. The fifth chapter details
about the applications of the laser diode driver using thermo-electric cooler. The report is
closed with conclusion and references.

1.4 LASER DIODE DRIVER AND CONSTANT CURRENT

SOURCE

Laser diodes are current driven and current sensitive semiconductors. A change in drive current
equals a change in the devices’ wavelength and output power. Any instability in the drive
current (noise, drift, induced transients), will affect the laser diode’s performance
characteristics. Specifically, they will affect the output power and wavelength. Furthermore,
the temperature of the diode junction is directly affected by current. Current instability of the
source will cause junction temperature swings; the output characteristics (again power and
wavelength) will change.
Instability in the drive current directly lead to junction temperature swings although
the time scale is somewhat slower than the direct effect of current changes.
Required Components
 Laser Diode module (650nm, 5mw)
 LM317 Voltage Regulator IC
 1µF electrolytic capacitor
 0.1µF ceramic capacitor
 300Ω Resistor
 10k potentiometer
 Battery 9V
Laser Diode Driver Circuit

A Laser Diode driver circuit is a circuit which is used to limit the current and then supplies to
the Laser Diode, so it can work properly. If we directly connect it to the supply, due to more
current it will damage. If current is low then it will not operate, because of not having sufficient
power to start. So, a driver circuit is needed to provide a correct value of current by which
Laser Diode comes into operating condition. A simple LED only need a resistor to limit the
current but in Laser diode we need proper circuitry to limit and regulate the current. Generally
LM317 is used for regulating Power in Laser Diode Driver Circuit.
Laser Diode (1550nm, 5mw)

A Laser Diode is a device which emits light by the process of optical amplification depend on
stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation, in simple we can say it Laser light. The full
form of Laser is “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. A laser light is
different from other source of light as it releases the light coherently, spatially and temporally.
Laser light is monochromatic in nature, which means it’s just one light with same wavelength
and energy, not a combination of colors of light.

Construction of Laser Diode

Laser Diode is consists of two semi-conductors, sand-wiched together. On the top it have
Gallium Arsenide whose property is too filled by an electron, as it’s having holes. The
semiconductor which takes electrons are called as P-type semi-conductor. On the bottom part
it have Gallium Arsenide & Selenium whose property is to fill a hole, as it is having an extra
electron. The semi-conductors which give extra electron are called as N-type semi-conductor.
This construction format creates a P-N junction in between of them, in which Laser light is
produced.

Working of Laser Diode

As current through a semi-conductor passes, both negatively charge electrons and positively
charged holes start flowing towards the P-N junction. When an electron and hole combines
together, due to existence of hole in lower energy level than electron it lose some amount of
energy to combine with an electron. That energy comes out in the form of a photon. For the
trapping of that photon of light, top and bottom surface of the P-N junction is coated with
mirrored material. Then this photon encouraged other holes and electrons to combine and
release photon. This process will end up when whole P-N is filled with laser light and then it
continuously emits laser light outside through it.

Applications

 Industrial applications: Engraving, cutting, scribing, drilling, welding, etc.

 Medical applications: to remove unwanted tissues, diagnostics of cancer cells using
fluorescence, dental medication.
 Telecommunication
 Military application
 Data storage

LM317 Voltage Regulator IC

It’s an adjustable three-terminal voltage regulator IC, it can gives and output voltage of
1.25 v to 37v. Which we can vary according to the need by using two external resistors on
adjustable PIN of LM317. These two resistors works as voltage divider circuit used to
increase or decrease the output voltage. The LM317 IC helps in current limiting, thermal
overload protection and safe operating area protection. If we disconnect the adjustable
terminal still LM317 will helpful in Overload protection. It’s having a typical line and load
regulation of 0.1%.

Table no.

PIN
PIN Name PIN Description
NO.
 We can adjust the Vout through this pin, by connecting to resistor
1 Adjust
divider circuit.

2 Output Output voltage pin (Vout)

3 Input Input voltage pin (Vin)

Working of Laser Diode Driver Circuit

As battery start giving supply, it first flow through the ceramic capacitor (0.1uf). This
capacitor is used to filtering high-frequency noise from our DC source, and gives to input
PIN3 of the LM317 voltage regulator IC. The potentiometer (10k) and resistor are used as
the voltage limiting circuit connected with the adjustable PIN1. The output voltage is
completely depends on the value of these resistor and potentiometer. Then the output
voltage is taken out from the Output PIN2 and this voltage filter out from the second
capacitor (1uf). This capacitor behaves as a power load balancer to filter the fluctuating
signals. We can adjust the intensity of laser light by moving the potentiometer.

TEMPERATURE MONITOR:

This temperature monitor is practical to monitor the level of heat from its power
transistors and heatsinks and if needed, to automatically turn off the amplifier to avoid
damage to the vital components. Since it is not required to monitor the temperature by
strict degree resolution, this simple monitor will work very well.

The temperature monitor circuit works by comparing the voltage drop of a “cold” diode
(T1) with the base emitter voltage of a “warm” transistor (T2). The transistor must be
attached physically closest to the heat source, ideally it should be attached to the heatsink
of the power transistors.

The diode T1 must be positioned away from the heat source to ensure that it is always at
room temperature. The circuit “measures” the heat difference between the transistor and
the diode. T2 should not conduct as long as the temperature level being monitored is
below the set threshold. The base-emitter voltage of T2 decrease by 2 mV per 0C. Once
the voltage is below the level set by P1, the T2 conducts and the LED begins to light up.

The values of R1 and R2 are dependent on the power supply voltage. The values can be
computed using the following formulas:

R1 = (Ub/V – 0.6)/5 kΩ

R2 = (Ub/V – 1.5)/15 kΩ

For example: by 12 volts power supply, the R1 is 2.2 kΩ while R2 is 680 Ω. The
maximum current consumption of the temperature monitor circuit when the LED lights
up is 20 mA. Take note that the T2 must not become hotter than 125 °C.
In optical communication 1310 and 1550 nm laser diode are used because of their low
dispersion and attenuation at these wavelengths. In our design, we used pigtailed laser
diode (directly coupled with optical fiber to provide maximum coupling of the light) of 1550
wavelengths for testing and verifying our laser driver with commercial one.

Fig.6.1 exhibits graph plotted between input current and output power of pigtailed LD of
1550 and 1310 nm. As increases input current of LD, output power arises due to
spontaneous emission, and after keep increasing injected current above the threshold,
output power increasing linearly and produces stimulated emission. By observing output
behavior of LDs, we could evaluate threshold current of 6.5 mA and 10 mA for 1310 and
1550 nm laser diode respectively.
 180 700

o 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16
Input Current (mA)

Figure 6.1: P-I Curve for 1310 and 1550 nm pigtailed LD

Negative temperature coefficient behavior of semiconductor based laser diode is previously

mentioned. Thus output power and the wavelength of the laser diode depend on both injected
current as well as the junction temperature of the laser diode. Variation in the temperature of
the junction diode results in change in emitted wavelength, because the
recombination time of charge carriers drops down rapidly. Another reason for this is the non-
radiative transition.

Semiconductor
Laser Diode
 Laser

Current

TemperatureControl TemperatureModule Optical Spectrum

Monitor Analyzer

Graph for temperatures. wavelength for 1310 nm pigtailed LD is plotted in fig. 6.2 (a). Linear
nature of graph shows as case temperature of LD is increased the peak wavelength of
output is gradually shifted to the higher value. From this graph, it is observed that for the
temperature range from 20.2 o c to 44.3 oc, emitted peak wavelength switches from 1304.8
nm to 1317.8 nm. Similarly, for 1550 nm pigtailed LD, shifting of peak wavelength goes from
1551.8 nm to 1566 nm, as we increase temperature from
24.50 C to 45.80 C (graph shown in fig. 6.2 (b)).

(a)
A laser is a device that emits light through a process called stimulated emission. The term
laser is an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Laser light is
usually spatially coherent, which means that the light either is emitted in a narrow, low-
divergence beam, or can be converted into one with the help of optical components such as
lenses. Typically, lasers are thought of as emitting light with a narrow wavelength spectrum.
This is not true of all lasers, however: some emit light with a broad spectrum, while others
emit light at multiple distinct wavelengths simultaneously (Silfvast, 2004).

Today, communication tools such as mobile phone and internet have been widely used and
supported our daily lives. Many of those systems are based on broadband optical fiber
communication systems

because of their large and high-speed transmission capability. In those optical fiber
transmission systems, key components are optical sources and optical receivers, especially
Semiconductor Laser Diode (SLD). SLD lasing at 1.3 and 1.55 µm-band are mainly used as the
optical sources and their reliability are very important for maintaining their performance in
the systems (Ab-Rahman and Hassan, 2010a).

In this simulation study, focus is on SLD. The improvements in laser manufacture today
allow operating uncooled direct modulated SLDs over abroad temperature range (Ab-
Rahman et al., 2010b). Uncooled SLD are simply wide temperature of operation range,
where it is designed to be wider than the span of the environmental operating conditions of
communications equipment in which they are used. Uncooled SLD enable low-cost
packaging by eliminating many items such as cooler, the thermistor which indicates SLD
temperature at any time and the thermal control loop (Ab-Rahman and Hassan, 2010c).
Because a strong cost reduction in optical systems is achieved when eliminating costly laser
temperature control, the uncoiled SLDs have been considered as a key technology for future
optical network systems (AbRahman et al., 2011). When considering of uncooled SLD in high
speed optical communication system, it is high of importance to keep the temperature
variation as optimum as possible. It is because; the changes in temperature will translate
into changes in wavelength and optical power of SLD. It is known that SLD wavelengths are
inherently unstable, where for every 3 degrees’ change; the wavelength of the SLD can
change nearly 1nm. If operated in constant current mode, diode output power tends to
decrease as temperature increases and diode power can exceed its maximum rating with a
decrease in temperature Laser diode principles and diode configurations. For this reason,
choosing the constant power control mode of operation is recommended. If not, the
temperature of operation will affect seriously the characteristics of SLD.

In laser operation, the thin area of an energy pumping, when the rapid transition from a
spontaneous emission mode to a stimulated emission mode occurs, is called the threshold.
A SLD is related with a term of threshold density of a driving current or threshold current,
when the laser diode operating mode is changed from incoherent to laser. Increasing
temperature introduces decreasing of the features of SLD. While the temperature increases,
the ratio

between the electrical power and the optical power decreases. The temperature also
depends on the emitted wavelength or the device operating life. It is important to discuss
on an examination of performance of SLD on a temperature variation because by theoretical
study, laser thresholds are depends on temperature.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The main interface is the OptiSpice schematic, where it is one of among Optiwave design
software for photonic. OptiSPICE is circuit design software for analysis of integrated circuits
including interactions of optical and electronic components and it is a fullyintegrated
solution for parameter extraction, schematic capture, circuit simulation and waveform
analysis. The process to design a circuit of uncooled SLD by presence of temperature
variation is start by using OptiSPICE schematic framework, where it is illustrated in Fig. 1.
The circuit design in OptiSPICE schematic is then visualized in Opti System Graphical User
Interface (GUI) to get the simulation results, as shown in Fig. 2. In Opti spice schematic
framework design, the initial DC current is kept at 0.078A and only the wavelength is
changed, where three different wavelengths have been used to analyse the laser
performance, i.e., 1550, 1490 and 1450 µm.
In this design, ambient temperature of the laser is varied with time as shown in Fig. 3. This
temperature variance is fed to the laser through an external thermal source and for each
wavelength; the summary of injected temperature is provided in Table 1. While in
OptiSystem GUI, the attenuation at optical attenuator is maintained at 28.5dB and layout
parameters are changed, as listed in Table 2.

RESULTS

Figure 4-6 show the simulated result of point-to-point configuration of SLD design for three
different wavelengths; 1550, 1490 and 1450 nm, which respectively for center wavelength,
bandwidth and output power. By looking at Fig. 4, it shows that the center wavelength of a
laser diode is directly proportional to its operating temperature. There is almost linear
relationship between temperature and center wavelength. As temperature increases, so
does the center wavelength of the laser diode. Increased bandwidth means more data per
unit time but also more impairment through higher power and increased channel counts.
From the result in Fig. 5, it shows that the higher the operating temperature of laser diode,
the wider the bandwidth will be. In addition; for a smaller operating temperature, the
narrow the bandwidth will be so that an excellent performance and outstanding reliability
will be provided.
The output characteristics of laser diode are strongly dependent on the operating
temperature. Figure 6 shows how the output power curve changes with operating
temperature for typical laser diodes, where the relationship for the laser diode tested in this
simulation is plotted; the decrease in output power corresponds to different wavelengths
with increasing operating temperature.

DISCUSSION

The characteristic that is found from the result is useful in spectroscopy applications, laser
diode pumping
of solid state lasers and erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, where the wavelength of emission of
the laser diode can be accurately temperature-tuned to the specific properties of the
material with which it is interacting (Moharban, 2009). In the other case, for every different
wavelength, the bandwidth value is changed relatively to the different value of operating
temperature. Also, from the result found in Fig. 5, it has proven that the bandwidth is
directly proportional with the operating temperature of laser diode. Note that laser diode
produce light over some natural bandwidth or range of frequencies. A laser's bandwidth of
operation is determined primarily by the gain medium that the laser is constructed from and
the range of operating temperature that a laser may operate over is known as the gain
bandwidth (Zhang et al., 2009). In this system, the gain bandwidth can limit the usable
transmission bandwidth and thus the achievable data rate. From the result in Fig. 6, we
found that the temperature affected the intensity. The higher the working temperature, the
lower the intensity of the laser radiation hence the power of the laser diode also decreases
(Zulkepli and Bidin, 2008). Therefore it is necessary to control the working temperature of
laser diode to obtain the most efficient output. In this study, in order to observe the
temperature’s effect on laser performance, the three conditions with varying wavelength
has been simulated using the OptiSPICE and OptiSystem tools which are effect on center
wavelength, bandwidth and output power. However, please take note that temperature can
cause references to shift in gain control, bias and threshold detection circuit where it can
cause drift in bandwidthdetermining components, thereby increasing signal distortion,
intersymbol interference or noise (Jenkins and White, 1976). Temperature also can affect
the physical fiber-to-device coupling.

CONCLUSION

In this simulation study, it was shown the important dependences of laser features on
temperature. The temperature can have negative effect on the important parameters and
quality of a semiconductor laser diode. There is a need to know the dependency of
parameters on the temperature for successful diode construction. It is well known that a
laser diode can study at a low constant temperature. In conclusion, the circuit design must
be simulated using a SPICE engine that incorporates both electrical and optical models,
which is OptiSPICE software. It cannot be simulated using traditional software packages that
rely on co-simulation or equivalent circuit models, as they do not provide sufficient coupling
between electrical and optical devices. The process is continuing until the result on effect of
un cooled semiconductor laser diode in presence of temperature variation is achieved
SOLUTION WE PROVIDE
 TEC WORKING

THE PELTIER EFFECT

Thermoelectric coolers operate according to the Peltier effect. The effect creates a
temperature difference by transferring heat between two electrical junctions. A voltage is
applied across joined conductors to create an electric current. When the current flows
through the junctions of the two conductors, heat is removed at one junction and cooling
occurs. Heat is deposited at the other junction.

The main application of the Peltier effect is cooling. However the Peltier effect can also be
used for heating or control of temperature. In every case, a DC voltage is required.
ELEMENTS OF A THERMOELECTRIC COOLER

Thermoelectric coolers from II-IV Marlow act as a solid-state heat pump. Each features an
array of alternating n- and p- typesemiconductors. The semiconductors of different type have
complementary Peltier coefficients. The array of elements is soldered between two ceramic
plates, electrically in series and thermally in parallel. Solid solutions of bismuth telluride,
antimony telluride, and bismuth selenide are the preferred materials for Peltier effect devices
because they provide the best performance from 180 to 400 K and can be made both n-type
and p-type.

The cooling effect of any unit using thermoelectric coolers is proportional to the number of
coolers used. Typically multiple thermoelectric coolers are connected side by side and then
placed between two metal plates. . II-VI Marlow features three different types of
thermoelectric coolers including: Thermocyclers, Single Stage, and Multi-Stage.
HEAT ABSORPTION

Cooling occurs when a current passes through one or more pairs of elements from n- to p-
type; there is a decrease in temperature at the junction ("cold side"), resulting in the
absorption of heat from the environment. The heat is carried along the elements by electron
transport and released on the opposite ("hot") side as the electrons move from a high- to low-
energy state.

The Peltier heat absorption is given by Q = P (Peltier Coefficient) I (current) t (time). A

single stage thermoelectric cooler can produce a maximum temperature difference of about
70 degrees Celsius. However, II-VI Marlow’s Triton ICE Thermoelectric Cooler will chill
electronics as much as 2 degrees Celsius below current market offerings.
 CONSTRUCTION OF TEC

The 12V Peltier module is mounted onto a 12V heatsink and fan assembly with thermal
paste and an aluminum clamp. Simply connect to 12V 5A+ power supply and you will see
frost appear on the aluminum plate within a minute. This assembly comes with the best
Peltier we could get, so it can get even colder than the stand-alone module we stock, but
we think the price is worth it. Just sitting on our desk it got down to -3.6°C, nice and
frosty!

Comes with the Peltier, heatsink, fan all assembled. You'll need a power supply to power
it, we suggest our 12V 5A wall adapter. We show a temperature meter in a photo but
that's not included, its just to show you how cold it gets.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

 The Peltier Module is 40mm x 40mm / 1.6" x 1.6"

 The aluminium plate is 40mm x 60mm / 1.6" x 2.4"
 The heat-sink is 90mm x 90mm / 3.5" x 3.5"
 The whole assembly is approximately 78mm / 3.1" tall
 Wire Length: 280mm / 11"
 Weight: 455g
  Wattage: 60W nominal (12V * 5A), 72W max

A typical thermoelectric (TE) module is composed of two ceramic substrates sandwiching

many pairs, or "couples" of Bismuth Telluride dice. The (pairs of) dice are connected
electrically in series, and thermally in parallel, between the ceramics. One of these ceramics
will be the "hot-side" and the other, the "cold-side."

Alumina ceramic substrates are commonly used for making TE modules. They're ridged,
thermally conductive and excellent electrical insulators. In addition to providing a sturdy
foundation, the ceramics insulate the electrical elements within the module from a heat-
sink on the hot-side of the module, and the object being cooled on the cold-side.

Pads of electrically conductive material, usually copper, just large enough to accommodate
each of the many "pairs" of dice in a module, are attached to the inside surfaces of the
ceramics. One of each of the P-type and N-type dice make an electrical connection with
each pad. The layout of the pads on the two ceramics varies, to create a circuit, with the
dice, that zigzags through the module. Typically all the dice are soldered into place to
enhance the electrical connection and hold the module together.

Most modules have and even number of P-type and N-type dice and one of each, sharing an
electrical interconnection, is known as, "a couple." The above module would be described as
an 11-couple module.

While both P-type and N-type materials are alloys of Bismuth and Tellurium, both have
different free electron densities at the same temperature. P-type dice are composed of
material having a deficiency of electrons while N-type have an excess of electrons. As
current (Amperage) flows up and down through the module it attempts to establish a new
equilibrium within the materials. The current treats the P-type material as a hot junction
needing to be cooled and the N-type as a cold junction needing to be heated. Since the
material is actually at the same temperature, the result is that the hot-side becomes hotter
while the cold-side becomes colder. The direction of the current will determine if a
particular die will cool down or heat up. In short, reversing the polarity will switch the hot
and cold sides.

Wire leads to the modules are attached to the (copper) pads on the hot-side ceramic. If the
module is sealed you can determine the hot-side without applying power. With the module
on a flat surface, point the leads toward you with the positive lead, usually in red wire
insulation, on the right. The bottom surface will be the hot-side.

Material researchers are investigating the use of other materials to improve the efficiency of
thermoelectric modules but Bismuth Telluride remains the most economical material for
cooling modules used in ambient temperature applications. However, at low temperature
(around minus 110 degrees Celsius) this material stops becoming a semiconductor and
performance is severely diminished. Typically, the highest temperature that modules can
operate is about 30 °C below the melting point of the solder used in its assembly, usually
+150 or 200 °C (302 or 392 °F).

TM 127-1.4-8.5 is our most popular choice for most thermoelectric module power
generation (TEG) applications, with temperatures up to 200 °C (392 °F).

Some Bismuth Telluride based modules for power generation applications are fabricated
with high melting temperature solder or without solder entirely. Some of these may be used
at temperatures up to +400 °C.
Peltier Effect
 Temperature and Temperature Difference
as a Function of Time
160.00

140.00

120.00
Temperature (¡F)

100.00
Hot Side
80.00
Cold Side
60.00
Temp
Difference
40.00

20.00

0.00
0 200 400 600 800
Time (s)

Temperature Gradient as a Function of Voltage

70.00

60.00

50.00
Voltage vs
Temperature, ¡C

Temp Diff
40.00
Cold vs V

30.00 Hot vs V

20.00

10.00

0.00
0.00 2.00 4.00 6.00 8.00 10.00 12.00
Voltage, V

Carnot Efficiency

Nc @ 12v:

=1-Tc/Th

=1-283.6/342.3
=17.1%

APPLICATIONS OF PELTIER EFFECT

Deep space probes

Microprocessor cooling

Laser diode temperature stabilization

Temperature regulated flight suits

Air conditioning in submarines

Portable DC refrigerators

Automotive seat cooling/heating

APPLICATIONS

Semiconductor laser diode(LD) is widely used in optical fiber communication, integrated

optics, laser printing, gas sensing, laser beam flying, optical disc memory and many other
areas. LD is very sensitive to the influence of heating effect during its working, research
results indicate that LD wavelength drifts by 0.2~0.5 nanometer when the LD temperature
changes by 1°C, moreover, temperature increment result in the promotion of LD threshold
current and shortening its working life. So, a steady and reliable LD temperature controller
is necessary. The temperature control of small or middle power LD is investigated in this
thesis, and a kind of high stability LD temperature control system has been developed,
which used as the controller, negative temperature coefficient thermal resistor (NTC) as the
temperature sensing device, thermoelectric cooler(TEC) as the temperature control conduct
device. This system is centered on DSP, combined with temperature monitor and control
peripheral circuit, replace conventional PID algorithm with Fuzzy-PID algorithm to control
the output power of thermoelectric cooler(TEC) to regulate laser temperature coarsely or
finely. Coarse regulation can rise or reduce the temperature of TEC quickly, fine regulation
can ultimately bring system into dynamic balance. It has many advantages such as
convenient in use, high stability, strong anti-jamming capability, and so on.