News: Optoelectronics
3 December 2025
Nuvoton launches compact 1.7W 402nm violet laser in TO-56 CAN package
Nuvoton Technology Corp Japan of Kyoto, Japan has launched the KLC435FS01WW compact high-power violet laser diode, which achieves what is claimed to be industry-leading optical output power in an industry-standard TO-56 CAN package of 1.7W at 402nm wavelength.
Through the firm’s proprietary chip design and thermal management technologies, the new product achieves compact size, high output power and long life, which were previously considered difficult. As a result, it contributes to space-saving and long-life optical systems for a wide range of optical applications.
Semiconductor lasers with a wavelength of 402nm are being utilized as alternative light sources to the h-line of mercury lamps in applications such as laser direct imaging (LDI, using lasers to directly expose circuit patterns onto substrates) and resin curing. In recent years, there have been growing expectations for applications in even more areas, including medical devices. In these applications, it is necessary to integrate the light source system into a limited space, which has created a demand for semiconductor lasers that are both compact and high-powered. However, as the optical output power of semiconductor lasers increases, the amount of heat generated also rises, requiring larger heat-dissipation structures and resulting in challenges related to package size limitations.
To address this, Nuvoton has evolved its proprietary chip design and thermal management technologies based on over 40 years of experience in laser design and manufacturing. By designing to reduce optical loss inside the laser chip, heat generation is suppressed. In addition, a new optical facet structure that withstands strong laser light has been adopted, enabling the previously difficult combination of compact size, high output power and long life.
As a result, the firm has achieved an optical output power of 1.7W in the industry-standard TO-56 CAN package, representing about a 40% increase in output power compared to the firm’s previous products (the KLC433FS01WW). Furthermore, the reliability indicator MTTF (mean time to failure) has also been significantly improved. Hence not only does this new product contribute to space-saving and long life in existing applications but it is also expected to expand and create new applications that were not possible with conventional light sources.
In addition, the product is newly added to Nuvoton’s lineup of mercury lamp replacement solutions using semiconductor lasers, providing new options. This enables flexible product selection according to application (including laser direct imaging, resin curing, laser welding, 3D printing, biomedical, displays, and alternative light sources for mercury lamps), installation environment, and required performance, improving the freedom of system design.
Details of the new product are being exhibited at SPIE Photonics West 2026 in San Francisco, CA, USA (20–22 January) and OPIE’26 (OPTICS & PHOTONICS International Exhibition) at Pacifico Yokohama, Japan (22–24 April).
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